Last Time a Vincent Twin Raced in the Isle of Man?

BigEd

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My brother John and myself are giving a bit of a talk at the Coventry Section this Friday about John racing in the Classic Races at the Manx Grand Prix in 1998 and 1989. I was just looking up a few facts and figures in the 1988 results book and came across a piece about Chris Hayden who rode a Vincent twin in the Senior race in 1988. There is a bit of a feature article about him being presented with a photo-copy of a report of the 1949 Clubman's TT that appeared in the June 1949 edition of "Motor Cycle" when Chris Horn set a Vincent TT course record lap speed of 85.55 mph. Chris Hayden had lapped at 86.24 in practice so was quite pleased.

In the six lap Friday Senior race pitted against against modern 750-1000 Kawasaki, Yamaha, Suzuki, etc. Chris obviously finished well down the order against this sort of opposition but did indeed finish. His best race lap is shown as 92.5mph average.

I wonder if this was the last time a Vincent twin engine was raced in the Manx Grand Prix and if the Vincent lap time set by Chris Hayden was bettered?
 
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champion

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when and where is the talk?
Is it open to the public / non Coventry members?


I have just missed a talk by Brian Chapman about Mighty Mouse due to being too far away to travel, and regret it.
If possible I would love to come and listen to this?

Alex
 

BigEd

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Dear Alex,
Everyone is welcome to our Coventry VOC section meetings every Friday at: Berkswell Reading Rooms, Meriden Road, Berkswell, nr Coventry, Warwickshire, CV7 7BE.
Might be a bit of a long way for you if you are in Sussex.

when and where is the talk?
Is it open to the public / non Coventry members?


I have just missed a talk by Brian Chapman about Mighty Mouse due to being too far away to travel, and regret it.
If possible I would love to come and listen to this?

Alex
 

champion

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Thank you, i will try my best to get to the event, what time does it start and finish?
It is a bit of a long trip to Sussex, however I will be working in Banbury until 5pm on friday and driving south after that.
(Sadly not on a bike)
 

BigEd

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Dear Alex,
We usually open up just before 8.00 pm and try to start talks by 8.15pm. Look forward to seeing you if you are able to make it.
Thank you, i will try my best to get to the event, what time does it start and finish?
It is a bit of a long trip to Sussex, however I will be working in Banbury until 5pm on friday and driving south after that.
(Sadly not on a bike)
 

champion

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ok guys, see you at 8pm tonight.

Will the Reading rooms be clear to find in Berkswell?

xxxxxxxxxxx is my number if you need to contact me.

Alex
 
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BigEd

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Dear Alex,
It was good to see you last evening and I trust that you found the talk entertaining and that your visit was worthwhile
With young people as keen as this our club has an assured future.:)
ok guys, see you at 8pm tonight.

Will the Reading rooms be clear to find in Berkswell?

xxxxxxxxxxx is my number if you need to contact me.

Alex
 

champion

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Eddy and the rest of the Section,

Thank you very much for having me at your talk, it was great fun and vert interesting.
Everyone was very welcoming. I hope to see you all again soon! (Maybe one day I will manage it on my bike.)

Alex

Alex
 

Len Matthews

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Re. Vincent Twins in the TT. As members will possibly recall, the TT races were at one time part of the World Championships and the Sidecar event was limimted to 500cc machines. At one stage a second non-championship sidecar race was added to the TT programme for machines of up to 750cc wihich ovbiously excluded 998cc Vincent powered outfits.John Renwick built a cut-down Twin engine especially to compete in this event and both Peter Gerrish and the late Mick Farrant had a go with their Comet outfits.
Chatting to Peter Russell, he of Dolphin Motors fame, who had been very successfully racing his 998cc Vincent kneeler on short circuits, he expressed his frustration of not being able to enter his machine in the 750 Sidecar TT whereas most mainland events were billed as "Sidecars and Three-wheelers up to 1,300cc."
He was of the opinion that the line at 750cc was deliberately drawn to exclude 998cc Vincent outfits by the ACU due to pressure from a number of sidecar racers, mainly from the Midlands, who were racing parallel twin outfits, BSA, Triumph, ect. Because of this limit on engine size us Vincent enthuiasts were denied the sight and sound of Vincent powered outfits on the Mountain Course although some have competed in the Southern 100 races in more recent times.
 

vibrac

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As I said in the racing section in MPH an issue ago there have always been artificial barriers put up to big Vincents in the Island. As soon as they started to inevitably win the clubmans event they invented a petrol limit that meant only 3/4 throttle was possible. "Oh we cant have one make dominating the races they said" and then let BSA Gold stars rule the roost until the end
I live in hope that they will lift the limit in the classic races but I wont hold my breath.....
 
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