This was my 30th running of the annual Velocette Owners Club of North America summer rally, traditionally a 1000-mile tour of the West, which has meant back roads from LA to Vancouver, and Alberta to New Mexico.  It isn’t required that one own or ride a Velocette, but it’s encouraged, and while I own several, my partner Susan prefers the comfort of our ’65 Triumph Bonneville, at least until we buy a touring Velo (all mine are racers). The VOCNA is the only vintage motorcycle club in the world that has traditionally run rallies of this length, although the Australian VOC has followed suit for many years, after a few of their members made the big trip to join our event.

Susan regards the slopes of Mt.Shasta in her custom Triumph jacket (painted by me), with her ’65 Bonneville. [Paul d’Orleans]
This year the rally was centered at Mt. Shasta, a jewel of the Cascade mountain range, one of a chain of dormant volcanos stretching from Mt Lassen all the way into Canada, across 3 states.  ‘Dormant’ doesn’t mean dead, as the Mt St Helens eruption 39 years ago proved, and the number of hot springs near all these peaks reminds us the earth moves on geologic time, and change is the only constant. We may not see another eruption in our lifetime, but can clearly see the record of past events near Mt Shasta, with lava flows and major explosions changing the landscape for hundreds of miles, some with still no vegetation after hundreds of years.

Evidence: an enormous pyroclastic flow of pure glass, mostly pumice (glass with air bubbles), but an occasional vein of obsidian in shades of black, green, and red. Glass Mountain, in the Lava Beds National Monument. [Paul d’Orleans]
Age and time have taken a toll on rider participation on this rally. I was ‘the kid’ in 1989, when I showed up on my green Velocette Thruxton, and my girlfriend Denise Leitzel rode her blue Venom.  Most of the riders were in their early 40s, while I was only 27, and Velocette had only been out of business 18 years.  Now Velocette has been gone nearly half a century, and I’m no longer the kid of the group, and many of the founder members of this ride have passed away, or are passing into their 70s and 80s, with attendant physical limitations.  Kudos to those who still ride, or even show up for a weekend to simply say hi.

Visit glass mountain on street tires at their wear limit, and you might get 3 flats as we did! Luckily two tires held air long enough to get back to camp, while the other needed the spare. Four new tires pronto! [Paul d’Orleans]
The peak year of rider participation was in 2005, the centenary of the founding of Veloce Ltd, and although no motorcycles of that era exist, nearly 100 machines showed up at the Evergreen Lodge in Yosemite, where I organized a rally crossing 8 Sierra passes over 8000′, which is very good fun.  The rigors of a 1000-mile week keep any bikes older than the late 1920s at bay, and my 1933 KTT Mk4, the Mule, is among the oldest regular entrants. It’s been off the rally since I attempted to run the Cannonball with it in 2012, but it will return,  as it’s too fun to ride to lay idle forever.

Better moments: on the narrow road leading to? What we found was a fire lookout at 6500′, and that the road ahead had vanished in a landslide years ago. [Paul d’Orleans]
Since club membership is aging, several younger members have taken to inviting non-Velocette owners to join the ride for fun, as the gateway drug to someday buying one.  That strategem has generally worked, as watching a few dozen bikes from the 1950s and ’60s burble swiftly over hill and dale is inspiring, and a beautiful sight.  The chance to borrow a machine for a day or the whole week is generally all it takes to convince one that ownership is inevitable, as few motorcycles possess the charm and smooth competence of these hand-built, engineer’s machines.

Pete Young on his 1938 Velocette MSS
can reads signs, but followed us anyway. ‘Road closed 14 miles’. It was, but it was worth the trip. [Paul d’Orleans]
This year we managed to find considerable mileage on dirt roads, which I prefer, both for the challenge, and the intimacy one feels with nature, with the greenery at arm’s length, and the feel of our planet’s skin rolling beneath one’s wheels, not the invention of Mr. Macadam.  Plus, with no other traffic whizzing past, it’s a far calmer riding experience, although the concentration required for surface irregularities does detract from the scenery.  Our most inspiring ride was a 90-mile journey off-piste from old-growth redwood forests at sea level, up a narrow mountain path to a fire lookout at 6500′, with a 360deg view for a hundred miles. As we were well off the rally route, this was an experience we could only share through photos and stories, and no vintage motorcycles had ever visited the place in ranger John’s 28 years manning the post.  Despite the danger and rigor, all of our batteries were recharged by the adventure, and we’d done something memorable.  I encourage you to take the ‘other path’ sometimes, regardless getting lost, as you never know what you’ll find – it will definitely be an adventure.

