On Mon, 20 Dec 2010 14:40:25 -0800, Savageduck
wrote:

On 2010-12-20 13:40:46 -0800, Eric Stevens said:
Le Snip

A Vincent Black Lightning for me.


Eric Stevens

Now there was a case of 1930's tech taken to its limits. The Vincent BL
was an amazing machine, but even though it had that powerful motor, it
was a 1930's bike (Vincent's 1936 Brough Superior beater) trying to
survive into the fifties and it failed early. The frame, forks, and
suspension were not a good match for the motor, and were obsolete in
1948. Undoubtably a work of art, but the record breaking bikes of the
1948 and early fifties were all custom frame bikes with custom forks.

Not so. I worked with Bob Burns and Russel Wright on Russel's record
breaking Vincent. It was standard forks and frame. The connecting rods
were ex the Vincent Picador engine designed for drone aircraft, and
were worth another 1000rpm. Both cylinders were fitted with ported
rear cylinder heads which gave a better air flow. The gear box was the
standard Vincent close-ratio box. The clutch may have been modified,
but I can't remember.The fuel tank was a special. The oil tank was the
main frame member as in the standard bike.

They had to be.
They are nostalgically desirable, and have great collector value today
due to limited numbers, but even in the mid-'50's there were better
bikes such as the 1955 Matchless G45. Maybe not as powerful but much
better.




Eric Stevens