Vincent Motorcycle Black Knight

Vincent motorcycles vincent 1000cc v twin black knight legend has it that australian engineer phil irving placed a tracing of the vincent 500 motor on top of a drawing of the same motor in such a manner that it formed a 47 degree v twin.

Vincent motorcycle black knight. The london based verve search has spent endless hours working with bonhams auction house to create the a list of the top 10 most valuable motorcycles in the world. The enclosed rapide and black shadow were known as black knight and black prince respectively. A year before the factory closed in 1955 vincent produced the enclosed range of black knight and black prince. The 2 condition value for a 250 gt lusso is 1 750 000 with 2018 auction sales ranging from 1 48 million 1 7 million.

This was a production version of the black lightning which held the motorcycle land speed record with a similar engine specification. Already advertising their existing 110 mph rapide machine as the world s fastest production motorcycle in february 1948 the distinctive vincent black shadow was announced with a top speed of 125 mph. With the vincent black lightning considered the ferrari gto of motorcycles that puts the black shadow comparable to the ferrari 250 gt lusso the more civilized road going sister to the gto. Philip vincent described it as a two wheeled bentley and the enclosed vincents attracted a lot of attention at the november 1954 earls court show.

Quality problems with early production of the glass fibre mouldings necessitated a replacement supplier causing delays. When the research was complete. When production ceased in december 1955 around 460 series d v twins had been built some 200 of which were enclosed models. Built in three different series over the course of its life the line continued until 1955 after which the company stopped all motorcycle production.

Available to order a standard black lightning was supplied in racing trim with magnesium alloy components special racing tyres on alloy rims rear set foot controls a solo seat and aluminium mudguards. Sadly the motorcycle community greeted the innovative new vincents with suspicion. Vincent hrd began motorcycle production in 1928 and were well established after world war ii when they launched the 1 000 cc 61 cu in black lightning. It was the fastest motorcycle of its era widely.