Ain’t nothing in the whole wide world that can put a big smile on my face after that first cup of coffee than a photo of a Vincent . Any Vincent … from stock … to restored .. to customized . Well … OK … maybe there is one thing that can put a bigger smile on my face . This being a ‘ family friendly ‘ site though its probably best I don’t mention that one 😉
Ditto, I see any Vincent twin and I, um, pitch a tent.
But this ain’t no ‘race special’, it’s a standard Rapide with it’s passenger seat.
The legendary higher performance Black Shadow looked about the same but it had a blacked out motor, and ‘race special’ was the Black Lightening, and it sure as hell didn’t have any passenger seat!
Still, it’s a gorgeous bike and I’d gladly give one of Tom Brady’s deflated balls for some time alone with it.
Like any old model – a bedpan comes as part of the territory.
Any Vincent of this kind (ie all the derivatives – sometimes only the true enthusiast will note the differences – as B.D. above) are achingly beautiful, BUT, achingly painful to ride.
The rear seat linkage is effectively connected to the rear wheel – in reality making it a rigid; a very fast one and a very solid one. The bike pivots in the center (before the seat) – eg a bit like a softail with the seat connected to the swingarm and not the frame. Trust me, riding it for more than ten miles, you have an acute case of rigor mortis buttocks.
I am no Vincent expert, but as far as I know the “D” series did mount the seat from the frame, some say it was the finest of the Vincent’s – sadly also some of the “The Last” (as far as I know).
1948 Vincent HRD Rapide 1000 Factory Race Special. Photo @ MC News AU.
Ain’t nothing in the whole wide world that can put a big smile on my face after that first cup of coffee than a photo of a Vincent . Any Vincent … from stock … to restored .. to customized . Well … OK … maybe there is one thing that can put a bigger smile on my face . This being a ‘ family friendly ‘ site though its probably best I don’t mention that one 😉
TJ said it all. Too bad it needs a drip pan. Should have removed it before the photo shoot. ..Z
Could be the “picture of the month or year” great bike!
Such a beautiful motorcycle. everything about it just screams classy
Ditto, I see any Vincent twin and I, um, pitch a tent.
But this ain’t no ‘race special’, it’s a standard Rapide with it’s passenger seat.
The legendary higher performance Black Shadow looked about the same but it had a blacked out motor, and ‘race special’ was the Black Lightening, and it sure as hell didn’t have any passenger seat!
Still, it’s a gorgeous bike and I’d gladly give one of Tom Brady’s deflated balls for some time alone with it.
RE:
“… Too bad it needs a drip pan…”
Not at all.
That simply means its a runner.
As it should be….. 🙂
-nicker-
Drip pan….Late 60s I had two Limies a Knucklehead and a Morgan in my garage, it was wall to wall drip pans….
Like any old model – a bedpan comes as part of the territory.
Any Vincent of this kind (ie all the derivatives – sometimes only the true enthusiast will note the differences – as B.D. above) are achingly beautiful, BUT, achingly painful to ride.
The rear seat linkage is effectively connected to the rear wheel – in reality making it a rigid; a very fast one and a very solid one. The bike pivots in the center (before the seat) – eg a bit like a softail with the seat connected to the swingarm and not the frame. Trust me, riding it for more than ten miles, you have an acute case of rigor mortis buttocks.
I am no Vincent expert, but as far as I know the “D” series did mount the seat from the frame, some say it was the finest of the Vincent’s – sadly also some of the “The Last” (as far as I know).
She’s a beauty!