Facebook Inside the Rally tent on 2nd October 1953 at the Vincent Motorcycle Factory

[Graham Smith]

Matthew Bibberman posted these photographs on Facebook that his father Big Sid took inside the Rally tent on October 2nd 1953 at the Vincent Motorcycle factory. Sid never forgot wandering around that tent. He emerged a changed man: nothing short of developing his own Vincent beyond Black Lightning specs would suffice.

Little did he know that at that moment his Vincent was rotting in sewage water waiting for his return.

Sid quickly takes the shot of a head on look at a Picador motor, Vincent's war project to repurpose his motorcycle motors to power small drone planes that towed targets.

Johnny Penn's imposing Vincent twin racing sidehack. Sadly Johnny was lost at sea testing the Amanda Water Scooter prototype.

A wonderful shot by Sid Biberman of Johnny Penn's racing outfit attracting considered inspection by Vincent riders.

The Montlhéry poster trumpeting the endurance records achieved on "standard" Black Shadows. A copy hangs inside the tent.

Great shot of the rare Model 'W' two stroke ABY811.

Excellent shot of the Picador motor.

Detail of the shot reveals the Montherly poster.

Sid Biberman's favourite shot from inside the tent. A rare Vincent Model W two stroke with leg shielding is in the foreground.

 

[Graham Smith]

Big Sid’s photographs from outside and inside the tent at the Vincent Motorcycle Works in Stevenage on 2nd October 1953 during that year's Annual Rally. The snap of the long line of Vincents described in the November 53 MPH.

A peak at the exhaust side of "Gunga Din," the most famous Vincent in England, said to hold more records than any other single machine world wide. Paul Richardson on the Vincent sidecar outfit .

The Club report chides members for being careless with the paper plates; note the plate on Gunga Din's seat!

Paul Richardson gave Sid a ride over to the tent from his office where they had been chatting and drinking tea. Sid hopped out and snapped this shot upon their arrival. MNK14

If Vincent had survived I would love to think they would have made the Montlhéry tank and seat set up a stock option. Such a beautiful cafe racer profile. Styling wise, it is hard to beat and another missed opportunity for a firm that went bankrupt too soon to realize the potential of their creations.

Sid's favorite shot from that day. The long line of Vincents photographed as Sid had hoped when the idea had been hatched. BOX471 and MXM620.

Exterior of the rally tent on Franklin's Field.

Sid's favorite view of a Vincent. Up tight shot of Phil Irving's post war twin motor with the full race gas works on display and Black Lightning foot brake controls. The so-called Montlhéry tank has been once again fitted. In Montherly France, Gunga Din and 7 other Vincents set eight world endurance records in May 1952.

Sid photographs the lineup from the other end.OHA350

Sid wrote that he popped open the gas cap to smell the methanol. Quick action throttle, alongside standard twin chokes, and a manual advance/ retard single lever and the compression release lever, clearly, riding just inboard of the left handgrip. Typical Vincent confidence in running the compression release components in Gunga Din.

Paul Richardson, the in house scribe. MNK14

 

[TouringGodet]

I think Chas Williams ended up with MNK 14. If it is the bike I am thinking of, it had a lot of interesting features, having been used as a factory hack.

 

[bmetcalf]

Big Sid had a great story about leaving the event behind a fast man on a Shadow for the train station to get back to his Army post and being amazed by the ton up speeds.