My 93 year old Dad had a Vincent Rapide, also a 1000cc V-twin, and told me stories of going to slightly illicit hill-climbs in the early 1950’s at the Rest And Be Thankful in Argyllshire, Scotland. To nobody’s surprise, his was the only Vincent there - and always won! The next nearest competition was the BSA 500cc Gold Stars! In fact, I was very nearly called Vincent, after the bike!
I know there is no real comparison but watching that Vincent motoring down the country roads reminds me of the good times I had with my Commando. One time in particular there were two of us, maybe 40 ft apart, two o'clock in the morning, 70 mph, no other traffic and the sound was glorious. Good old days.
@@PhilUys A Norton is the closest 'modern" bike to the Vincent. The nice thing is a Norton is obtainable in any price range. The cheaper ones require a bit of hands on...
@@PhilUys The frame used as a stressed member . The Japanese copied the same principle with some of their bikes which is a compliment to the British motorcycle industry they destroyed
My dad had a Vincent back in the day around 1958 he loved it, he said you could attach a sidecar either side for touring abroad, he also used to say the engine fired every lamp post, beautiful sound, I can see why he loved it.
Side car either side. What a smart guy Phil Vincent was, built the greatest motorcycle for his time and for the next 25 years, and then assimilated into it all these 'rider's points'. And that lovely line from the 1930's that your Dad used was, in full, 'A well-tuned British big single turns over lamp post to lamp post.' And the Vincent twins actually were two big singles on a common crankcase. After 21 years on the net looking up classic bikes and then videos, you are the first person I have met who knows that line, Mark. I learnt it in 1984 from my uncle who rode a WD Norton 16H for 20 years. Cheers!
Previous to this video, I had only read about, and seen a Vincent in pictures. Now I can understand why they are so highly regarded. Thank you for this great, eye opening experience of what it's like to ride one. The sound alone is enough to make someone fall in love with it. What a great piece of motorcycling history.
Vincent, this has been a dream of mine since I was young. I put on the headphones, the laptop right in front of my eyes and enjoyed this video. It was as I was driving the machine by myself. The sound of the V2 and the beautiful landscape. Great.
What a lovely sound. I remember back in the 60`s riding along on my triumph tiger cub feeling like king of the road, when one of these machines past me at least doing double my speed. Never forgot it.
I've ridden daily for 40 years. Rode to work today, here I am. Today Im on the opposite of that, my 2020 Zero SRS. That was awesome. Thanks for sharing.
@@PhilUys I got to see Rollie’s bike at Del Mar show years ago and the world’s fastest Indian. And in the movie Worlds fastest Indian , Rollie and Dickerson? Was driving Burt’s chase car
Reminds me that in the mid-70’s I happened upon a Vincent engine just sitting on the floor of a bike breakers in Leytonstone in the UK. I was “shopping” for parts for a Triton that I was going to build (but never did), and didn’t know anything about anything really - but I knew that I really wanted that Vincent engine. Even back then such things were way above what I could afford. Great video, beautiful machine and sound, and so good to see it being ridden.
My Brother in Law knew a guy who had one , but through an accident could no longer ride it . they put a little sidecar ( looked like a bullet ) on it so he could take the guy for rides . the bike was the same as this and the sidecar was also black with what looked like a chrome bull bar around it .......quite a sight . thanks for uploading this .
Thanks! Fifty some years ago my best friend had a Black Shadow here in So. California, always wanted one. Had a couple late fifties HD Sportsters. Not on a bike in now decades, Truly enjoyed your video with memories, damn fast bike!!!! Oddly I have seen a number of country drives in Austin Healeys, of which over several decades had 5 of, and still love them too. My next set of wheels will in all probability be a wheelchaIr! Thanks again!😎
Thank you! I had to stop riding a few years ago, after 50+ years and a few hundred thousand miles, due to health issues... This is a blast from the past... the sound and the feel is there, if not the peg-scraping lean angle. The old school song about the Vincent always fresh in my mind... twist that throttle and lean the bike and glory in the physics of motorcycles...