A 1963 Sikorsky S61N used for logging sat in a field near the Forks of Salmon road, one of the most remote areas in the state. It leaked as much oil as a British bike! [Paul d’Orleans]
The Forks of Salmon road, revisited. 40 miles of winding, cliffside, one-lane road, with an unguarded sheer drop to the river. Spectacular! [Paul d’Orleans]
How tall are California’s redwood trees? The tallest in the world, actually: 300′ on average, and about 700-1000 years old. They get bigger and older, but this is an average large grove. Each tree delivers nearly 2 million pounds of lumber, and are worth $Millions each, which is why they’ve needed Federal protection from logging, as very few old growth groves are left of Sequoia Sempervirens. [Paul d’Orleans]
Summer is a terrible thing to waste, as are swimming holes. A remote wooden bridge across the Scott River, not far from the charming town of Etna. [Paul d’Orleans]
Velocettes hold up better than sheds, because they get more love. This lovely 1963 MSS gave a trouble-free week to Olav Hassel. [Paul d’Orleans]
Photographers are insufferable, always stopping to capture the inevitable rotting car-casses dotting the roadside in rural areas. This pair of 1930s Fords was especially seductive. [Paul d’Orleans]
JP Defaut’s ex-Swedish Police BMW R60/2 was a welcome change in its (dirty) all-white and chrome livery. [Paul d’Orleans]
Scottie Sharpe’s 1952 BMW R68 cuts a dashing figure anywhere. [Paul d’Orleans]
A giant donut is a terrible thing to waste. Pete Young makes his desires explicit. [Paul d’Orleans]
As far as the eye can see…the Siskiyou mountain range in the distance, seen from the Coastal Range. [Paul d’Orleans]
Larry Luce in shades of umber, with his MSS ridden two-up all week. [Paul d’Orleans]
Truly green transportation. Are raspberries the best use of a 1980s Ford Ranchero? [Paul d’Orleans]
The things you find, the people you meet, out on the road. This VW trike was a family heirloom for its owner, and scooted along pretty well. [Paul d’Orleans]
Some Triumphs are shinier than others. It’s hard to beat a 1950s Trophy for style, although the short chassis isn’t especially stable at highway speeds. Great on dirt, though. [Paul d’Orleans]
Paul Adams has owned his 1961 Velocette Venom Clubman Mk1 since he bought it new. [Paul d’Orleans]
It followed me home, I swear! A chance meeting at a gas pump led to a transfer of ownership of this 1964 Honda CL72: it’s headed to its spiritual home, Baja Mexico. [Paul d’Orleans]
His uncle raced this MSS on flat tracks in Oregon, and it’s now back together and on the road, complete with TT carb and megaphone. [Paul d’Orleans]
Ride 1000 miles with no maintenance? Not likely on a 54 year old bike! Just minor adjustments though, in the field. [Susan McLaughlin]
Some Bar sounds nice on a hot afternoon. PS: thanks for the awesome Rascal pants, El Solitario! They’re sooo comfortable. [Susan McLaughlin]
A bachelor pad par excellence, with an unparalleled view: the Six Rivers fire lookout. [Susan McLaughlin]
On the way up! Before the 17-mile coast back down in an hour. Mt Shasta in the background, with Blaise Descollange on a borrowed KSS. [Susan McLaughlin]
Old barns and old motorcycles are natural companions. [Susan McLaughlin]

 

Paul d’Orléans is the founder of TheVintagent.com. He is an author, photographer, filmmaker, museum curator, event organizer, and public speaker. Check out his Author Page, Instagram, and Facebook.
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