The business was established by philip vincent who bought an existing manufacturing name hrd, initially renaming it as vincent hrd, producing his own motorcycles as hrd did previously with engines purchased as complete assemblies from other companies. Deliveries commenced in the spring of 1948 and only around 70orso series b black shadows had been made before the series cs public debut at that years earls court motorcycle show. The bonhams auction at the international classic motorcycle show at the staffordshire county showground topped. The vincent black shadow page contains all related products, articles, books, walkarounds and plastic scale modeling projects dedicated this vehicle. In 1948 this street machine could exceed 200mph with ease. Nov 24, 2015 jay showcases his 1955 eglivincent black shadow, and explores the timeless beauty of motorcycles. Thompsons book fear and loathing on the campaign trail 72. Jul 02, 2019 list your vincent parts forsale or wanted right here for free. When the vincent black shadow was announced in 1948 it wowed the world with a top speed of 125mph. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. New stock of fresh 300x20 avon ribbed front tires in stock. The vincent black shadow 19481955 for their new bike with which to ensure that the vincent name would become a household word throughout britain and the united states, phil vincent decided that it needed a characteristic paint scheme to go with its awe inspiring speed. The mystique of the vincent black shadow the vincent black shadow, tuning for speed, part 1, by sam q. The vincent black shadow is a name that resounds whenever classic bikes are discussed.
A comprehensive book about the vincent motorcycles. This vincent motorcycle would put a harleydavidson hog from the sa. A brief history of the vincent black shadow the worlds first. Only 42 vincenthrd branded series c black shadows are known to the vincent owners club compared with 70 known series bs. Total rebuild by vincent specialist 4 years ago less then miles since. Results include ads from the april, 2020 issue of hemmings motor news. Vincent motorcycles, parts and literature for sale. The black shadows were built with the same labourintensive handfitting of bearings and major engine parts that vincent had used prior to the war. Probably no machine has ever been so much faster and ahead of its time as the deadly fast vincent black widow. Click here to download our vincent parts february 2020 price list.
Only 144 black shadow motorcycles were produced in 1955. I am sitting on an original 1949 vincent black shadow and i am considering listing it on ebay. With a claimed top speed of 125mph, soon born out by road tests, the vincent black shadow was quite simply the fastest road vehicle of its day. Fleming all these years later, the black shadow remains a touchstone in performance. Now ketteringbased vincent spares company secretary tim kingham has written a book about vincents most iconic machine, the black shadow which was first unveiled in 1948 with the then. Apr 22, 2017 a 1949 hrd vincent black shadow series c motorcycle is ready to go under the charterhouse hammer in the auction of classic motorcycles on wednesday 10 may. We want to sell it and would like to find out what it is worth. Vincent black shadow 1954 matching frame numbers and original registration number with old log book. Shop for vinyl, cds and more from the vincent black shadow at the discogs marketplace. The bike is mentioned several times in thompsons 1971 novel, fear and loathing in las vegas. Vincent black shadow book 19451980 prince lightning cornet.
Richard thompson 1952 vincent black lightning youtube. Prototype 1948 series b vincent black shadow motorcycle classics. Topping at speeds of 120 miles per hour 200kmh, the black shadow was renowned for its high performance and class, defining the vincent brand as the top motorcycle maker of its era. Originally consisting of cassandra ford on vocals, brothers rob kirkham on guitar, anthony kirkham on drums, and chris kirkham a. This 1949 hrd vincent black shadow series c is for sale. The vincent motorcycle company was founded in 1927, by phil irving, and named for his stepfather and backer, a wealthy argentinian rancher named senor vincent.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the black shadow. New stock of fresh 300x20 avon ribbed front tires in stock just arrived. Rebuild includes repaint,rebuilt wheels,new tyres,brake linings and centre stand. Reckless kelly 1952 vincent black lightning cains ballroom.
Vincent motorcycles, the makers of the worlds fastest motorcycles, began with the purchase of hrd motors ltd by philip vincent in may 1928. The machine has been in storage for 30 years and i. The vincent black shadow qualifies in almost every respect as the. The vincent owners club spares company located in lymm, cheshire uk, has built a brand new vincent black shadow from all new parts available through their shop. A suspenseful short story based on actual events kindle edition by carter, corey. One is a largely original, unmolested and unrestored 1952 vincent black shadow series c, the other being one of the last purposebuilt fourstroke grand prix race machines prior to the twostroke.
