F: Frame Strange FT23/2 Front Engine Plates

[LoneStar]

My Rapide basket case is a never-ending source of wonder, because it was never a bike - just a stash of parts accumulated over the years by a friend, now passed, in the hope of building one. So the parts came from various bikes, years and series (B & C at least), and some have been modified.

I'm moving towards assembling the crankshaft in its case, so pulled out the front engine plates FT23/2 which I'd had nicely refinished. On closer examination, they seemed a bit odd. While they're clearly Vincent FT23 plates (holes in the right sizes and locations), it turns out they have no extension at the front, with notch, for the attachment of the magneto cowl.

It crossed my mind that these might be Genuine Black Lightning Racing Plates, the Lightning not having a cowl, and so worth many thousands. But no, the Lightning simply omitted the plates altogether - as did the Meteor, also without a cowl.

So, where did these come from? Anyone aware of this modification ever being sold? Or it may just have been a one-off, carved up by someone who wanted to keep the front stands but dispense with the magneto cowl - and objected to the ungainly forward projections and notches.

 

[erik]

To cut the notch off is an easy job.Erik

 

[Chris Launders]

Series D perhaps.

 

[b'knighted]

The D tin mag cowl still uses the front notches, on my bike at least.

 

[vibrac]

Some one wanted to keep front stands but ditch the cowl very understandable my cowl has been off the bike all summer, just noticed!

 

[b'knighted]

Around here that would mean running a water cooled magneto.

 

[Bill Thomas]

Sidecar fitting.

 

[Peter Holmes]

The D tin mag cowl still uses the front notches, on my bike at least.

The front engine plates on a "D" Open or Enclosed are different from a Series B and C, they are shorter and do not have forward facing notches, just holes where the steel mag cowl tabs attach to, someone might have fitted a different arrangement to your bike, but that is not standard.

 

[b'knighted]

Mine of course incorporate the crashbars and my recollection is that none came with the stripped bike I bought, so a pair had to be made, probably by adding crash bars to C prop stand plates.

 

[Marcus Bowden]

Never had a cowl fitted after 1970 as the Scintilla protruded beyond it so kept it removed along with the engine plates (the Lightning Look) and is still off, the front stay is also the front stand, not fitted now as saving weight.
bananaman.