Classics
Words & photos: Rhys Jones
British V-twins
F
ollowing 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.
Black Lightning engine detail
1951 Vincent HRD Black Lightning
These were in a class of their own, and 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. 1948 and 1952 (some say 1954). How many have
VINCENT HRD there, and how many rebuilds have occurred?
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
66 KIWI RIDER
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
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