{"id":459173,"date":"2025-03-21T12:10:38","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T01:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mcnews.com.au\/?p=459173"},"modified":"2025-03-21T12:10:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T01:10:38","slug":"vincent-black-lightning-motorcycle-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mcnews.com.au\/vincent-black-lightning-motorcycle-history\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vincent Black Lightning is the rarest of the rare – Motorcycle History"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vincent Black Lightning<\/h3>\n
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Vincents have always been sort after motorcycles and probably the most desirable of them all are Black Lightnings.<\/p>\n

\"Vincent
Vincent Black Lightning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Only 31 were built by the factory in the period from 1948 to 1952. They were available to order race machines based on the Black Shadow top of the line road bike and featured such items as magnesium engine parts, rear-set foot controls, single seat and alloy guards.<\/p>\n

High performance engine parts included uprated conrods, steel idler gears, polished rockers, \u201cMark II\u201d cams, larger inlet ports, racing carburettors and manual-advance magneto.<\/p>\n

\"Vincent
Vincent Black Lightning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Output was 95 hp, up 25 hp on the Shadow\u2019s figure while weight was reduced by 45 kg from the Shadow\u2019s 170 kg. Top speed was around 240 km\/h depending on the state of tune – a 12:1 compression ratio could be specified for running on methanol for instance.<\/p>\n

This particular 1952 Series C bike was originally purchased by Prince Bira of Siam (Thailand), a noted racing car driver of the time. It was soon sold and imported into Australia in 1953 by South Australian racer Gordon Benny and used for sidecar racing (both tarmac and speedway) in Victoria and South Australia.<\/p>\n

\"Vincent
Vincent Black Lightning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Occasionally his passenger Dean Hogath would race it solo after the sidecar had been removed. The outfit won (among many other events) the 1957 South Australian Sidecar Grand Prix.<\/p>

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The bike was later sold to West Australian Tom McQuade who fitted the motor to his speedway sidecar outfit. Ian Boyd eventually obtained the motor and entrusted the late David Bowen with restoring the bike.<\/p>\n

\"Vincent
Vincent Black Lightning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thankfully McQuade had kept most of the original parts including the frame and cycle-parts! It is now a part of Ian\u2019s Vincent collection in Western Australia.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Vincent Picador drone power plant based on the Black Lightning motor<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As a late footnote the Black Lightning design was used by the factory as the basis for the Picador power plant to be used by ML Aviation\u2019s Queen Bee remote-controlled target drone.<\/p>\n

\"Vincent
Vincent Picador drone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An uprated crankshaft and big-ends, Scintilla magneto, double-speed oil pump and mechanical fuel injection were the main modifications made. An oil bath chain primary drive and a bevel gear drove the two-bladed propeller at a 2:1 reduction from engine speed.<\/p>\n

\"Vincent
Vincent Picador drone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Due to ML being unable to fully sort the electronics the programme was cancelled in 1953 after two year\u2019s development. Vincent built 42 Picador engines during this time with the final six never being started. Number 41 is also in Ian\u2019s collection and is one of three known to still exist.<\/p>\n

\"Vincent
Vincent Black Lightning<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Vincent Black Lightning Specifications<\/h4>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Vincent Black Lightning Specifications<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engine<\/span><\/td>\nAir-cooled, OHV, 998 cc push-rod V-Twin<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Induction<\/span><\/td>\nDual 32 mm Amal 10TT9 carburettors<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power<\/span><\/td>\n 70 bhp @ 5600 rpm<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weight<\/span><\/td>\n170 kg<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brakes<\/span><\/td>\nPressed steel brake drums, ventilated magnesium alloy brake plates<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wheels\/Tyres<\/span><\/td>\nAlloy rims, 3.00 x 21, 3.50 x 20 in<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

Vincent Black Lightning Gallery<\/h4>\n