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m 51 and drew pictures of these for my wall when I was a kid - thought I’d never get any idea of what one would be like to ride. Now I do ❤
Hey Ander, I'm 50 and first found a description and pictures of this bike in a book on classic motorcycles when I was 28. I've been hooked on it ever since. I came across a worn coffee table book on The Vincent 20 or 21 years ago, with exploded diagrams of the single and twin engines and suspension, pics of the factory and the two Phils, racing pics of the man himself, Howard Raymond Davies. It cost me half a month's salary so I had to let it be. Now that I'm earning more that memory haunts me.
These Vincents have always been expensive. When I bought this one 30 years ago I had major buyers remorse. It needed lots of work and costly repairs. I even travelled to the UK to have the crankshaft rebuild. Luckily I presisted and have no regrets. It is strange that there aren't more actual riding videos of Vincents. Cheers.
This is what motorcycling is all about. The bike, the road, the clean air... The symphony of metal revolving in metal. Oh how badly I wanted to hear that grand finale of revs... and around 06:46 or thereabouts, we got a taste. What a treat.
Those birds were hilarious - as you started the beast - 'oh no, he's starting that thing again.' This motorcycle is from an era when the British really could make things...and beautifully as well. These incredible machines are rare and much sought after. Thanks very much for the lift!
An interesting fact about those birds. They are very recent in our province. They have migrated some 1700km south. The beast will chase them back north again.
It would be a good practice to mention where the video is taken, I guessed South Africa, though I've never been there. The road sign looked "Afrikaan" though I can't read it, then I looked up Cape White-Eye bird and confirmed it was indeed South Africa. It looks so much like many places in Australia. The Vincent is gorgeous.
WOW!! Quite an experience. Thanks for sharing. And I'm amazed a the superb sound quality you've achieved - can hear the fabulous engine, in all it's magnificent glory, with almost no pesky wind noise. Very clever.
The wind noise and loudness of the exhaust especially at higher rpm is very difficult to manage. I wanted it to sound as close as possible to the actual sound. With a good sound system and the volume turned up or a pair of headphones it is pretty close.
I had the pleasure of following the late Stuart Jenkinson's Black Prince to and around Greece. That brought back some pleasant memories - thanks for sharing
Piloting a Vincent is one of the things on my bucket list. Alas, I think (realistically) this is the closest I'll actually ever get. Thank you so much for taking us all along for this spirited ride. I can almost feel the throb of the big V-twin and the engine is simply music to the ears! Enjoy (for me) and ride safe!
Truly wondeeful... Thanks. I have a 98 Sportster S with open pipes.... I can relate, nothing beats a big V Twin between 2 and 5000rpm, especially on those Cape roads.... Enjoy, well done👍👌😎
A long time ago, I was regaled with tales of riding a Black Shadow along Scotswood Road,Newcastle, UK at 100 mph. “One bang per lamp post”. This is the nearest I will get to that experience, thank you.
I sold my 650ss Norton to a guy many years back he had 2 Shadows, a week later his workshop went up in flames all three bikes were totally destroyed! It sickens me to think about that. Lovely bike and cheers for the ride.
What a lovely find this video was. Thanks for posting this, it's a sheer joy to behold and the sound is at once unflustered and exuberant. I'm grinning from ear to ear now. Lovely stuff.
Beautiful . . . Them ole Vincent's where well ahead of their time. Handsome machine. My dad told me in the 60s how he was gunning his velocette viper down the by pass and a Vincent passed him like he was standing still. Said the Vincent was just ticking over. Ah ha ha ha
Great video , first onboard camera actual riding experience I have seen. Lovely vintage bike I have admired over the years since I was a teenager in the 70s. Thanksfor posting the video.
nice ride. i saw the steeriing damper and i remembered back. i had a Honda Hawk and used the damper once on the interstate. i went to the CB450 an i dont remember if it had one. i kick started every electric start until i got the bike that finally took off the kicker. I LIKE BIKE.
