Vincentology 101

VINCENTOLOGY 101

The complete idiot's guide to Vincent identification

SO! A VINCENT IS A VINCENT IS A VINCENT. EH? They all look just alike, do they? Well, if you think so, you need therapeutic enrollment in CW's Vincentology 101. We will concentrate on the late, post-war examples, those built after Philip Vincent cast away the Vincent-HRD fuel-tank logo. And we will not discuss the relative merits of such arcanum as Vincent 2X, 4X and 5X cams. Instead, we offer the basics of distinguishing between the most familiar Vincent models.

The Vincent Rapide-The basic Vincent, introduced in 1936 for the 1937 model year. Its central feature was its great lump of a 998cc V-Twin engine, which, with its 6.8:1 compression ratio, was rated at 45 horsepower at 5300 rpm. Distinguishing features are aluminum-colored cylinder barrels and engine cases. How to tell Series B from Series C from Series D? Among other differences, Series B used girder forks, while Series C used Vincent’s own hydraulic girders, called

Girdraulic forks. The rear of the Series C seat is mounted on two pivoting struts, which connect to the bike’s swingarm. On Series D bikes, the seat is mounted on a solid subframe that bolts to the bike’s main frame.

The Vincent Black Shadow-Easy identification, even if you didn’t know that it uses 1 1/8-inch carburetors instead of the Rapide’s 1 1/16-inch units. The Black Shadow, basically a sporting version of the Rapide, is known by its black-painted engine cases and cylinder barrels, by its saucer-sized, 1 50-mph speedo, fitted in place of the Rapide’s 120-mph unit, and by its twin, ribbed, front-brake drums. With its 7.3:1 compression, the Shadow was rated at 55 horsepower at 5700 rpm.

The Vincent Black Lightning-An 80-pound-lighter, racing version of the Black Shadow, introduced in 1948 and equipped with the Shadow's all-black engine, tuned to produce 70 horsepower at 5600 rpm. This one came without lighting equipment or speedometer, but with aluminum rims, a tach and Amal TT carburetors.

The Vincent Comet/Gray Flash-Whack one of the jugs off the Vincent V-Twin and what you’ve got is a 500cc Single. That’s just what Vincent did to come up with the 28-horsepower Comet, in 1948, and with the 35-horsepower Gray Flash, its competition version, in 1949. Comets were said to be capable of 70 miles per hour and 70 miles per gallon.

The Vincent Black Knight/Black Prince-Both of these were full-bodied developments of the 1954 Series D models, with the Knight using the Rapide’s engine and 120-mph speedo, and the Prince motivated by the Shadow’s powerplant and using the Shadow’s ribbed brake drums and 150-mph speedo. Now greatly desired by collectors, they sold about as well in their day as Honda Pacific Coasts sell today. —Jon F. Thompson