The Black Lightning version held the road motorcycle top speed for about 45 years. It is also one of the few motorcycles with a classic guitar track written about it by Richard Thompson. Tuning for Speed by Phill Irving probably remains the most influential tuning motorcycle manual ever written. The Black Shadow is mentioned several times in Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas. The firm went bust in 1959. "But I could have told you Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."
A late gent from my home town of Burry Port in South Wales owned a Black Shadow, as well as a Norton Dominator 99 600cc and an Ossa trials bike. What I liked about the Vincent was how, with not a great amount of BHP it could nevertheless pull a very high top gear, due to its fabulous torque output. They fetch very high prices now but I confess I'd much prefer a French built Egli framed one, or perhaps a Norvin.
I knew him, he was a friend of my Dad.. I can't remember his name now though.... I took a few pictures of the Vincent when he used to visit many years ago.. Im from Bynea...👍
Dai Horton, no relation to Ken Horton, who still lives in Burry Port. Dai used to live on the right side of the Graig, just past the old brickworks stack and before the row of houses on the stretch named St. Helena, with Carmel chapel a bit further along and around a corner. I recall Dai riding his Ossa trials up the really steep mountainside and taking myself and a pal, who lived in St. Helena inside of his garage and showing us spare Vincent pistons etc. I go to Bynea when I need the odd job and/or an MOT on my car and motorbike, whether at John Rees {Chicken} Motors by the bridge or at Brett Powell's, opposite Thyssen's old place. All the best.@@griffspeed
There's footage, at 4.20, of me riding my '48 HRD along the river in East Fremantle, Western Australia. Most likely unauthorised use but I was chuffed to see it nonetheless.
Changed The World? Not really. Italians and Germans did more to the evolution of motorcycles after 1925 or there about. Before this period French and English did some very innovative work indeed. The Black Shadow is a great bike indeed but if you compared it with the 1951 Lambretta Gran Premio for instance, you'l see the Black Shadow is ancient.
@Turnipstalk Lambretta Gran Premio is not a scooter. It's a racing bike of 1951, same year as the black shadow. This bike was way ahead of it's time, maybe by 30-40 years. If it wasn't for DKV (MZ) the 50s would belong to Italians
@Turnipstalk Indeed my friend. It looks like a bike from the late 80s. I was just referring to the title of the video. About 'changed the world'' which is great exaggeration. I was a collector when I was younger and had a few british bikes which i loved. I am proud to have seen one vincent black shadow in real life. I am not putting it down at all. The important thing is new ideas in engineering. Stats is secondary.
Vincents weren't as good as people imagine, they were low volume manufacturers so prices were relatively high and the company was always on the verge of going bankrupt. being a very much 'specialist' motorcycle company left them at the will of the wealthy people's buying fantasy and when the company did eventually fail. it was and is the rareity that gives them the supposed value - just like Broughs, BSA Goldstars etc etc. I live in England and know a few people who have them and barely do 1000 miles a year on them prefering to ride something more modern and reliable because working on them requires a full workshop and spares are rarer than honest politicians. In 'good times' a Vincent can command a price of over £100,000 at auction, but at the moment if you want to sell one you'll be lucky to see £40,000 so you see why people don't ride them - 'everyday rider bikes' change hands at about £20,000 and are only sold when owners need to liquidise all assets.
Seat sucks , and another comment below , Vincent are no so expensive, but not because is bad quality, is because youngster go more "femenin" than 40 years before, By the way the cams into Rapide and B.Shadow are exactly the same, BS have a bit more compresion Ratio, as mention in this clip , But cams is similar , only the B.Lightning are diferent cams. And Carbureters very small diferents as the Rapide and BS. 1948 had the very top quality YEAR and is an inner rarety, mostly VINCENTS Big Twins was expensive because material are top quality and very good mechanical components.Cheers !
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The Black Lightning version held the road motorcycle top speed for about 45 years.
It is also one of the few motorcycles with a classic guitar track written about it by Richard Thompson.
Tuning for Speed by Phill Irving probably remains the most influential tuning motorcycle manual ever written.
The Black Shadow is mentioned several times in Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas.
The firm went bust in 1959. "But I could have told you Vincent, this world was never meant for one as beautiful as you."
'Tuning for Speed' remains a must read for anyone interested in designing high performance 4 stroke engines.
By the way, for future reference, Rudge rhymes with Judge. A fine motorcycle in its own right, back in the dawn of time.
