Barn Job was something special back in my youth, I remember a 60's Hot Rod Magazine article about it, although I never had the joy of seeing it run. Clem deserves a place in the "Gear Heads Hall of Fame".
Thanks for a interesting story, I am a vincent collector myself and can honestly say you have a fantastic piece of motor cycling engineering and history, cheers and thanks mate
I was drag racing my Vincent in the 1960s, which was no where near the level of Clem Johnson's Barn Job. I certainly remember being in awe over Clem's achievement. Having machined many of my own parts I could really appreciate his work. There was not much left of his original Vincent there. As I recall, Clem even designed and manufactured his own transmission and clutch because the original was not nearly up to transmitting the power. He had no factory or group behind him (if memory serves), which makes his achievement all the more awesome!
great info mate.. as a machinist and newbord motorcycle dragracer i love reading stuff like this.. i know how much work goes into making stuff like this... i have so much respect!
I thought so doomzday! Certain things just didn't look quite Kosher as I remember them. Like seems like Barn Job had a supercharger when last raced. I still speak to Clem's rider from time to time. Need to call Jim pretty soon anyhow, so I'll ask. I don't particularly enjoy seeing RUBs buying such equipment to store in their sitting rooms for bragging rights. Pffft!!
..I remember seeing this racing back in the 1960's and at one time the original 'Barn Job' had a supercharger....good to see this bike is still in one piece...!
I saw this bike run at the old Apple Valley Speedway. Jim Lineweber was riding it that day. I marveled at the bike i looking it over quite heavily when Jim was kind enough to talk to me about it. Moments later they set fast time of the day! I remember it like yesterday. God that bike was beautiful!! There wasn't a nut or bolt that wasn't totally trick everywhere.
Back in ;82 I was racing a Pro-Stock GS-1000. The Barn Job fuel Vincent used to attend a lot of those same races. It would make smoker runs going out the back door at something like 180. Quite a sight to see. The last time I saw it I was at the head of the staging lanes in Las Vegas waiting to make a run. The crew was trying to start the Barn Job when there was a pop and they all started running in different directions while covering their heads. What had happened is it backfired and launched half a cylinder head. Nobody wanted to be there when the head came back down.
Sir, there is more beauty, skill and art in that, than any dusty old sunflowers or portraits hanging in the Louvre!! and I'd be more than happy to see it standing in my sitting room!
***** Thanks for watching man, glad you liked the video. Too bad we couldn't get any video of the bike started and running but the bike was not running when we shot this video last year. Maybe someday in the future he'll get it running!
Billyboy4209 Any motorcycle would look new if it was kept indoors all the time and never ridden. Of course this is practically a museum piece so it's good that he respects it so much.
Vincents certainly inspired men around the world to explore ways to make them even faster! There are many famous drag Vincents also, in the UK, not surprising though!
Beautiful workmanship; lovely bike; however there were others outside America racing Vincents which were very fast... Check out Brit: George Brown's Super Nero, which held many World records.. Plus in 1955, Two New Zealanders Russell Wright + Bob Burns managed 185 M.P.H. on a Vincent with sidecar-- On a [closed] public road..There is footage on You tube..
i had 11.5 quarter mile pre unit twin, shorock super charger and nitro, the fs1e front forks, still have my old photographs, you can allways make room for a vincent in the home r the wife goe's
I saw Clem and the Barnjob at Lyons about a month before it was on the cover of Hotrod mag. He started the bike by hooking his right elbow around the door pillar of a 55 Chevy. His lady drove him down the return road about 60 and he let go and popped the clutch. It was frightening. It was anti climatic, but still amazing, when he ran over 150 mph and under 10 sec (thoroughly thrashing Stone Woods and Cook A/gasser). The workmanship was and is beautiful.
i'm glad you got an hrd vincent in to your living room GREAT,well i'm not that's in that's can of ranger i just got few schwinn stingray velo in my living room 2 wheels and a handle bar thats our religion
Building motorcycles in your living room is not so unusual. I had a friend who built a Volkswagen Betel in his living room. He had to demolish the front wall to get it out when he was done with it. Not as strange as you might think.
Barn Job was something special back in my youth, I remember a 60's Hot Rod Magazine article about it, although I never had the joy of seeing it run. Clem deserves a place in the "Gear Heads Hall of Fame".
You have two gems...the bike and your very understanding wife!
Astonishing piece of motorcycle history.
Cherish it
Thanks for a interesting story, I am a vincent collector myself and can honestly say you have a fantastic piece of motor cycling engineering and history, cheers and thanks mate
I was drag racing my Vincent in the 1960s, which was no where near the level of Clem Johnson's Barn Job. I certainly remember being in awe over Clem's achievement. Having machined many of my own parts I could really appreciate his work. There was not much left of his original Vincent there. As I recall, Clem even designed and manufactured his own transmission and clutch because the original was not nearly up to transmitting the power. He had no factory or group behind him (if memory serves), which makes his achievement all the more awesome!
great info mate.. as a machinist and newbord motorcycle dragracer i love reading stuff like this.. i know how much work goes into making stuff like this... i have so much respect!
I thought so doomzday! Certain things just didn't look quite Kosher as I remember them. Like seems like Barn Job had a supercharger when last raced. I still speak to Clem's rider from time to time. Need to call Jim pretty soon anyhow, so I'll ask. I don't particularly enjoy seeing RUBs buying such equipment to store in their sitting rooms for bragging rights. Pffft!!
..I remember seeing this racing back in the 1960's and at one time the original 'Barn Job' had a supercharger....good to see this bike is still in one piece...!
