Black Shadow in the Basement
A friend of mine called me a few months back. He's a noted hunter of Vincent Motorcycles, finding several of them in his time. His mission is to bring them back into the light, to be shared and put to use again as their maker, Philip Vincent would have intended. He's found another bike after a 30 year search.
The story of the Vincent HRD company begins in the early post World War I days with young racer Howard Raymond Davies winning at the Isle of Man TT races. He boldly decided to make his own machines, with brought in J.A.P. engines to again win the TT in 1925. Phil Vincent bought the company a few years later during one of the many financial difficulties the company would face that eventually led to its demise. But before the end, their was glory of the highest order achieved with Australian Phil Irving joining the company and helping launch the 500 cc Meteor and Comet that would ultimately provide the inspiration for the most significant Vincent of all. The 1,000 cc V-twin series beginning with the Rapide, the Black Shadow, the Black Lightning, Black Prince, and Black Knight.
One of the best loved and most popular of the classic series V-twin Vincents was the Black Shadow. This one had two prior owners before the long-term ownership that my friend Bill purchased it from. He'd known about the bike for 30 years and doggedly pursued the owner to remind him that he would be proud to be the owner. Well, he finally closed the deal and brought along his nephew to assist in extracating the machine from its basement prison, where is was hidden under a pile of life's accumulations.Vincent motorcycles can be easily dismantled, if you know what you're doing and you brought the right tools. After a heavy dose of cunning and muscle, the bike taken in three easy pieces out the window and into his truck.
This was the first public showing of the bike (at Oakbourne Mansion, West Chester, PA) , but the bike will be featured as part of a celebration of Vincent HRD, Brough Superior and pre-1974 250cc motorcycles at the well-known Philadelphia Simeone Foundation Museum. The motorcycle will be at the museum from August 16-Sept 12, 2014. Special guest speaker will be Matthew Biberman, author of "Big Sids Vincati.
A friend of mine called me a few months back. He's a noted hunter of Vincent Motorcycles, finding several of them in his time. His mission is to bring them back into the light, to be shared and put to use again as their maker, Philip Vincent would have intended. He's found another bike after a 30 year search.
The story of the Vincent HRD company begins in the early post World War I days with young racer Howard Raymond Davies winning at the Isle of Man TT races. He boldly decided to make his own machines, with brought in J.A.P. engines to again win the TT in 1925. Phil Vincent bought the company a few years later during one of the many financial difficulties the company would face that eventually led to its demise. But before the end, their was glory of the highest order achieved with Australian Phil Irving joining the company and helping launch the 500 cc Meteor and Comet that would ultimately provide the inspiration for the most significant Vincent of all. The 1,000 cc V-twin series beginning with the Rapide, the Black Shadow, the Black Lightning, Black Prince, and Black Knight.
One of the best loved and most popular of the classic series V-twin Vincents was the Black Shadow. This one had two prior owners before the long-term ownership that my friend Bill purchased it from. He'd known about the bike for 30 years and doggedly pursued the owner to remind him that he would be proud to be the owner. Well, he finally closed the deal and brought along his nephew to assist in extracating the machine from its basement prison, where is was hidden under a pile of life's accumulations.Vincent motorcycles can be easily dismantled, if you know what you're doing and you brought the right tools. After a heavy dose of cunning and muscle, the bike taken in three easy pieces out the window and into his truck.
This was the first public showing of the bike (at Oakbourne Mansion, West Chester, PA) , but the bike will be featured as part of a celebration of Vincent HRD, Brough Superior and pre-1974 250cc motorcycles at the well-known Philadelphia Simeone Foundation Museum. The motorcycle will be at the museum from August 16-Sept 12, 2014. Special guest speaker will be Matthew Biberman, author of "Big Sids Vincati.
The finder of this Black Shadow in a Basement is not just a bottom dweller, searching cellars for rusty gold. He rides and restores his own machine. That's his daily rider below. It will be feaured in our poster for the event and was taken of one of his bikes earlier this year by noted automotive photographer, Michael Furman. Behold.
