Vincent Black Shadow
Encyclopedia
The Vincent Black Shadow was a hand-built motorcycle
produced by Vincent HRD
from 1948. The series "C" which was introduced in 1949 had a 998 cc 50 degree OHV
V-twin engine running a 7.3:1 compression ratio
.
. However due to demand for a more "Sports oriented model", the Black Shadow was introduced. The Black Shadow traced its roots to an early-model Rapide that had been specially tuned by factory tester and racer George Brown, his brother Cliff and legendary Vincent designer Phil Irving
. With relatively minor modifications, such as enlarged ports, bigger carburettors and increased compression, the test model, known as "Gunga Din" was soon making 55 bhp, creating the specification that would become the Black Shadow. The model became so popular that the production of the Black Shadow exceeded the production numbers of the Rapide. The Black Shadow was a "Stressed Frame" design. The engine, instead of being cradled in a set of frame rails, was suspended from above, becoming an integral part of the structure. The Black Shadow as well as the other post Second World War
Vincents featured several new technological innovations, such as a unique and original alternative to the primitive telescopic front forks of the day, a sprung rear sub-frame, the extensive use of aluminium
alloy and a unit construction stressed engine. It weighed in at a relatively light 458 lb (207.7 kg),
which was about the weight of a pre-war 500 cc bike.
The inspiration for the Black Shadow was Royal Air Force
pilots flying over the factory, and soldiers serving in the war. The designers created a motorcycle that could be operated and maintained by men who had been injured in combat. The clutch could be operated with just two fingers, and maintenance was made far easier than anything previously available.
The reason for its name "Black" Shadow was that the entire bike (including the engine) was coloured black including baked enamel on crank-case and covers. The reason for the black on the crankcases is still disputed to this day. Some claim that the black colour was for looks, others claim that it had something to do with heat transfer and dissipation. Whatever the original reason behind the painting of the engine, it was very different from anything else at a time when everything was polished and chromed.
There were a small number (about 16) of White Shadows, machines made to Shadow specification but with the plain aluminium finish of the Rapide.
Fewer than 1,700 Vincent Black Shadows were made, all hand-assembled.
In 2007, The Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club commissioned the VOC Spares Company Limited to build a replica Black Shadow from new parts. Amongst other things, the project was to prove that all the parts were in stock and available from the VOC Spares Company Limited. Having received many glowing reports from the motorcycle press in the UK, the machine was eventually auctioned by Bonhams and now resides with a Member of the Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club in New Zealand.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
produced by Vincent HRD
Vincent Motorcycles
Vincent Motorcycles was a British manufacturer of motorcycles from 1928 to 1955. Their 1948 Black Shadow was at the time the world's fastest production motorcycle...
from 1948. The series "C" which was introduced in 1949 had a 998 cc 50 degree OHV
Overhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
V-twin engine running a 7.3:1 compression ratio
Compression ratio
The 'compression ratio' of an internal-combustion engine or external combustion engine is a value that represents the ratio of the volume of its combustion chamber from its largest capacity to its smallest capacity...
.
Model history
The first model from Vincent was the RapideVincent Rapide
The Vincent Rapide was a motorcycle designed and built at the Vincent works in Great North Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire UK during the war and released to the press before end of hostilities. The prototype was the Series A 47.5° V-twin launched in 1936. With 6.8:1 compression, it produced...
. However due to demand for a more "Sports oriented model", the Black Shadow was introduced. The Black Shadow traced its roots to an early-model Rapide that had been specially tuned by factory tester and racer George Brown, his brother Cliff and legendary Vincent designer Phil Irving
Phil Irving
Philip Edward Irving OBE, C.Eng., M.I.Mech.E., M.S.A.E., was an Australian engineer and author, most famous for the Repco-Brabham Formula One and Vincent motorcycle engines...
. With relatively minor modifications, such as enlarged ports, bigger carburettors and increased compression, the test model, known as "Gunga Din" was soon making 55 bhp, creating the specification that would become the Black Shadow. The model became so popular that the production of the Black Shadow exceeded the production numbers of the Rapide. The Black Shadow was a "Stressed Frame" design. The engine, instead of being cradled in a set of frame rails, was suspended from above, becoming an integral part of the structure. The Black Shadow as well as the other post Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Vincents featured several new technological innovations, such as a unique and original alternative to the primitive telescopic front forks of the day, a sprung rear sub-frame, the extensive use of aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
alloy and a unit construction stressed engine. It weighed in at a relatively light 458 lb (207.7 kg),
which was about the weight of a pre-war 500 cc bike.
The inspiration for the Black Shadow was Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
pilots flying over the factory, and soldiers serving in the war. The designers created a motorcycle that could be operated and maintained by men who had been injured in combat. The clutch could be operated with just two fingers, and maintenance was made far easier than anything previously available.
The reason for its name "Black" Shadow was that the entire bike (including the engine) was coloured black including baked enamel on crank-case and covers. The reason for the black on the crankcases is still disputed to this day. Some claim that the black colour was for looks, others claim that it had something to do with heat transfer and dissipation. Whatever the original reason behind the painting of the engine, it was very different from anything else at a time when everything was polished and chromed.
There were a small number (about 16) of White Shadows, machines made to Shadow specification but with the plain aluminium finish of the Rapide.
Fewer than 1,700 Vincent Black Shadows were made, all hand-assembled.
In 2007, The Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club commissioned the VOC Spares Company Limited to build a replica Black Shadow from new parts. Amongst other things, the project was to prove that all the parts were in stock and available from the VOC Spares Company Limited. Having received many glowing reports from the motorcycle press in the UK, the machine was eventually auctioned by Bonhams and now resides with a Member of the Vincent H.R.D. Owners Club in New Zealand.
See also
- Vincent Black LightningVincent Black LightningThe Black Lightning was a Vincent motorcycle designed and built in September 1948 at the Vincent works in Great North Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK, and produced from 1948 to 1952...
- Vincent RapideVincent RapideThe Vincent Rapide was a motorcycle designed and built at the Vincent works in Great North Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire UK during the war and released to the press before end of hostilities. The prototype was the Series A 47.5° V-twin launched in 1936. With 6.8:1 compression, it produced...
- Top Gear Race to the NorthTop Gear Race to the NorthThe Top Gear Race to the North was a three way race between a Jaguar XK120 car, a Vincent Black Shadow motorbike, and railway locomotive 60163 Tornado – a brand new mainline steam engine completed in Britain in 2008. The race saw the car, bike and locomotive, race from London, England, to...