I still kickstart my Suzuki GT750A sometimes, because I can. It’s also got an electric start, but it can be more enjoyable to kick it over. My air cooled GT380B only has kick, and I’ve owned it for so long (44 years) that I wore out the knuckle & pin in the lever. I was incredibly lucky to see a perfect NOS lever & that’s now on my machine. No more lever chattering away as I ride😊
Dear Mr. Uys 👍👌👏 Oh WOW, simply fantastic! Iconic bike, great sound, wonderful landscape, nice ride. Congrats for having all of it. Thanks a lot for making explaining recording editing uploading and sharing. Best regards luck and health.
Thanks for sharing this ride. I put on some headphone for it. Wow what a sound. I love the torquey gearing. The speedo climbs like a tach while the tach climbs like a speedo.
@@darrenvictoriathornhill1170 Putting on headphones is a good idea, the sound is much better. The instruments used 70 years ago are quite different from today's technology. I like the old real instruments.
Thanks for posting. In the 1960's a typical small ad in the local paper (in England) would read : Vincent Black Shadow, good condition, taxed and MOT'd, £125 ONO. I was lucky that the Vincent man up the road took me for a ride when I was 8 and got me hooked on bikes. I'm 65 now and still riding.
Great video, I can feel the lumpy vibrations and the steering effort of pushing that old girl through the turns, a true classic road blaster being used for the purpose it was designed.
Wow! Fastest thing you could buy back then I believe. One must need big ballbearings to extract the power fully. I still have the John Bolster road test in Autosport. Thanks for taking us on a ride. Excellent.
What a beauty! Man and machine connected as one. Is there anything more pure? You are truly blessed to be riding that two wheeled petrol dream. Thank you for posting...BTW, sounds divine with earbuds! Cheers
I am a Guzzi guy but have often found myself daydreaming of owning a classic Vincent like yours. The way the speedo moves up and down with the front suspension is very unique.
That's true. Hard to believe this motorcycle is more than seventy years old. It has been restored for thirty years now. Nothing gets old on these bikes.
Thanks for the video! I've got a 51 black shadow that's in need of some TLC. Looking forward to getting the bike up and running. Want my dad to hear it again. He hasn't ridden it since 1988.
@@PhilUys Will do. I'll be taking my time to get the best results possible. We also have a pair of 49 and 50 comets in pieces. Should be enough to put another bike together. Thanks for the advice.
Truly a machine meant to be ridden ,not gathering dust in a museum, thank you for sharing your little joyride.
I couldn't agree more.
My 93 year old Dad had a Vincent Rapide, also a 1000cc V-twin, and told me stories of going to slightly illicit hill-climbs in the early 1950’s at the Rest And Be Thankful in Argyllshire, Scotland. To nobody’s surprise, his was the only Vincent there - and always won! The next nearest competition was the BSA 500cc Gold Stars! In fact, I was very nearly called Vincent, after the bike!
Nice story.
Gotta be..🙏🇦🇺🕯️
Yes, too many fine machines in museums!
The neighbours know Phil. The whole block knows Vincent.
😅 true
Two of the great sounds, the merlin in the Spitfire and the Vincent
Whoah! What an association!
Yeah!
Neither sound as good as a Harley Davidson Shovelhead.
@@geraldscott4302 all are iconic, I do like the sound of the shovelhead, but given the choice of which one to own, sorry, Vincent wins
Wow, what a machine. Truly one of the greatest bikes ever built.
So true considering it is 70 years old.
@@PhilUys It's a beauty.
What a magnificent machine, so far ahead of its time, a fitting tribute to the two Phil’s Vincent & Irving.
As with TE's Brough's...
J.C.
I know there is no real comparison but watching that Vincent motoring down the country roads reminds me of the good times I had with my Commando. One time in particular there were two of us, maybe 40 ft apart, two o'clock in the morning, 70 mph, no other traffic and the sound was glorious. Good old days.
Nothing wrong with a Norton Commando. Had some of my best times on a Bantam.
@@PhilUys A Norton is the closest 'modern" bike to the Vincent. The nice thing is a Norton is obtainable in any price range. The cheaper ones require a bit of hands on...
