Images from John Ulver

mercurycrest

mercurycrest

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Cottom bought this bike from the original owner who used it very successfully on the Dragstrips of Texas (hence, the low gearing). David pretty much covers it's preparation for the test, the tires were, I might add, hard as rocks from 10 years of Texas heat.. The next few issues of CW were filled with angry Vincent Owners from across the country. CW liked British bikes well enough, this was as said above, simply a Hatchet Job!
Glad to see the Article still has an effect 49 years on.:)
Cheers, John
 
K

Kansas Bad Man

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Could have been a 15 year old lightning, at time of print but of no matter, we are on the same page as far as pointing out the agenda of the magazine.

Cheers Max
 
davidd

davidd

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When I first started racing the Grey Flash I wrote to Gordon Jennings who wrote for Motorcyclist, I think. He had made some disparaging remarks about riding a Vincent that was "hinged in the middle" and bouncing all over the track. I offered to have him ride the bike. Weeks went by, "He don't call, He don't write." It turned out that he passed away! Maybe the rush of adrenaline pushed him over the edge!

David
 
mercurycrest

mercurycrest

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davidd said:
When I first started racing the Grey Flash I wrote to Gordon Jennings who wrote for Motorcyclist, I think. He had made some disparaging remarks about riding a Vincent that was "hinged in the middle" and bouncing all over the track. I offered to have him ride the bike. Weeks went by, "He don't call, He don't write." It turned out that he passed away! Maybe the rush of adrenaline pushed him over the edge!

David
Click to expand...


David,
If you can Document that's what tipped the guy over, you're a shoe in for Honorary Membership!;)

Edit.....( This seems...just a tad uncouth, slightly...unbecoming for a Vincent Owners Forum does it not?)..BobC
 
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DaveD

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Around the time of this report, I had been commuting into London on a Series C Rapide for a number of years. At weekends I would go for rides, just for the thrill of it, regularly riding over 100mph on the unrestricted roads of the time.

I don't recognise the characteristics described. I did my own maintenance, never experiencing clutch slip, hinged suspension or bad brakes.

What a shame it would have been if I had been put off buying a Vincent by this report in those days, and I wonder how many others actually were.
 
vibrac

vibrac

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DaveD said:
What a shame it would have been if I had been put off buying a Vincent by this report in those days, and I wonder how many others actually were.
Click to expand...

Ah! perhaps those are the people who are finally buying them now and paying a lot more than some of us did who rarely got 'Cycle World' this side of the pond. (Although I do remember enjoying one American column -The duct tapes?)
 
K

Kansas Bad Man

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In 1955 my dad took me to a m/c race at Dodge City Kansas. It was a 3 day event , road racing, drag racing and other filled the card. A guy rode in on a vin, if I recall from California. He had some straight pipes and bits strapped to the bike, in about hour or so a pile of bike parts lay by the vin, head light, fenders, battery, foot pegs , generator an other things I couldn't recognize. With those straight pipes, he lit the fuse, boy what a treat , that bad boy rattled the earth and woke the dead. He went on that day and laid waste to the competitors. the drags was his. I don't remember the ETs or speeds, I do remember the sounds and that trail of white smoke bellowing off the tire of that very fast and powerful vin. From then on there was no magazine article that would sway my opinion, that day I said, I WANT one of those.
 
litnman

litnman

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This happened to be the Tony Blackstone Lightning that Bill Hoddinot covered in MPH last year. The bike was used for drag racing most of its life, including the time Bill Cottom owned it. He used to brag about drag racing title for title. The bike is still in the family. Does that mean he never lost a race? don't know
 
mercurycrest

mercurycrest

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When Cindy was running her Dad's shop, she had her crew take the Lightning to Vintage Road Races. I this was in the early 80's but, I don't know if it was for fun or what, as any details have left my memory. I really doubt if Bill or Cindy ever Drag Raced it.
Cheers, John
 
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