Thursday, February 20, 2020

Velocette Venom vinyl petrol tank cover

Well farkled '55 Velocette Venom.
I've got a bit of a thing for period correct farkles and my '55 Venom has been the recipient of several. The latest of which is this petrol tank cover. The need to farkle is an enduring one for the motorcyclist as tank covers remain popular accessories, though modern ones such as the Baglux are infinitely more useful with their capacity to clip on a useful tank bag. The fifties version has rather less utility, it's purpose is really as a tank protector though they  are derided by many as a moisture collector that can rot your precious tank away.

The Velo tank is greased underneath the new cover so rot shouldn't be much of a problem, even if it is the bike currently runs with an Indian repro tank so it's not a big loss either way. Personally I like the look of the cover and it adds a touch of authenticity and individuality.

I'm not sure who the maker of these tank covers was, at one time they were fairly frequently found and produced for most makes and models. Midland is my guess for the brand though if there are any old timers reading who can remember them from new please do let me know.

The Velo is a bit more understated with its new tank cover.

The cover required a bit of remedial work before fitting.
The straps were missing and needed to be replaced with stitched
on black cotton tape and buckles.


The Midland map case is another period accessory and,
frankly, equally as useless as the tank cover!


2 comments:

  1. I didn't know about these, so neat to find out. I too love the odd accessories. The fact that much of the stuff wasn't really very effective only adds to its appeal.

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    1. Someone should make them for new Royal Enfields. I think they would go down well.

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