It is often better to find one in a bad state for little money. Sometimes restored bikes are shoddy and cost a fortune to set right.
@@PhilUys Yes - exactly my experience. Often lots of new parts badly put together. Shiny though !
My Vincent was restored more than 25 years ago. I did it as well as possible and it still looks great.
Great to see one of Stevenages' finest out in its natural habitat and not caged up in a museum or collection . Thanks for the ride .
Absolutely.
Amen to that
What a stunning piece of engineering! And that sound, beautiful!
I love the look of the motor myself. Did you notice no frame. The engine doubles up as the frame for the motorcycle.
She sounds so good
@@PhilUys The frame used as a stressed member . The Japanese copied the same principle with some of their bikes which is a compliment to the British motorcycle industry they destroyed
Sounds like an old Massey-Ferguson MF 135 with a rusty exhaust.
@@PhilUys Did you notice the speedo moves up & down ?? clearly mounted on the fork yolk and not the handlebar ..
It's been a long time since I last rode. Thanks! It was a great ride; I even caught myself leaning into the corners.
It happens to me as well 👍
Watching the speedo move up and down with suspension was mesmerising 😜
For someone who is not familiar with the Vincent suspension it must be very confusing to see the bouncing speedo.
@@PhilUys can you explain it to me?
@@Auloss It is the way the front forks are designed. They are called girder forks. Google girder forks images.
@@Auloss the speedo should have been mounted on the handlebar..that's my view
@@PhilUys It's such a great big and easy to read speedo, though !!
Thank you for sharing a ride on one of the best British bikes ever made
The best !
Excellent excellent excellent! Great sound! I had a Norton Commando 850 for many years. Love the raw, visceral feel and sound of these bikes.
My dad had a Vincent back in the day around 1958 he loved it, he said you could attach a sidecar either side for touring abroad, he also used to say the engine fired every lamp post, beautiful sound, I can see why he loved it.
Side car either side. What a smart guy Phil Vincent was, built the greatest motorcycle for his time and for the next 25 years, and then assimilated into it all these 'rider's points'.
And that lovely line from the 1930's that your Dad used was, in full, 'A well-tuned British big single turns over lamp post to lamp post.' And the Vincent twins actually were two big singles on a common crankcase.
After 21 years on the net looking up classic bikes and then videos, you are the first person I have met who knows that line, Mark. I learnt it in 1984 from my uncle who rode a WD Norton 16H for 20 years.
Cheers!
Used to say it about Panther slopers.
Previous to this video, I had only read about, and seen a Vincent in pictures. Now I can understand why they are so highly regarded. Thank you for this great, eye opening experience of what it's like to ride one. The sound alone is enough to make someone fall in love with it. What a great piece of motorcycling history.
It is hard to believe 70 years later they still have the same impact as before.
It is not a Black Shadow, their Engines are painted Black.
@@bobmitchell8012 Yeah, you're right. Sorry, my mistake, thank you for the heads up. Something else I've now learned.
What a bike! What a sound! Just fantastic, loved every second! Thank you!
It sounds more like a First World War fighter aircraft to me :)
Brilliant, thoroughly enjoyed that mate👍🏼. Will have to show this to my 85 year old Dad, who used to ride Vincents in the 50s and 60s. He'll love it 😁
Do that. One day when I am 85 I hope to still see the video.
So wonderful to see the close up of a machine well cared for, but used!
even when i wasn't a biker i would still have appreciated the quality, engineering and history of this glorious machine. thanks
Vincent, this has been a dream of mine since I was young. I put on the headphones, the laptop right in front of my eyes and enjoyed this video. It was as I was driving the machine by myself. The sound of the V2 and the beautiful landscape. Great.
Good idea to use headphones. Use them on the other video's as well, ciao.
What a lovely sound. I remember back in the 60`s riding along on my triumph tiger cub feeling like king of the road, when one of these machines past me at least doing double my speed. Never forgot it.
Those days the Vincent was the king of the road. Nowadays they are all but invisible. Many bikers have never heard of a Vincent.
