Here are a couple of shots of the bike I am considering buying. Comments and observations please.
Comet Gray Flash Replica
- Thread starter Buzz Kanter
- Start date
Here are a couple of shots of the bike I am considering buying. Comments and observations please.Of all the things I've learned about Vincents, this is the most important: Vincent sold bikes, selectively assembled, that would do 50,000+ miles without trouble. They didn't ask for your craft certificates, just for £500. Then they didn't expect to hear from you for 50,000 miles. If you want to do the same, then your own bike has to be assembled with similar care. If, as you say, many hands have been on it, then the chances are is that they were eliminating symptoms, not diseases. If you build it as new (which means getting the running clearances right - my engine and gearbox, now at 61,000 miles, have 90% of the original parts, but the clearances have been restored "as new"), then it will be a delight, and a reliable delight. Many years of screwing up taught me the necessary skills, which is my good fortune. But there's no arcane secret to what I did. I did NOT strip it down when i got it, I rode it. It went OK. After a year, I knew what it needed. It got flywheels made of decent steel (mine needed them, yours may not), main bearings that wouldn't go walkabout, new liners (oversize OD) in muffs that gripped them (I would say this was essential, age and miles slacken them), and new, sealed, valve guides. Really, that was it. I reckon it cost me about £3000. A bargain: because now I have 1) a Vincent 2) a Vincent that goes like shit off a shovel 3) but which is perfectly behaved in city traffic and 4) although I shouldn't say this for fear of provoking the gods, needs almost no maintenance.
It's a BMW, but with charisma in spades, and much, much noisier. Hasn't pulled one of those foxy models adorning the pillion seat in BMW catalogues yet, but hope springs eternal...
It's a BMW, but with charisma in spades, and much, much noisier. Hasn't pulled one of those foxy models adorning the pillion seat in BMW catalogues yet, but hope springs eternal...
Looks OK. Standard Comets seem generally to be thought of as "a bit limp". Comets bored out to give 600cc are certainly NOT limp. So if it has done about 50,000 miles, and therefore needs new liners and muffs bored to suit, and pistons, as described earlier, then going to 596 costs no more. And, if that proved insufficient, it can be bored AND stroked to give about 690. This is not difficult to do, and since the bottom end is identical to the 998 twin's bottom end, carries no risk of self-destructing. (I'm building, slowly, a 596 Comet.) I can give you the name of someone in the US who does this sort of stuff.
(And since the frame of single and twin is the same, one could follow the path of a friend who has "uprated" his Comet by fitting a twin engine...)
(And since the frame of single and twin is the same, one could follow the path of a friend who has "uprated" his Comet by fitting a twin engine...)
Dear Buzz,
This appears to be a nice machine. The problem with these specials is that they are neither a good replica nor are they a good road bike. If you are prepared to take the bike to rallies and ride around the rally site, it would probably work fairly well. If you want it as a copy of a Grey Flash, or as a road bike, there is quite a lot of work to do. From what I can see, the bike only has a few Flash parts on it: the footrest plates, the F106/1 and the Albion transmission. In order to make it an accurate copy, you would need to replace or modify dozens of parts: axles, brake plates, brake drums, rear set controls, UFM, RFM, manifold, carb, tank, seat, rear mud guard, etc.
To make it a road bike you would need a kick start transmission case (or possibly a Norton gearbox conversion), generator, headlight, speedometer, battery platform, battery, etc. There was only one Grey Flash built for the road, as far as I know, but that could be a compromise. However, you will still need all of the road bits and it would not be an accurate replica unless lots of parts were changed.
I see they fit a magneto cowl, but did not fit front prop stands. You might enquire as to the maker of the mag. The original would have had a BT-H TT magneto, most likely. It might also be worth asking about the tachometer. It should have an RC.103 (RC.1303/01) which is a 4:1, anticlockwise tachometer. I have seen some that have the wrong gearing.
Again, it looks very nice so I am not trying to dissuade you, but focus you on what your use will be.
David
This appears to be a nice machine. The problem with these specials is that they are neither a good replica nor are they a good road bike. If you are prepared to take the bike to rallies and ride around the rally site, it would probably work fairly well. If you want it as a copy of a Grey Flash, or as a road bike, there is quite a lot of work to do. From what I can see, the bike only has a few Flash parts on it: the footrest plates, the F106/1 and the Albion transmission. In order to make it an accurate copy, you would need to replace or modify dozens of parts: axles, brake plates, brake drums, rear set controls, UFM, RFM, manifold, carb, tank, seat, rear mud guard, etc.
To make it a road bike you would need a kick start transmission case (or possibly a Norton gearbox conversion), generator, headlight, speedometer, battery platform, battery, etc. There was only one Grey Flash built for the road, as far as I know, but that could be a compromise. However, you will still need all of the road bits and it would not be an accurate replica unless lots of parts were changed.
I see they fit a magneto cowl, but did not fit front prop stands. You might enquire as to the maker of the mag. The original would have had a BT-H TT magneto, most likely. It might also be worth asking about the tachometer. It should have an RC.103 (RC.1303/01) which is a 4:1, anticlockwise tachometer. I have seen some that have the wrong gearing.
Again, it looks very nice so I am not trying to dissuade you, but focus you on what your use will be.
David
Great info and thanks for sharing. I feel like such a neophyte and have so much to learn about Vincents. My goal is to build an interesting and fun rider for occasional jaunts. Doesn't need to be an accurate replica as much as an unusual street rider. In your opinion, other than a kickstart set up, lights and battery/generator what else is needed? And how hard and expensive would it be to street this?
Buzz, I think that the problem here is that the bike is described as a 'Grey Flash Replica' It is not that and once you get past that then it might be a perfectly nice bike. The rear foot rest plates are one example. They are Grey Flash ones but they are not being used for rear set footrests (which would be uncomfortable on the road) nor do they seem to be used for pillion footrests. Lots of us have rev counters fitted to road bikes so that is not special. My guess is that if you were to regard this bike as a Comet which needs quite a lot of parts to be fitted to make it into a road bike then that should give you some idea of its real value. Do not pay a premium price as for a Grey Flash. I do not think that you have told us what the state of the engine tune is, size and type of carburetor etc but if it is standard then really it is a Comet with a grey tank and some bits missing. Good luck with the search.
THE first thing I noticed about the bike was how horizontal the springboxes are. It would be a far better (cheaper?) route to take if you bought a non matching numbers Comet & then "breathed" on it. I may be mistaken but this looks like a bike that has been to auction a few times & appeared on e-bay quite a number of times. Here in Australia you can pick up a good Comet for $20,000 but they are even cheaper in the UK now the Aussie $ is worth £100! Seriously, you are looking at a bike that was probably built to save throwing away excess parts, not always a bad thing but not worth a premium over an original standard machine. Good luck & remember if you buy with your heart instead of your head your bank balance may appear to haemorrhage .....
Buzz, The registration number says it all. It is a re-registered machine that has been given an age related number ( from Scotland ) and more than likely made up from a collection of parts. My old beast had a similar number. Caveat Emptor and all that. Cheers, ET43 Phil Primmer.
Thanks to all for the honest and valuable information. I will pass on this one and re-focus my search on a Rapide B or C which is what I wanted in the first place.