Vincent Black Shadow

Nothing exemplifies the legend of classic motorcycles more than the Vincent Black Shadow. When it was new the Black Shadow was the bike of dreams and, although production ended more than 50 years ago, it remains so for many enthusiasts. The Black Shadow possessed all the criteria that define a classic. It was outrageously expensive, provided unequalled performance, and looked mean and purposeful. While other manufacturers were dipping their top models in chrome to symbolise extravagance, Vincent went against convention by painting the Black Shadow sinister black.

The Shadow's mission was fast road work and, if anyone doubted it, one glance at the 130mm, 150 miles per hour (240km/h) Smiths speedometer sitting directly in front of the rider made its charter clear. And of all Vincents, the quintessential model is the Series C Black Shadow of 1948 through until 1954.

Although the Shadow's black engine looked menacing, the specification was not radically different from the touring Rapide version. Both shared a 998cc overhead valve 50-degree V-twin, with a bore and stroke of 84x90mm. Inside the engine were slightly higher compression (7.3:1) pistons, and some internal polishing. The ports were polished and the cams selected from the production line for optimum timing. Stainless steel pushrods moved polished rocker arms, first gear was taller, but the unusual Vincent self-servo clutch was unchanged. The Amal carburettor size was increased to 28.6mm, and the carbs were mounted on special bronze flanges.

These few modifications saw the power increase by ten horsepower, to 55 horsepower at 5700rpm. This may not seem much by modern standards, but it was enough to propel the Black Shadow to a top speed of nearly 200km/h.

In the late 1940s only a handful of production motorcycles would reach the magic "ton" (161km/h), and 200km/h was unheard of. Designed for the open road, the Black Shadow was no round town runabout, as the factory recommended a minimum 20 kilometre warm up for the engine. Ignition was by Lucas magneto and starting a Black Shadow required a hefty boot.

The Vincent chassis was also unusual for the time as the engine was the primary chassis component. The rear suspension was a cantilever type, and the rear fork pivoted directly behind the gearbox. The steering head bolted directly to the front cylinder head, and while the early Black Shadow had a Brampton girder front fork, the Series C used a unique Girdraulic fork. The Girdraulic (Girder with Hydraulic damping) married the older link-type fork, with its well-braced legs, with the longer damped travel of the telescopic fork. It was another example of designer Phil Irving's and proprietor Philip Vincent's refusal to follow fashion. They were staunch believers in a rigid front-end and saw inherent problems of tube flex and brake dive with the increasingly popular telescopic fork.

For the Black Shadow the brakes were upgraded to cope with the extra performance, and while the twin brakes remained relatively small at 178mm, the Shadow gained ribbed cast-iron drums for improved heat dissipation. The wheels were a large diameter 20-inch front and 19-inch rear, while the dry weight was a moderate 208kg. The handling was compromised by the limp dampers of the time, but the Black Shadow was more about top speed than race track prowess. Speed has always been fashionable and, when it came to speed, the Series C Black Shadow was peerless.

FIVE MAGIC THINGS ABOUT THE BLACK SHADOW
1. The first Black Shadow was produced in 1948, inspired by a special racing HRD twin, nicknamed "Gunga Din", developed by Phil Irving and George Brown during 1947.

2. Although Philip Vincent was enthusiastic about producing a performance version of the touring Rapide, the plan was initially vetoed by Vincent's managing director Frank Walker. Against Walker's decree, Irving and Brown clandestinely assembled a brace of Black Shadows, presenting him with a fait accompli.

3. Releasing the Black Shadow to the press, Philip Vincent announced "it would attain 125mph (200km/h), but only machines in tip-top condition could attain it."

4. Around 80 "B" Series Black Shadows were produced before the Series C Black Shadow was introduced late in 1948. These were initially badged "HRD", before becoming "Vincent" late in 1949.

5. In 1952 the factory ran a modified Series C Black Shadow at Montlhery in France, setting a new 1000km speed record at 162km/h.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?
Join the Vincent Owners Club.
There are three sections in Australia: http://www.voc.uk.com
New South Wales - contact Martin Pedersen,
The Concord RSL Club, Nirranda Street, Concord West, NSW 2138.
South Australia - contact Peter Jordans
Victoria - contact Ken Jackson,
Chequers Inn Hotel, 316 Bay Street, Port Melbourne
Try this very detailed site with technical information and a classified section: http://www.thevincent.com/
An interesting read: The Vincent and HRD Story in South Australia by Paul Wilkins (1994) Available from: http://www.pitstop.net.au/