Beautiful scenery, clear roads and a wonderful sounding motorcycle. Thanks for putting this video up
I've ridden daily for 40 years. Rode to work today, here I am.
Today Im on the opposite of that, my 2020 Zero SRS.
That was awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Times they are changing.
First time I've seen one ridden from a rider view! Thanks for posting! I can imagine going 150 on that machine in swimming trunks and no helmet!!
Rollie Free was very brave. He is almost a bigger legend than the Vincent itself.
@@PhilUys I got to see Rollie’s bike at Del Mar show years ago and the world’s fastest Indian. And in the movie Worlds fastest Indian , Rollie and Dickerson? Was driving Burt’s chase car
I have seen the movie many times. One of the best out there. In 2019 I visited the Bonneville Salt flats. Unfortunately it was covered in water.
I love these bikes the look the sound thanks for sharing & nice to see it out on the open road & not sitting somewhere gathering dust.
The engine alone is a piece of art , a sculpture in aluminium .
And it sounds as music to my ears !
Reminds me that in the mid-70’s I happened upon a Vincent engine just sitting on the floor of a bike breakers in Leytonstone in the UK. I was “shopping” for parts for a Triton that I was going to build (but never did), and didn’t know anything about anything really - but I knew that I really wanted that Vincent engine. Even back then such things were way above what I could afford.
Great video, beautiful machine and sound, and so good to see it being ridden.
Thanks.
My Brother in Law knew a guy who had one , but through an accident could no longer ride it . they put a little sidecar ( looked like a bullet ) on it so he could take the guy for rides . the bike was the same as this and the sidecar was also black with what looked like a chrome bull bar around it .......quite a sight . thanks for uploading this .
You're welcome.
Thanks! Fifty some years ago my best friend had a Black Shadow here in So. California, always wanted one. Had a couple late fifties HD Sportsters. Not on a bike in now decades, Truly enjoyed your video with memories, damn fast bike!!!! Oddly I have seen a number of country drives in Austin Healeys, of which over several decades had 5 of, and still love them too. My next set of wheels will in all probability be a wheelchaIr! Thanks again!😎
Sounds like we've had a great life and a lot to be thankful for! Cheers stay safe
Thank you! I had to stop riding a few years ago, after 50+ years and a few hundred thousand miles, due to health issues... This is a blast from the past... the sound and the feel is there, if not the peg-scraping lean angle. The old school song about the Vincent always fresh in my mind... twist that throttle and lean the bike and glory in the physics of motorcycles...
Atleast you did your few hundred thousand miles during your life. I am at 50+ years on British bikes myself and hopefully some more to come.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I’m 51 and drew pictures of these for my wall when I was a kid - thought I’d never get any idea of what one would be like to ride. Now I do ❤
So happy for you. Hopefully many more rides.
Hey Ander, I'm 50 and first found a description and pictures of this bike in a book on classic motorcycles when I was 28. I've been hooked on it ever since. I came across a worn coffee table book on The Vincent 20 or 21 years ago, with exploded diagrams of the single and twin engines and suspension, pics of the factory and the two Phils, racing pics of the man himself, Howard Raymond Davies. It cost me half a month's salary so I had to let it be. Now that I'm earning more that memory haunts me.
These Vincents have always been expensive. When I bought this one 30 years ago I had major buyers remorse. It needed lots of work and costly repairs. I even travelled to the UK to have the crankshaft rebuild. Luckily I presisted and have no regrets. It is strange that there aren't more actual riding videos of Vincents. Cheers.
I borrowed one in 1957, an unforgettable ride.
I started riding in 1961, I bow to your seniority.
He wants it back ...
What day and what time?
Magnificent machine and beautiful scenery too. Perfect combination with that exhaust note.
This is what motorcycling is all about. The bike, the road, the clean air... The symphony of metal revolving in metal. Oh how badly I wanted to hear that grand finale of revs... and around 06:46 or thereabouts, we got a taste. What a treat.
Watch the next video much more metal revolving in metal and two grand finale of revs....
