The Velocette LE was a small, quiet motorcycle built by Veloce Ltd from 1948 to 1971. Its name stood for ‘little engine’, and the design was unusual from the start: a water-cooled flat twin, a shaft final drive and bodywork that gave it the feel of a scooter. British police forces made it famous, and its police riders were nicknamed the Noddies.
Velocette LE at a glance
| Maker | Veloce Ltd, Birmingham |
|---|---|
| Production | 1948–1971 |
| Designers | Charles Udall and Phil Irving |
| Mk I engine | 149 cc side-valve, water-cooled flat twin |
| Mk II engine | 192 cc, 2 hp more |
| Final drive | shaft in a swing frame |
| Gearbox | three speeds, hand change; foot change on the Mk III |
| Frame | pressed steel, lined with soundproofing felt |
| Price at launch | £126, against £76 for a BSA Bantam |
| Fuel | 1.25 to 1.62 imperial gallons on the Mk III |
| Wheels | 18-inch from the Mk III |
| Police users | over fifty British forces |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the LE.
History of the Velocette LE
The motorcycle for everyman
Velocette’s director Eugene Goodman wanted a cheap, clean and reliable machine for a new market, and designers Charles Udall and Phil Irving developed the LE as a design ‘conceived as a whole’, with engine, gearbox, shaft drive and bevel box in one unit. It was launched at the Earls Court motor show in 1948 as the ‘Motorcycle for Everyman’. The 149 cc side-valve twin was water-cooled and had a radiator and coil ignition to help starting; the gearbox, engine and clutch sat in special castings and the rear wheel was driven by a shaft in a swinging frame. Aluminium leg shields and footboards gave it a scooter feel, and the pressed-steel frame was lined with felt to cut noise and vibration.
Expensive and odd-looking
The only instrument was a speedometer, and the engine was so well silenced that riders sometimes knew it was running only by checking the ignition light. A glove compartment in front of the tank added carrying space. All this made the Mk I expensive at £126, against £76 for a BSA Bantam, and its unusual looks did not appeal to the usual motorcycle buyer.
The Mk II and the police
The Mk II arrived in 1951 with a 192 cc engine giving 2 hp more and strengthened bearings. The clutch was upgraded, an Amal 363 monobloc carburettor replaced the standard unit, the rear swinging arm was uprated in cast aluminium and the brakes improved. Sales were still poor until more than fifty British police forces chose the LE for patrol work and ordered more than half of production. Ex-police machines can be recognised by fittings for the police radio, a data plate moved to the headstock, the word POLICE stamped under the generator cover and a V-shaped pressing in front of the seat that kept rain out of the battery compartment.
The Noddy name
Metropolitan Police officers were trained to salute an inspector or above, which meant taking a hand off the handlebars on a motorcycle. Instead they were allowed to nod, so the riders became known as Noddies and the LE as the Noddy Bike — a nickname with no connection to Enid Blyton’s character.
The Mk III and the end
In 1958 the Mk III brought a foot-operated gear change, a conventional kick start and an extra gear, with 18-inch wheels, instruments moved to the headlamp and fuel capacity raised from 1.25 to 1.62 imperial gallons. The LE was more reliable and practical after ten years of development, but on 3 February 1971 Veloce went into voluntary liquidation. The last motorcycles built in the factory were LEs. Kent County Constabulary bought the remaining spare parts and kept LEs running until 1974.
Design and features
- Unit construction: engine, gearbox, shaft drive and bevel box in a single assembly.
- Water cooling: a radiator and a well-silenced flat twin made the LE unusually quiet.
- Scooter comfort: aluminium leg shields, footboards and a felt-lined pressed-steel frame.
- Police equipment: fittings for a radio and a special battery cover on police machines.
- Steady development: bigger engine in 1951, foot gear change and more fuel in 1958.
Velocette LE versions
- Mk I (1948): 149 cc engine, hand gear change.
- Mk II (1951): 192 cc, stronger bearings and brakes, cast aluminium swinging arm.
- Mk III (1958): foot change, kick start, extra gear, 18-inch wheels.
- Police LE: radio fittings, POLICE stamping and a rain-proof battery cover.
The LE sat apart from Velocette’s sporting singles such as the Venom and MAC, but its telescopic forks were later used on them. More machines are in the Velocette collection.
Sources
- Velocette LE, English Wikipedia: design, Marks I–III, police use
