Velocette Viper

==Development==

==Development==

Introduced in October 1955, the single-cylinder ”Viper” was developed from the 500cc Velocette MSS which also led to the almost identical 500cc Venom. . Designed by [[Charles Udall]], the Viper’s 349cc engine had a bi-metal cylinder with a [[cast iron]] liner, high compression piston and a light alloy cylinder head. Using the same bottom end as its sister bike the 500cc [[Velocette Venom]], the Viper had a lot of chrome plating and was offered in a choice of black or “willow green” paintwork. The Viper was also ahead of its time in being one of the first to have glass fibre enclosure panels from 1962. These panels proved unpopular with the traditional buyers of Velocette singles,<ref name=”Currie50s” /> as they extended from the front of the engine, level with the top of the crankcase, to the rear pillion footrests.<ref name=”Bacon60″>{{cite book|last=Bacon|first=Roy|title=British Motorcycles of the 60’s|publisher=Osprey Publishing|date=1988|isbn=978-1-85648-166-3}}</ref>

Introduced in October 1955, the single-cylinder ”Viper” was developed from the 500cc Velocette MSS which also led to the almost identical 500cc [[Velocette Venom]]. Designed by [[Charles Udall]], the Viper’s 349cc engine had a bi-metal cylinder with a [[cast iron]] liner, high compression piston and a light alloy cylinder head. Using the same bottom end as the Venom, the Viper had a lot of chrome plating and was offered in a choice of black or “willow green” paintwork. The Viper was one of the first to have glass fibre enclosure panels from 1962. These panels extended from the front of the engine, level with the top of the crankcase, to the rear pillion footrests.<ref name=”Bacon60″>{{cite book|last=Bacon|first=Roy|title=British Motorcycles of the 60’s|publisher=Osprey Publishing|date=1988|isbn=978-1-85648-166-3}}</ref> but proved unpopular with the traditional buyers of Velocette singles.<ref name=”Currie50s” />

==Viper Clubman==

==Viper Clubman==