Those birds were hilarious - as you started the beast - 'oh no, he's starting that thing again.' This motorcycle is from an era when the British really could make things...and beautifully as well. These incredible machines are rare and much sought after. Thanks very much for the lift!
An interesting fact about those birds. They are very recent in our province. They have migrated some 1700km south. The beast will chase them back north again.
It would be a good practice to mention where the video is taken, I guessed South Africa, though I've never been there. The road sign looked "Afrikaan" though I can't read it, then I looked up Cape White-Eye bird and confirmed it was indeed South Africa. It looks so much like many places in Australia. The Vincent is gorgeous.
I left the bird clue there for those who would like to know where the video was taken. Thanks for the compliment.
Driving on the left narrows it down too!
I was about to guess Gries, or the zone north of Bolzano, but certain things were off.
Thanks for clearing that up.
“Said Red Molly to James, that’s a fine motorbike...”
my favorite color scheme.
Ahhh Richard Thompson… I need to blow the dust off my record collection 👍
....in my opinion, there is nothing in this world to beat a Vincent black lightning and a red haired girl.
Greetings from Germany!
@@volkerke5315 my red haired girl has gone grey and I have a classic 350, does that get a thumbs up 😂
@@SeanCarter-c1l... me to, I'm 63. Royal Enfield meteor 350 driver 😊👍
The sound!
This might be as close to the perfect bike as we'll ever see.
This is the most mesmerizing ride along video I have seen. I went from knowing nothing about Vincent bikes to wanting one NOW. Thank you!
Many people I have spoken too had also never heard of a Vincent motorcycle either. The nice thing is once they know more about it they are impressed.
Complete therapy for the soul ❤
WOW!! Quite an experience. Thanks for sharing. And I'm amazed a the superb sound quality you've achieved - can hear the fabulous engine, in all it's magnificent glory, with almost no pesky wind noise. Very clever.
The wind noise and loudness of the exhaust especially at higher rpm is very difficult to manage. I wanted it to sound as close as possible to the actual sound. With a good sound system and the volume turned up or a pair of headphones it is pretty close.
@@PhilUys Well you've totally succeeded :-)
Beautiful bike and sounds fantastic and what a country bloody lovely 👍
Thanks, couldn't have said it better.
Thanks for the ride. I’m a car guy but I can still appreciate a Vincent. Beautiful.
Great sound and vision, she’s a rough ride but I guess that’s what happens with a racing bike with so much power. Beautiful bike
I had the pleasure of following the late Stuart Jenkinson's Black Prince to and around Greece.
That brought back some pleasant memories - thanks for sharing
Beautiful sound! That speedometer bouncing with the suspension sure looks odd!
What few people know is that the seat bounces with the back wheel. It is mounted directly to the swinging arm. It does not feel to weird though.
Beautiful scenery, the effortless cruising. Only missing all the smells. Longing for spring to get out on mine. Cheers.
Piloting a Vincent is one of the things on my bucket list. Alas, I think (realistically) this is the closest I'll actually ever get. Thank you so much for taking us all along for this spirited ride. I can almost feel the throb of the big V-twin and the engine is simply music to the ears! Enjoy (for me) and ride safe!
Don't worry you can have another ride soon. Cheers.
Superb sound, many thanks.
Thanks ! Awesome ! Viewers should remember that maintaining and using this bikes takes a lot of time, dedication, frustration but real love.
Well said!
Fantastic to see the old girl being ridden instead of being locked away.
They old bikes need to be used to keep them in ship shape. The same goes for the rider.
Magical sounds! two Vinnys passed me yesterday on the Road into Llangollen! made my day!!!
Lucky you.
A sound from the past. Fantastic!
Just as well, soon it will be electric. Hopefully this sound can prevail for many more decades.
and Cheers! USA rider here. Great ride share and I will be taking my Triumph out tomorrow.
Enjoy your ride.
Truly wondeeful... Thanks. I have a 98 Sportster S with open pipes.... I can relate, nothing beats a big V Twin between 2 and 5000rpm, especially on those Cape roads.... Enjoy, well done👍👌😎
We do have some of the best roads to enjoy our motorcycles.