Coil ignition frame correct for a 1955 black shadow rebuilt leadfree fuel conversion current v5c registration documents with original transferable reg tel 052 780331. From the sellers notes, prior to purchase in 1999, terry prince of tpv in au. The vincent in the barn motorbooks, 2009 by tom cotter offers 40 stories of motorcyclehunting dreams come true. If it wasnt for the vincent black shadow, i wouldnt have gone to warped tour amd i wouldnt have gotten the chance to see how awesome this person was.
Pdf the vincent black shadow download full pdf book download. Now ketteringbased vincent spares company secretary tim kingham has written a book about vincent s most iconic machine, the black shadow which was. Vincent rapide restored it is not the correct year or mileage. Jul 20, 2019 in the beginning there was vincent hrd. This vincent motorcycle is believed to be an unrestored bike. John edgar owned the vincent black shadow which rollie free tuned with the help of the vincent factory.
I read the book, i know the movie wont be the same how can a story fit inside such a tiny space. Download the vincent black shadow ebook in pdf, epub, mobi. The vincent engine is revered for its great performance and looks the famous photo of rolland free setting a record of 150 mph on a black shadow modern versions like the 165 hp irving vincent can be bought new today in 1931, the gifted young australian phil irving joined vincent. So im pleased that this book has a space on the bookshelf, even if the garage has the vincentshaped void. Beginnings of the vincent black shadow a year later and just a few weeks before the 1948 isle of man tt, phil vincent sent a note to the editor of motor cycling magazine with the tantalizing promise. Oct 01, 2017 the vincent black shadow is a name that resounds whenever classic bikes are discussed. The vincent black lightning was a vincenthrd motorcycle first built in september 1948 at the vincent works in great north road, stevenage, hertfordshire, uk, and produced from 1948 to 1952. Hrd, meteor, comet, rapide, black shadow, victor, black knight, black prince, norvin, egli, grey flash, black lightning for sale.
Motorcycles produced by vincent hrd at their factory in stevenage, hertfordshire, england. Rollie free and the bathing suit bike classic british. Hi my father left my sister and i a vincent black shadow motorcycle. The black shadow was indeed a legend in its own lifetime, and in the halfcentury since production ceased, the esteem in which this iconic motorcycle is held has only increased, fuelling the demand among discerning collectors for fine examples of. Vincent black shadow book 19451980 prince lightning. Thompson has long been a connoisseur of fine machinery, especially the vincent black shadow.
When vincent began back in 1928 they started out the way they meant to keep going as the makers of the worlds fastest motorcycles. Rollie free lays stretched out on a strippeddown vincent black shadow wearing nothing more than a bathing suit, a puddingbowl helmet and slipon beach shoes as he streaks across the bonneville salt flats in utah he is on his way to an astonishing 150. The odometer currently shows just over 700 miles, reflecting the distance covered since the restoration was completed, including a recent tour of several hundred miles at the national vincent meeting in montana. Kit details based off the earliest build of black shadow in 1948, with a brampton gutter type front frame. The bike was a purposebuilt factory modified black shadow that was then. The new vincent black shadow in october 2002, a press release made motorcycle enthusiasts around the world sit up with a jolt. Official records say that 1774 vincent black shadows were made. Although vincent were a relatively small company, their motorcycles were famous around the world, many were exported to usa, so its worth checking through the countries listed below, you never know what you might find. How many unrestored, survivor, vincent black shadows series b, c, or d are left. It appears to me to be all there and in good condition but probably needs some work from sitting.
Introduced in 1948 as a sportier version of the vincent rapide, the black shadow became a legend almost instantaneously. Vincent black shadow the first superbike, and maybe the best. If the brough superior was the rollsroyce of motorcycles, then the vincent black shadow was the aston martin. The vincent black shadow qualifies in almost every respect as the worlds first superbike both in terms of the sheer power and speed it was capable of, and in terms of the riding experience it delivered. Link your active subscription or subscribe for instant access. The black shadow was indeed a legend in its own lifetime, and in the halfcentury since production ceased, the esteem in which this iconic motorcycle is held has only increased, fuelling the demand among discerning collectors for fine examples of the marque, such as that offered here. The vincent black shadow also known as tvbs is a canadian alternative rock band that was signed to the bodog record label in 2006 and to beef records in 2008. A black engine with a black gearbox, black frame and a black fuel tank. More than 50 years after the last one rolled off the line, the black shadow is still an. Vincent black shadow series c motorcycle the charterhouse black shadow was bought by the owner as a box of bits in 2008 and he spent the following year fully restoring it. I am concerned that there is very little traffic of this type of bike. A new book explains how the black shadow was originally conceived, developed and produced with indepth chapters looking in detail at its specification and later. We have been together ever since, now married for 7 years. The vincent black shadow also available for read online in mobile and kindle.
