The Vincent Rapide 1952

We all come to a point when things change, whether we want them to or not. I got a call from a friend this summer who has decided it is time to sell his 1952 Vincent Rapide since he can no longer ride his beloved "Vinnie". Saying goodbye to an old friend is never easy, but the owner had made the decision it was time.  A quick call to a friend who buys old bikes for a large auction house was all it took to find an eager buyer and the deal was done. Such is the desirability of these blue-chip collectibles.

Vincent got it's start in 1928 as HRD, as in Howard Raymond Davies, the founder. When his world class bikes were fast and elegant, they were not profitable. In stepped PhilipVincent and a name change to eliminate confusion with Harley-Davidson and HRD, The Vincent was born. When the very clever Phil Irving joined the company now housed in Stevenage, England, the pair were about to create history by building the vey best machine they knew how.   

The Vincent features a Girdraulic Fork with center damping and springs in the smaller tubes behind the girder. The brakes are 7 inch drums front and rear with quick detachable wheels.

That big, hulking 998cc V-Twin engine hangs from a spine frame. The front end pulls away as a unit. Clever features abound on The Vincent.  And it's always been a treat to see a Vincent, whether it's a Comet, Rapide, Shadow, Prince or Black Lightning 'in the metal'. You just don't see them on the road these days. Sometimes, at a cycle rally you'll find a Vincent that's been modified with disc brakes and a windscreen being used for long distance touring. The Vincent is one of small group of bikes, big, lumpy V-Twins, that are suitable now, as they were in period for this purpose.

The build sheet : The Vincent Works Order Form stating completion on the 28th of March, 1952 Engine number and frame numbers match the build sheet.

That's 998cc of V-Twin power, producing 55 bhp @5700 rpm. It was capable of pushing the 447 lb Rapide to over 110 mph.

Friction dampers control the rear suspension action. Clever underseat twin shocks provide good, controlled movement of the swingarm. A six volt 40 watt generator is driven from the clutch. The triangulated cantilever suspension foreshadowed Yamaha's Monoshock system be twenty plus years.

The Vincent awaits it's rider to hit the open road. The lightweight alloy fender replaced the original steel touring fenders although the owner thoughtfully kept them boxed up should the new owner want "as delivered" look.

Large 150 mph speedometer was indicative of the aspirations of the company for the machine. Rider Rollie Free made history in his bathing trunks sprawled out on a Vincent racing across the Utah Salt Flats. George Brown was breaking world records in Europe at Monthery, France banked track in 1952. The Worlds Fastest Motorcycle was more than just an advertising slogan.

 It was just three short years after this bike was produced that Vincent were no more. The innovative designs of Phil Vincent and company could not be sold profitably and still be price competitive by 1955.There's been an upsurge in prices recently and also a new generation discovering The Vincent these days.While it may be sacrilegious, a number of Vincents have been getting the Bobber treatment too. While it may be 'your bike', best to keep in mind that we're really just custodians of these machines for the time being. This bike will be sold at the Auctions America Auction at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama the weekend of October 8-9, 2012.  

Share this post