Oil tap with switch

[SwedScott]

Hi everybody!

Has anybody any recent information of someone making an oil tap with inbuilt switch, that could be wired to the magneto cutout. A simple tap is a sure recipe for disaster. This thing has been in the back of my mind for a while, but I have had no hurry. The day for my Scott start is some time away.
Yesterday a friend of mine mailed me that the oil was as he put it “running straight trough” his newly acquired Velocette KSS. I think that the early ones originally was fitted with a simple tap, Veloce Ltd must had great faith in their customers memory! Anyway this is not the forum for the finer details of Velocette.
The thought now is that my friend and I could try to find some solution together. One could of course try to build such item oneself, but that’s taking time from something else that’s needs to be done! And it’s rather useless to try to invent the wheel over again!

We would both be thankful for any advice!

Leif

[Tman]

My departed 1936 Velo never had any oil tap fitted and it never sumped or over-oiled, and conversely my Scott does have an oil tap fitted, and it’s used at every day’s finish.
It’s about getting into a routine…petrol on, tickle, oil on, set choke, set A/R and kick.
Anyway, you get 5 miles to think…”did I turn the oil on…?”

[SwedScott]

Hi

Well, bikes are just like people. Some do always do a certain thing and some never does it!
A Velocette colleague fitted a tap to his newly rebuilt Viper and, when I asked him, he told me that he would never forget that tap! A year or two later I spoke with a man, who was then dealing in Velocette part. Just by chance we were talking about oil taps. He told me that the man, who was so positive about never forgetting, had ordered parts that should be sufficient to fix a major seizure! Never trust your or anybody else’s memory too much!

Seem to be a quite a few of us that has both Scotts and Velocettes, one can wonder why?!

Best regards

Leif

[efr215]

If you have a “kill” switch on the magneto then an unobtrusive addition might be a reed switch fitted in the kill switch line and a magnet so positioned that the reed is activated when the tap is in the “off” position, (neodymium magnets are very small and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes). Mounting would depend on the style of tap of course but should be within the skill set of the average Scott owner.

[Tman]

The most basic “turn on the oil tap” reminder I ever saw was on a BSA (which given their gear pump and propensity to fill the sump over a weekend, was a necessity!) was a piece of wood fitted to the tap handle and sticking out at right angles. Impossible to miss even when you’re half-asleep!

[Martin27]

Why Scott and Velos? Well, Scott and Velocettes has both TT right in the name of the company. Both owned by Matt Holder. If you know eatly Velo two strokers, seems almost like air cooled half of the Scott engine. And both companies had very progressive design. Easy to find answer 🙂
I would take CoTTon to my garage as well, just amazing frame… will see what the future will bring.
Martin

[SwedScott]

Hi

The tip of using a reed switch is very innovative. I even had to google what a reed switch is.
And Martin’s explanation of why Scott and Velocette seems to go along well with each other is very good.
One might add that Scott used the Harold Willis positive stop mechanism.
And at one time spares for Scott gearboxes was made by Velocette (according to Rod Burris).

I eventually found some ready solution but it seemed a little oversized to fit under the tank.

But during the day I might have cooked up a plan that don’t cost me more than a couple of pounds, and do not require too much work. I’ll try to send some pictures if it turns out well. I have to go and buy some things first, although.

Thanks for the response

Leif

[Author]

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