Firstly, 'hi'. This is my first post to this forum.
I've always loved classics and have rebuilt a couple of small ones (1962 Tiger Cub and 1968 Suzuki T200). Above all though, I have loved the Vincent from afar and now I have finally had enough of modern bikes. I am about to sell my Triumph Sprint and become bikeless for the first time in about 20 years.
However, I want to start a Vincent project. I would like to build a Cafe Racer style machine based on a Black Lightning-tuned engine but retain much of the original good design such as the centralised rear shocks. I've read too many scare stories to want to retain the front forks though and would look to replace them with late 1960's style teles (yeah - I know - the purists will hate me, but please forgive my heathen tendencies). I also would like to add better drum brakes and a 1960's style racing fairing. I'm not adverse to using replica parts as this bike will be purely for my personal pleasure to ride.
So... a featherbed frame won't do and a standard Vincent frame would probably need altering to have fairing mountings added and possibly also to take teles.
Has anybody done a similar project? Does anybody know a reputable frame builder?
I've always loved classics and have rebuilt a couple of small ones (1962 Tiger Cub and 1968 Suzuki T200). Above all though, I have loved the Vincent from afar and now I have finally had enough of modern bikes. I am about to sell my Triumph Sprint and become bikeless for the first time in about 20 years.
However, I want to start a Vincent project. I would like to build a Cafe Racer style machine based on a Black Lightning-tuned engine but retain much of the original good design such as the centralised rear shocks. I've read too many scare stories to want to retain the front forks though and would look to replace them with late 1960's style teles (yeah - I know - the purists will hate me, but please forgive my heathen tendencies). I also would like to add better drum brakes and a 1960's style racing fairing. I'm not adverse to using replica parts as this bike will be purely for my personal pleasure to ride.
So... a featherbed frame won't do and a standard Vincent frame would probably need altering to have fairing mountings added and possibly also to take teles.
Has anybody done a similar project? Does anybody know a reputable frame builder?