Touring Guards

[Tom Gaynor]

Mine made its first 300 miles from Stevenage to Edinburgh courtesy of British Rail... I guess Alexanders (the dealer) picked it up in a van: I'd hate to push a Vincent up the ramp out of Waverley station then the mile to Lothian Road.

What you say makes perfect sense (not that I doubt you for a moment) because speedos would then go on reading zero, and pipes go on unblued after road test. What do you mean exactly by "floor stock"?

(I have an interest in this because my father had a 1939 hand-change Norton, bought direct from the factory. 1939 hand-change Nortons don't exist. He had lost his left leg in a pit accident, could only ride if the brake was on the right, so the factory built him a bike to his spec. I'm sure that any factory would bend the standard spec if it meant an order, so T-crossing and I-dotting adherence to "a standard Vincent" has always seemed to me a bit daft.).

Tom you are correct but to keep staff busy what ever was in stock at the time was used mudguards headlights ect.most of these where offered to UK dealers as floor stock speedo and exhaust were the last to be fitted after road test the meteor and comet that was seen at Earls Court late 1948 to make the RFM to fit the brake cable abutment were cut of and a series A foot brake was mocked up to fit I dont remember if they were sold like that' if there is one out there I would like to know most of the UK dealers bikes were sent by rail we use to push them to Stevenage station which in those day was four hundred yards from the factory.

 

[david bowen]

floor stock? in dealers show rooms for sale, most of the bikes were built for stock and mods done on them before sending to dealers from 1949 there was a lot of stock late 1949 stock at factory fifty or more this was at the time when HRD was ground of the crankcases with a hand held air grinder, HRD inspection caps were replaced with caps with HRD ground of (the two with HRD under the URM left on) HRD timing covers replaced with plain most of the petrol tanks were reworked to VINCENT some did go with HRD on them

 

[Tom Gaynor]

Thanks, David. All makes perfect sense. And will surely confound rivet-counters, because floor stock (if I read you right) was built standard, or as standard as temporary shortages of accessories allowed, then MODIFIED if necessary before they were sent out.
I've just ordered a set of touring guards in fibreglass. I can buy the right stays from VOCSC. The fi-glass guards are not expensive, and since I've had to let the servants go, ho ho, and have to clean my own bikes, I've been converted from sporty spray-spreaders to proper mudguards. Vincent Birmabrights are not bad. Not good, but not bad. But comparing Vin Birmabrights with a Ducati Monster's set-up is like comparing navy blue school gym knickers with a thong.
You, and your imagination, are on your own from this point. Happy trails...

 

[bmetcalf]

Painted sports guards in the tip then?