Would've been nice to have heard it run, instead of just silent footage...
A late gent from my home town of Burry Port in South Wales owned a Black Shadow, as well as a Norton Dominator 99 600cc and an Ossa trials bike. What I liked about the Vincent was how, with not a great amount of BHP it could nevertheless pull a very high top gear, due to its fabulous torque output. They fetch very high prices now but I confess I'd much prefer a French built Egli framed one, or perhaps a Norvin.
I knew him, he was a friend of my Dad.. I can't remember his name now though....
I took a few pictures of the Vincent when he used to visit many years ago..
Im from Bynea...👍
Dai Horton, no relation to Ken Horton, who still lives in Burry Port. Dai used to live on the right side of the Graig, just past the old brickworks stack and before the row of houses on the stretch named St. Helena, with Carmel chapel a bit further along and around a corner. I recall Dai riding his Ossa trials up the really steep mountainside and taking myself and a pal, who lived in St. Helena inside of his garage and showing us spare Vincent pistons etc. I go to Bynea when I need the odd job and/or an MOT on my car and motorbike, whether at John Rees {Chicken} Motors by the bridge or at Brett Powell's, opposite Thyssen's old place. All the best.@@griffspeed
Book recommendation, "Big Sid's Vincati", about a custom built hybrid, in Cincinnati Ohio area.
Hello, what about a video of the Rickman Interceptor with the last Royal Enfield 750 twin. Only 145 were built so they are truly rare. Cheers
Great suggestion - thank you!
There's footage, at 4.20, of me riding my '48 HRD along the river in East Fremantle, Western Australia. Most likely unauthorised use but I was chuffed to see it nonetheless.
The Ozzy engineer Phil Irving, a bloke of brilliance though died largely un heard of sadly, clearly his legacy lives on..
Great TH-cam
Thanks
showing a Harley Davidson side valve production line is a bit of a downturn!
Shame we did not hear it. Especially the curtain call one.
Would have been nice to see footage of an actual Comet. That was a bit lazy.
The bikes in your video do not match your narrative.
Terrible video. Full of errors!
Changed The World? Not really.
Italians and Germans did more to the evolution of motorcycles after 1925 or there about.
Before this period French and English did some very innovative work indeed. The Black Shadow is a great bike indeed but if you compared it with the 1951 Lambretta Gran Premio for instance, you'l see the Black Shadow is ancient.
@Turnipstalk Lambretta Gran Premio is not a scooter. It's a racing bike of 1951, same year as the black shadow. This bike was way ahead of it's time, maybe by 30-40 years. If it wasn't for DKV (MZ) the 50s would belong to Italians
Yeah very true, but the Lambretta was a machine for ladies hairdressers, the Vincent Black Shadow was for hairy chested men.
@Turnipstalk Indeed my friend. It looks like a bike from the late 80s.
I was just referring to the title of the video. About 'changed the world'' which is great exaggeration. I was a collector when I was younger and had a few british bikes which i loved. I am proud to have seen one vincent black shadow in real life. I am not putting it down at all. The important thing is new ideas in engineering. Stats is secondary.
Vincents weren't as good as people imagine, they were low volume manufacturers so prices were relatively high and the company was always on the verge of going bankrupt. being a very much 'specialist' motorcycle company left them at the will of the wealthy people's buying fantasy and when the company did eventually fail. it was and is the rareity that gives them the supposed value - just like Broughs, BSA Goldstars etc etc.
I live in England and know a few people who have them and barely do 1000 miles a year on them prefering to ride something more modern and reliable because working on them requires a full workshop and spares are rarer than honest politicians.
In 'good times' a Vincent can command a price of over £100,000 at auction, but at the moment if you want to sell one you'll be lucky to see £40,000 so you see why people don't ride them - 'everyday rider bikes' change hands at about £20,000 and are only sold when owners need to liquidise all assets.
It never achieved 125mph in the original road test and the seat ruined the whole look of it
125? No way..
Seat sucks , and another comment below , Vincent are no so expensive, but not because is bad quality, is because youngster go more "femenin" than 40 years before, By the way the cams into Rapide and B.Shadow are exactly the same, BS have a bit more compresion Ratio, as mention in this clip , But cams is similar , only the B.Lightning are diferent cams. And Carbureters very small diferents as the Rapide and BS. 1948 had the very top quality YEAR and is an inner rarety, mostly VINCENTS Big Twins was expensive because material are top quality and very good mechanical components.Cheers !