Bikes On Offer
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AWARD WINNING 1950 RED TOURING RAPIDE
- One of my personal bikes, built just in time for the Vincent Owners 2014 "B2B" national rally, this 1951 Vincent has at its heart a Red Touring Rapide. The touring Rapides themselves were quite rare, and this engine came from one of the even more rare Red Touring Rapides, of which only 76 were produced. It should be noted that the chassis does not match the engine, but it is nonetheless a stunning machine cosmetically as well as mechanically. Built to an 8:1 compression ratio with Gary Robinson stellited Mk1 cams and followers, the engine has brand new bearings throughout and performs quite nicely whilst also being quite docile and delivering a ride consistent with the grandeur of the machine.
The timing chest spindle bores, which showed some wear, have been sleeved back to original size and new spindles installed for many miles of future service. Any other signs of wear within the machine have also been addressed. The pistons are CP-Carillo, made on custom order for CME and the standard piston of my shop. The bike has hidden upgrades including improved oil seals on the drive side mainshaft, direct shift shaft, and clutch. As it was built with a mind toward occasionally pulling a sidecar, it is equipped with a two-start oil pump and carries a stronger and longer lasting 520 x-ring final drive chain, a modern multi plate clutch, 12 volt electrics, led brake and taillight, a modern BTH magneto, and a superior strength Tsubaki primary chain. It's pre-monobloc Amal 1 1/16th inch carbs are brand new and identical to the originals. She wears 18" rear and 19" front wheels as all touring Vincents should, which allows for the use of more modern rubber, particularly on the front, than the 20" rims of the standard machines. The rims are original Dunlops. The OEM steel mudguards have been painstakingly massaged to provide proper fitting and along with the tank were painted by the best Vincent painter in this country, Bones Cooper, while the black components were painted by the award winning Jake Shores. The gold leaf on the tank is the real deal, not tape or just paint. With care this paint will last a lifetime.
The Rapide has been used intermittently to pull a Blacknell Bullet sidecar, when it is driven via the 52 tooth sprocket currently on the near side of the machine. This sprocket can be brought into service in a matter of minutes by flipping the bidirectional rear tire/wheel assembly and inserting the additional chain length which resides in the tool tray. One would then utilize the ingenious eccentric links in the Girdraulic forks to change the trail to the sidecar setting, attach the car, and motor on. Like all good Vincents, this one has loads of torque and will easily pull the loaded sidecar to hyper legal speeds. I have personally seen 90 mph with the car attached and a passenger in the car.
This is an exceptional motorcycle for the true enthusiast. With roughly 2400 miles on the machine, it is sorted out and capable of eating mile after mile in great comfort and at considerable speed. It does not smoke and it does not leak. Were it not for the fact that I have several other Vincents which demand financial input to return to the road, the bike would be staying in my stable, but needs be and this leads her to be offered for sale at this time.
This machine, with the Blacknell Bullet sidecar attached, has won the following accolades:
2014 VOC North American National Rally, the “B2B” rally: Best in Class
2014 VOC North American National Rally, the “B2B” rally: Best in Show
2014 Hilton Head Island Concourse d’ Elegance: Palmetto Award
2015 VOC North American National Rally “Shadow Lake 40th Anniversary Reunion": Best in Show
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AWARD WINNING 1950 RED TOURING RAPIDE WITH BLACKNELL BULLET SIDECAR
- The Blacknell Bullet Sport was the Vincent works' preferred sidecar for the machines they manufactured. It features an ashe wood body framework skinned in aluminum. This particular sidecar underwent a seven year restoration in the 1990s, each part of the ash wood panels being carefully removed and reproduced. These panels were reassembled and the body skinned with aluminum as original. The seat is fine red leather and both the passenger and luggage compartments are equipped with bound wool carpet. The chassis is the top of the line of the Blacknell range. The body, being fully suspended on double leaf springs, delivers a superb ride. A subtle starburst motif on the boats' nose pinstriped in black with a fine red stripe which really unifies the car and the red and black Touring Rapide to which it has been attached.
This sidecar is offered as an option for the red touring Rapide solo machine listed above.
This outfit has won the following accolades:
2014 VOC North American National Rally, the “B2B” rally: Best in Class
2014 VOC North American National Rally, the “B2B” rally: Best in Show
2014 Hilton Head Island Concourse d’ Elegance: Palmetto Award
2015 VOC North American National Rally “Shadow Lake 40th Anniversary Reunion": Best in Show
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ALL ORIGINAL 1972 MOTO GUZZI V7 SPORT
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1949 VINCENT BLACK SHADOW RACER – SOLD
- Maggie, the Abandoned Racer
A few years ago I was lucky enough to purchase this bike, a 1949 Black Shadow. There is a terrific story to go along with it, and this can be read in the November/December issue of Motorcycle Classics magazine. The bike is very special, having been intended for speed trials. Frankly, she is one of the most interesting Vincents I have ever run across, a time capsule look into the way things were being done in Vincents hayday. I performed a top end job on her and a couple of other small things and she lit off first at the 2014 VOC Blue Ridge to Barbers rally. Since then, I have ridden her on occasion, including in anger at the photo shoot for the magazine article. I have also done considerable research on her and have come to the conclusion that she likely had hands laid on her by the late Gene Aucott, first Vincent dealer in the USA. That said, she doesn’t really fit into the collection of a man of my size, so she is on offer now and may be offered at the Las Vegas motorcycle auctions in January of 2016. Should you be interested in her, please feel free to contact me for more information about her. Should she not reach my reserve, I will likely keep her and find a small pilot and campaign her in speed events. She is VERY, VERY fast. Although I realize I would have no control over it, I would hope that she will be preserved in her current state…Black Lightning tune and special parts, some hand made…for generations to enjoy.
Please call for more information. 423 329 5700
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1955 ARIEL Mk2 SQUARE FOUR FOR SALE – SOLD
- 1955 Ariel 4G MkII Square Four. 1000cc, matching numbers machine. Selling for the widow of a friend. They are the second owners and bought it in 2005. Appears to be original paint with some items having been chromed, these including the tool box, mudguard stays, and taillight bracket. All could be unchromed and painted. The bike has straight pipes, as it did when purchased, and for prettying up it needs a battery box (fiberglass) and rear footpeg rubbers. Along with the silencers, these items would total less than $400 at Armours or Draganfly in the UK. The bike shows about 8800 miles (see pix) total, and there is no reason to doubt that is the correct total mileage. The MkII totaled 3800 or so of the roughly 15500 Square Fours made from 1931-1959, and is most sought after by riders of these fine machines.
Call or email for more information, please.
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1950 VINCENT RAPIDE – SOLD
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Glenn Bewley
Enthusiast
