In 1961, an intrepid bunch of chaps set out to break the world endurance record on a Velocette Venom Clubman.
Georges Monneret, French racing champion, approached Bertie Goodman, Velocette’s managing director at the time, about the record and put together a team of riders. Among them was motorcycle historian, Bruce Main-Smith.
The attempt took place at the L’autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, about 40 minutes south of Paris, an engineered track, built with a concrete and steel grid structure supporting its high banked curves. The concrete paving had expansion joints every 25 metres, some as wide as a fist. Bruce Main-Smith called Montlhéry a “concrete-banked slice of medieval punishment”.
After 12 hours the team had set a record of 104.6mph. By dawn the following day, they’re set a new record for 24hrs with a speed of 107mph.
The Venom took the whole race in its stride, never missing a beat, and managing 37mpg. The record still stands today for a motorcycle of that capacity (500cc)
vive la France