Classics
British V-twins
Following the American and European V-twins it only seems fair to look at British V-twins. BSA, AJS, and Matchless all made V-twins between the two World Wars, but after this point it seems the parallel twins became more popular. It was 1982 before a new classic British V-twin appeared, in the shape of a Hesketh. Perhaps the most revered of British V-twins were the Brough Superior, and Vincent. These were in a class of their own, and
Words & photos: Rhys Jones
Black Lightning engine detail
1951 Vincent HRD Black Lightning
remain so in classic motorcycle circles to this day. I have dug into my Ken McIntosh archives for a look at these remarkable machines. Ken was responsible for the restoration of the Brough and Vincent pictured.
VINCENT HRD
A 1951 Vincent HRD Black Lightning sold at Bonhams auction in Las Vegas in January for NZ $ 1.26m. If you can raise the money and want to buy a Vincent HRD Black Lightning, finding one may be as difficult as raising the money. There were only between 27 to 30 built between 1948 56 KIWI RIDER and 1952( some say 1954). How many have survived is open to speculation. Engines were removed and used for racing cars, speedway and road racing outfits, and, in some cases, restored back into motorcycles. How many replicas are there, and how many rebuilds have occurred? Will we ever know? In spite of this, after sixty years, the fascination with the Black Lightning remains, in fact probably more so than ever. The Vincent HRD Black Lightning has a special place in New Zealand motorcycle history. On a damp day in 1955, on Tram Road, a temporarily