But suffice to say that irving played a pivotal role in the design of the overhead valve 500cc single engine that powered the vincent meteor and comet, and then for virtually siamesetwinning two such engines to create the vtwin cc motor that powered the rapide and then the black shadow. The series c black shadow is the most soughtafter vincent. The vincent black shadow available for download and read online in other formats. It was essentially the prototype of the black lightning model, although edgar had it detuned for road work after the record was taken. Vincent also built 15 white shadow models to the same mechanical specifications as the black shadows but with an engine that was. Jan 10, 2019 1951 vincent series c black shadow 1951 vincent series c black shadow. The vincent black shadow by timothy kingham, 9781445667225, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Vincent series d black shadow the last of the legendary black shadows, the 1955 d series saw vincent close their doors leaving a legacy of high tech, stateoftheart, fast and dramatic motorcycles. The black shadow traced its roots to an earlymodel rapide that had been specially tuned by factory tester and racer george brown, his brother cliff and legendary vincent designer phil irving.
Books about vincent motorcycles british cycle supply. The vincent company were already advertising their existing rapide machine as the worlds fastest production motorcycle when, in february 1948, the black shadow was announced with a then unbelievable top speed of 125 mph on pool petrol. The black shadow, first introduced in 1949, survived through 1955 and along the way broke speed records on several continents. Our online store is open and we are here to answer any. A brief history of the vincent black shadow the worlds. Explore releases from the vincent black shadow at discogs. The vincent black shadow explains how the model was originally conceived in secrecy, its development and subsequent production, discussing in depth those features it shares in common with the other vincent models and those that differentiate it. The vincent black shadow a legend in its own time, and. The rapide and black shadow can lay claim to a whole.
A black shadow speedometer was acquired many years ago by marty dickerson and has recently been recalibrated. Since then its become accepted as an icon of the old british bike industry. Apr 14, 2015 one is a largely original, unmolested and unrestored 1952 vincent black shadow series c, the other being one of the last purposebuilt fourstroke grand prix race machines prior to the twostroke. That includes researching and sourcing the best books on collectible and rare bikes available anywhere. When mcn was launched in 1955, the vincent black shadow series c was arguably the most iconic motorcycle in the world, and vincents in general were regarded as the finest motorcycles of the time. Generally the good doctor is referring to the egli vincent, which was released about the time these books were written. The vincent black shadow stupid intruders lyrics genius. Thompson once said of vincents worlds first superbike. This book concentrates on the post1945 cc b, c and d rapides, the black shadow, black knight and black prince, and the 500cc meteor and comet singles. Kit details based off the earliest build of black shadow in 1948, with a. Here are some passages from his work that discuss the vincent. Black shadow vincent black shadow cutaway engine pictures. Vincent motorcycles black shadow for sale car and classic. This book tells the vincent story from 1946 until the present day, including the stories of those significant individuals who helped to make vincents such legendary machines.
A short stop motion story of a little plastic guy who builds his own motorcycle in my man cave. I would highly recommend they get this book and read it by amazon. To see ads from the may, 2020 issue, you must be a subscriber to hemmings motor news. In this excerpt from chapter 2, intriguing circumstances, enter an abandoned warehouse in ho chi minh city, and discover the story behind a rare vincent black shadow engine. Vincent motorcycles was a british manufacturer of motorcycles from 1928 to 1955. The most serious characteristic of the handbuilt black shadow was its speed, and it was advertised as. Stupid intruders came and ruined an empty space i dont know why i bother fronting a nice face, its fake i took a test and found out things that i knew before. Download pdf the vincent black shadow book full free. The vincent black shadow series d allen museum collection. Does anyone have suggestions of how to best list it. It announced the return of vincent, one of the most iconic names in motorcycling.
The bike was a 1949 transition series c black shadow, but wearing the upper frame member the upper frame member, or ufm, is the steering head and oil tank of the vincent from a series b black shadow, along with brampton forks, which would have been correct for a series b machine. The 1955 eglivincent black shadow jay lenos garage. Catch an allnew jay lenos garage this wednesday at 10p etpt on cnbc. Dec 04, 2009 at a palatial house in san diego, selfmade millionaire and longtime vincent aficionado barney li whipped the covers off five prototype motorcycles. Egli vincent, norvin, cornet, meteor, rapide, grey flash, black shadow, black prince and black lightning. That is why there are not many life members of the vincent black shadow society.