Absolutely awesome you lucky man good to see and hear one being ridden for a change
I have not seen another one ridden for over twenty years or more.
I have no idea where this is, but it's gorgeous
Edit: Ah, Jonkershoek Mountains, South Africa
A long time ago, I was regaled with tales of riding a Black Shadow along Scotswood Road,Newcastle, UK at 100 mph. “One bang per lamp post”. This is the nearest I will get to that experience, thank you.
You are welcome.
Amazing exhaust sound! It’s like a roaring lion. Nice vid!
Thanks
Beautiful machine to ride. And an icon to boot! Enjoy your motorcycle, you are lucky in life.
I am indeed.
Can’t beat a v twin ❤
I sold my 650ss Norton to a guy many years back he had 2 Shadows, a week later his workshop went up in flames all three bikes were totally destroyed! It sickens me to think about that. Lovely bike and cheers for the ride.
That is a sad story.
Wow, sounds absolutely amazing!
Closest us mere mortals will ever get to riding one. Thank you so much for sharing, was a joy to come along for the ride.
Big difference between "riding" and "driving"....this driving was pathetic
What a lovely find this video was. Thanks for posting this, it's a sheer joy to behold and the sound is at once unflustered and exuberant. I'm grinning from ear to ear now. Lovely stuff.
Thanks for that.
Driving/ Riding on the ''correct '' side of the road. Felt really comfortable from my sofa !
Amen to that!
Beautiful . . . Them ole Vincent's where well ahead of their time. Handsome machine. My dad told me in the 60s how he was gunning his velocette viper down the by pass and a Vincent passed him like he was standing still. Said the Vincent was just ticking over. Ah ha ha ha
PROPER BIKE 😊
Sounds absolutely amazing lovely day for it beautiful scenery and a great video thanks....
She starts to bark at 3000 rpm
Awesome bike, have only seen one in my life and will never forget it.
You are riding it to slow.
Gotta be safe
Great video , first onboard camera actual riding experience I have seen. Lovely vintage bike I have admired over the years since I was a teenager in the 70s. Thanksfor posting the video.
Many thanks!
That beast would great to ride. Thank You for the ride along.
Wow! What a machine and gorgeous place to ride it!
Well this just gave a lady in Germany goosebumps 😅. What an absolute treasure you have in that bike, Phil!
I am happy for you. The butterfly effect, Vincent in Africa gives goosebumps to someone in Germany.
What a sound, especially when running in the sweet spot with a few revs up. Great to watch, thanks.
beutiful sounding engine & great to see a riders POV of a ride, fascinating watching the clock go up & down with the forks.
nice ride. i saw the steeriing damper and i remembered back. i had a Honda Hawk and used the damper once on the interstate. i went to the CB450 an i dont remember if it had one. i kick started every electric start until i got the bike that finally took off the kicker. I LIKE BIKE.
I still kickstart my Suzuki GT750A sometimes, because I can. It’s also got an electric start, but it can be more enjoyable to kick it over. My air cooled GT380B only has kick, and I’ve owned it for so long (44 years) that I wore out the knuckle & pin in the lever. I was incredibly lucky to see a perfect NOS lever & that’s now on my machine. No more lever chattering away as I ride😊
Dear Mr. Uys
👍👌👏 Oh WOW, simply fantastic! Iconic bike, great sound, wonderful landscape, nice ride. Congrats for having all of it. Thanks a lot for making explaining recording editing uploading and sharing.
Best regards luck and health.
That was a mouthful. Thanks anyway.
The sound of that beautiful engine brings tears to my ears.
Thanks for sharing this ride. I put on some headphone for it. Wow what a sound. I love the torquey gearing. The speedo climbs like a tach while the tach climbs like a speedo.
@@darrenvictoriathornhill1170 Putting on headphones is a good idea, the sound is much better. The instruments used 70 years ago are quite different from today's technology. I like the old real instruments.
