Series B RFM, where do I find one?!?

Albervin

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I "heard" that there were probably 150 of the longer straight tab RFM's built. I was told that there was potential for the seat stay to go over center; so it was curved forward to keep the angle. Like I said, I "heard' all of this.
Did you hear that through the grapevine Somer? I also heard that I have one of the rarest Black Shadows; A Series C with HRD engine castings, straight seat lugs and intermediate first gear.Possibly one of thirty. I think the grapevine needs a prune.
 

TouringGodet

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Alyn, my favourite rare feature of your bike is the HRD castings with the documented use of the Vincent scroll transfers on the tank.
 

TouringGodet

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And don’t laugh, there are instances where the factory duplicated engine numbers, correct?
 

Phil H

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I have a C Rapide RFM with straight seat brackets. I think that they look rather like an add-on, and are not nearly as elegant as the curved ones. By the way, what could Irving have been thinking of when he defended that brutal seating arrangement, whereby the poor passenger was guaranteed a luxurious ride by only being subjected to something like HALF of the road shocks. My C Rapide (with curved seat brackets) had the original arrangement for a very short time before I fitted a straight tube from the seat rear to the rear of the engine as per Series D.
-Phil
 

Albervin

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The Vincent was one of the very first motorcycles to come with a proper dual seat as standard. In 1948 many bikes used inferior rear suspension such as plungers, sliding pillar or the awful sprung hub. I am sure most passengers in the day appreciated what they had when on a Vincent.
 

vibrac

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If you remember that when the Vincent rear suspension was designed a cheap small efficient hydraulic unit was a decade or so away. In that context they incorporation of the dampers on the seat stays was very clever. At the time only Wiffeling Clara the vello racer had a well known dualseat and the only comparable contemporary design with a swinging arm was the Douglas T35 another mold breaking design but again without hydraulic damping, I know from first hand experience that the spring occilations could build up in certain circumstances and then both the passenger and rider would bob about more than the Vincent passenger. No, worry not, the Phil's knew what they were thinking about
 
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Albervin

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Totally agree there Tim. I have ridden a T35 and a MkIV and the torsion suspension works to a point. After that point it becomes a pogo stick. Also, because the bike is quite light, it can jump across the road quite quickly.
 
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