| MODEL | VELOCETTE VENOM 1955 - 1970 |
| Year | 1955 - 1970 |
| Engine Type | Four-stroke, single-cylinder, OHV |
| Displacement / Capacity | 499 cc / 30.5 cu in |
| Bore X Stroke | 86 x 86 mm |
| Compression Ratio | 8.0:1 |
| Cooling System | Air cooled |
| Max Power | 25 kW / 34 hp @ 6200 rpm |
| Max Torque | — |
| Ignition | Belt-driven dynamo; Lucas system after 1962 |
| Induction | — |
| Start System | Kick start |
| TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
| Lubrication | Wet sump |
| Gear Box | 4-speed constant mesh, close ratio |
| Clutch | Dry, three-plate |
| Final Drive | Chain |
| CHASSIS SPECS | |
| Frame | — |
| Front Suspension | Telescopic fork, hydraulic damping, offset wheel spindle |
| Rear Suspension | Woodhead-Monroe springs with hydraulic damping, later Armstrong and Girling |
| Front Brakes | 7.5 x 1.5 in., drum |
| Rear Brakes | 7 x 1 in., drum |
| DIMENSION SPECS | |
| Overall Length | — |
| Overall Width | — |
| Overall Height | — |
| Seat Height | — |
| Wheelbase | 1365 mm / 53.75 in |
| Ground Clearance | — |
| Dry Weight | 177 kg / 390 lbs |
| Wet Weight | — |
| WHEEL SPECS | |
| Front Tyre | 3.25 x 19 in |
| Rear Tyre | 3.25 x 19 in |
| FUEL SYSTEM | |
| Fuel Capacity | 13.6 Litres / 3.6 US gal |
| Fuel Consumption | — |
| Top Speed | 161 km/h / 100 mph |
Launched in late 1955, the Venom was the sporting development of the MSS, built to hold its own against the new British twins. It had a high-compression 499 cc engine with an alloy head, a well-regarded chassis and, from 1960, glass-fibre enclosure panels that purists disliked. It became the best-selling model of the late Velocette range and is now a prized classic single.