I saw this bike run at the old Apple Valley Speedway. Jim Lineweber was riding it that day. I marveled at the bike i looking it over quite heavily when Jim was kind enough to talk to me about it. Moments later they set fast time of the day! I remember it like yesterday. God that bike was beautiful!! There wasn't a nut or bolt that wasn't totally trick everywhere.
Back in ;82 I was racing a Pro-Stock GS-1000. The Barn Job fuel Vincent used to attend a lot of those same races. It would make smoker runs going out the back door at something like 180. Quite a sight to see.
The last time I saw it I was at the head of the staging lanes in Las Vegas waiting to make a run. The crew was trying to start the Barn Job when there was a pop and they all started running in different directions while covering their heads.
What had happened is it backfired and launched half a cylinder head. Nobody wanted to be there when the head came back down.
Sir, there is more beauty, skill and art in that, than any dusty old sunflowers or portraits hanging in the Louvre!! and I'd be more than happy to see it standing in my sitting room!
Stunning and epic all rolled into one.
Picked up my copy soon as it was available. Wonderful book!
Fantastic motor cycle,,, thanks for the video. I love the old school stuff.
***** Thanks for watching man, glad you liked the video. Too bad we couldn't get any video of the bike started and running but the bike was not running when we shot this video last year. Maybe someday in the future he'll get it running!
WOW Clem was a Maniac / Genius, and ahead of his time
ALL HAIL THE MIGHTY VINCENT !!!! KING OF MOTORCYLE ENGINES !!!😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀An ENGLISHMAN g
What a beautiful machine! If you didnt know,you would think its newer made
Billyboy4209 Any motorcycle would look new if it was kept indoors all the time and never ridden. Of course this is practically a museum piece so it's good that he respects it so much.
Watch out for us Knights Templar....we've been looking for the Holy Grail since the 1100's and now we know where it is ! See you in STURGIS , John !
Vincents certainly inspired men around the world to explore ways to make them even faster! There are many famous drag Vincents also, in the UK, not surprising though!
Such as Brian Chapman's bike Mighty Mouse, a 500cc Vincent Comet engined bike which ran 8s
Pops always took me and my 2 brothers to go see Clem Johnson and the Barn Job! Badass on steroids!
Wish we had a clip of it running the quarter...
Mr. Stein, NOTHING eccentric at all Sir, perfectly normal. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR WIFE. The Vincent is EXTRAORDINARY, thank you for the video.
Are there any old videos of this bike racing? Any documentation for it?
Beautiful workmanship; lovely bike; however there were others outside America racing Vincents which were very fast...
Check out Brit: George Brown's Super Nero, which held many World records.. Plus in 1955, Two New Zealanders Russell Wright + Bob Burns managed 185 M.P.H. on a Vincent with sidecar-- On a [closed] public road..There is footage on You tube..
I LOVE THIS CHANNEL
this bike is so beautiful i forgot it does not have a chain!!
i had 11.5 quarter mile pre unit twin, shorock super charger and nitro, the fs1e front forks, still have my old photographs, you can allways make room for a vincent in the home r the wife goe's
I wonder if there's any TH-cam clips on the 2 other bikes in John's house?
I saw Clem and the Barnjob at Lyons about a month before it was on the cover of Hotrod mag. He started the bike by hooking his right elbow around the door pillar of a 55 Chevy. His lady drove him down the return road about 60 and he let go and popped the clutch. It was frightening. It was anti climatic, but still amazing, when he ran over 150 mph and under 10 sec (thoroughly thrashing Stone Woods and Cook A/gasser). The workmanship was and is beautiful.
Clem has passed away
Did you see Ralph Owen Clem Johnson’s best friend on the bike too?
@@xxlolchirs5452 Just one guy and his lady. The fastest bike I had seen, up to that time, ran 100 in the quarter, so Barn Job was amazing.
Lions Dragstrip was in the Wilmington district of Los Angeles, California, adjacent to Long Beach that existed from 1955 to 1972 of course ...
GREAT JOB
Awesome bike
and why would anyone give a thumbs down to this video?
+Dave Z Jealousy.
Because the guy keeps the bike in his house instead of riding it !
Because I came here to hear a Vincent drag bike run, not some stooge trying to sell a book.
Where did he throw the cylinders i want them.
How to get a photo suitable for framing of this bike? It is an earthly wonder.
O i love it i did the same when i was tee in my bedroom had Coventry eagle a long time ago all so had a Vincent Comet spherical bronze head an barrel
i'm glad you got an hrd vincent in to your living room GREAT,well i'm not that's in that's can of ranger i just got few schwinn stingray velo in my living room 2 wheels and a handle bar thats our religion
do you have les gomes old nitro bike i guess h e had a world record on itb
Why is the supercharger missing in this vid?
the drive chain as well
I think the blower was when Jim Lienweber owned it
Are you sure Jim owned it? I know he rode it for Johnson for awhile.
Can't get chain oil on that sitting room floor!
I would like to purchase this please
Building motorcycles in your living room is not so unusual. I had a friend who built a Volkswagen Betel in his living room. He had to demolish the front wall to get it out when he was done with it. Not as strange as you might think.
"The most famous drag bike in history"???...........Really?..........one word! "HOGSLAYER".
Very nice but imo I would prefer an original Vincent black lightning
Sweet as
HOGSLAYER was the big upset
Never herd of this bike
Well, he's gotta be rich to afford this.
This ISNT Clems~ I can guarentee it
Hey Joe, any chance of you explaining what you mean by it's not Clems'?
Does she have a sister?
i would say on entering your house ( I can see who pays the mortgage and bills in here)
If you divorce your wife .... I will marry her .
Take off your sandals; you are walking on holy ground.
What a waste. Run it!