Black Lightning # 7305

[RedRyder]

If this has already been posted and I missed it and this is redundant, please accept my apology, but fearful some might miss a really good article, I'll submit that the January/February issue of "Old Bike (Australasia Issue # 23)" features BL # 7305, most famously known as the "Black Jack" Ehret Australian Land Speed Record Holder (at 141.5 mph). The bike is currently owned by Franc Trento, owner of Eurobrit Motorbikes in Melbourne, and who decisively has kept this gnarly old warrior in its unrestored - and operational - condition. Many have seen this machine in action because it was well-used and even today Franc hauls it around and lets it roar at occasional meets.

This bike has the interesting history of having been assembled at the factory by its original owner, a racer from Australia named Tony McAlpine. Interestingly, he never had occasion to race it and then it was purchased by Jack Forrest Down Under and he started putting the machine on the track. He suffered a crash with the machine and then it sat in a shop until Jack Ehret bought it and went wild with good results. It eventually ended up with Franc.

The article is a good one, with lots of details on the bike's history and some very good photos. Source one of these and you'll want to hang on to your copy.

If I did this link right you can see the cover picture, nicely done.

https://www.mymagazines.com.au/hzsub/submag?spub_id=200&a=1&c=v

Cheers,

Bev Bowen

 

[bmetcalf]

The current issue of http://www.motorcycleclassics.com/current-issue has an article on the bike. I just glanced through it at the bookstore, but it has a lot of history, from an Aussie motojournalist and a bit of riding report from Alan Cathcart. Mostly he mentions the brakes for some reason.

 

[Robert Watson]

Franc sold it to a Frenchman a few years ago and Patrick Godet did a complete engine/mechanical rebuild and managed to preserve all the old patina....... that's when Alan Cathcart rode it and yes the article is in Motorcycle Classics out of the USA

 

[vibrac]

Why the 'black' prefix to the model name Lightning?

 

[bmetcalf]

PCV used it in his Autobiography.

 

[davidd]

Nicolas Dourassoff, owner of the Lightning, is Russian by heritage, but has a home in France and in Florida. He has a Grey Flash also. I think I have attached a link to the article:

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Ajfd-lTG7g8Xg7xaKgiRCZdaiBXLWA

The file was too large to post on the forum.

David

 

[stevee]

Nicolas just sent me this picture from the recent Egli gathering
Steve

 

[stevee]

and a close up of the Grey Flash

 

[Little Honda]

PCV used it in his Autobiography.

More than that: PCV liked indirect statements. As "Black Lightning" is a contradiction in itself, it can be assumed, that a motorcycle by that name is above anything else, nearly unreal. That is, what
PCV wanted to express. All Vincent names more or less have "interesting" names. Nowadays, this is called "Cool"

 

[greg brillus]

Not to many Lightnings left in Australia now considering there use to be 11 here.