Vincent Black Lightning
Vincents have always been sought-after motorcycles, and probably the most desirable of them all are Black Lightnings.
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.
High performance engine parts included uprated conrods, steel idler gears, polished rockers, “Mark II” cams, larger inlet ports, racing carburettors and manual-advance magneto.
Output was 95 hp, up 25 hp on the Shadow’s figure while weight was reduced by 45 kg from the Shadow’s 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.
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.
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.
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.
Thankfully McQuade had kept most of the original parts including the frame and cycle-parts! It is now a part of Ian’s Vincent collection in Western Australia.
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’s Queen Bee remote-controlled target drone.
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.
Due to ML being unable to fully sort the electronics the programme was cancelled in 1953 after two year’s development. Vincent built 42 Picador engines during this time with the final six never being started. Number 41 is also in Ian’s collection and is one of three known to still exist.
Vincent Black Lightning Specifications
| Vincent Black Lightning Specifications | |
| Engine | Air-cooled, OHV, 998 cc push-rod V-Twin |
| Induction | Dual 32 mm Amal 10TT9 carburettors |
| Power | 70 bhp @ 5600 rpm |
| Weight | 170 kg |
| Brakes | Pressed steel brake drums, ventilated magnesium alloy brake plates |
| Wheels/Tyres | Alloy rims, 3.00 x 21, 3.50 x 20 in |
Vincent Black Lightning Gallery