Thanks for posting. In the 1960's a typical small ad in the local paper (in England) would read : Vincent Black Shadow, good condition, taxed and MOT'd, £125 ONO. I was lucky that the Vincent man up the road took me for a ride when I was 8 and got me hooked on bikes. I'm 65 now and still riding.
It is unbelievable how cheap that sounds nowadays. At age 65 you do still have a couple of decades to ride your motorcycle.
Great video, I can feel the lumpy vibrations and the steering effort of pushing that old girl through the turns, a true classic road blaster being used for the purpose it was designed.
Thanks, and spot on with your analysis.
Wow! Fastest thing you could buy back then I believe. One must need big ballbearings to extract the power fully. I still have the John Bolster road test in Autosport. Thanks for taking us on a ride. Excellent.
You do indeed. I will do some more rides in the future.
Never before have I rode a Vincent , one brilliant video thanks for the ride .
Stay tuned more to come..
mate . . . ran this vid thru a 4 speaker system with a subwoofer after work with a bourbon in hand . . pure joy, many thanks
I totally understand, a good sound system is half this video. You better stock up on your bourbon supplies..🤟
@@PhilUys I have a 50 ltr Still and make my own . . Carry on making superb vids . . Regards R.
What a beauty! Man and machine connected as one. Is there anything more pure? You are truly blessed to be riding that two wheeled petrol dream. Thank you for posting...BTW, sounds divine with earbuds!
Cheers
I have not heard of a "two wheeled petrol dream" before but I like it. I got this one in 1994.👍
This is my favorite engine in the world. Great job. Im hooked.
Must say I couldn't agree more with you. The DBD 34 Goldstar engine is not far behind.
Stunning sounds. That’s what a bike experience should be like.
yeah the experience of driving so slow you could run quicker.....wasted video
I like that you treat stop signs with disdain they deserve. Love the bike.
Ha ha , old bikes can do without them.
I am a Guzzi guy but have often found myself daydreaming of owning a classic Vincent like yours. The way the speedo moves up and down with the front suspension is very unique.
There is very little that is not unique on a Vincent. It is very different from other British classics.
The winelands are also beautiful. I remember going mountain biking in Jonkershoek where you turned around, beautiful bike
That is interesting to be there on that specific day. The winelands certainly is a beautiful place.
@@PhilUys nope not on that day. if i had been i would have definitely taken a photo.
Great bike, great sound, great roads. Can it be any better? Don't think so. Thanks for the ride!
Couldn't agree more!
The sound of that engine is something else, pure joy, I am envious, but in a good way.
Oh boy. How magnificent is that. Mobile art and what a joy to see and hear. ❤
Thanks.
Thank you for sharing a lovely ride on your Vincent. I have a Ducati 900bSD Darmah and my mates Vincent would out accelerate it. Nice sound.
That is interesting that the Vincent out accelerates the Ducati 900.
It is a wet winter day in the UK, but am I envious? Thanks for an excellent video, and I wish you many happy miles.
Thanks John, you can't beat the wheather in S.A.
WELL PRESERVED Biuty. I love the vincent. Motorcycles they were truly ahead of there time.
That's true. Hard to believe this motorcycle is more than seventy years old. It has been restored for thirty years now. Nothing gets old on these bikes.
@@PhilUys that is for sure
Thanks for the video! I've got a 51 black shadow that's in need of some TLC. Looking forward to getting the bike up and running. Want my dad to hear it again. He hasn't ridden it since 1988.
Do the TLC or restoration. My only advice is to do a good a job as possible. Taking shortcuts on a Vincent could be costly. Good luck.
@@PhilUys Will do. I'll be taking my time to get the best results possible. We also have a pair of 49 and 50 comets in pieces. Should be enough to put another bike together. Thanks for the advice.
Enjoy.
Thank you. Really excellent video. The engine note sounds really unusual. Unfortunately, probably the nearest I’ll get to being on one
The unusual sound is due to the 50° cylinder angle and the power strokes close together with a long pause in between before the next power strokes.
@@PhilUys Thank you
What a true beauty, gorgeous looking and a great sound. A proper bike 👍