Velocette MSS 500

It seems so strange now, but before the 1960s, dirt bikes usually had the same chassis as their road-going counterparts. And if you wanted a bike to race, you could order a basic engine and frame from the factory, and then finish the machine to your own specification. In France, you were known as a compé-client, or competition client. And that’s how this lovely 1955 Velocette Scrambler started its life — via Bike EXIF