ISSUE 15 CONTENTS

AMERICAN VINCATI

When you wake up from a heart attack, you cut the crap and go to what matters: building the world's greatest custom superbike:AMERICA'S FIRST VINCATI

Those wheels, those forks, you know its a Vincent. None other than Rollie Free back at it, this time with his Black Lightning (not the bathing suit bike). The shell looks great but induces disaster in a warm up run. When in second and running 144 mph, Free reports fish tailing, uncorrectable weaving, and a layover: first the left side down, then a graceful backend that leaves the bike on its right side, there to slide the remainder of the 1000 feet until it rolls up its nose and finally falls to rest on the left side. Enough of that. Sans shell, Free (this time properly attired) ups his best time securing the record with his own machine with his best run coming in at 156.77 mph.

Perhaps Bob Burns (featured at the page's top) studied this shot before constructing his shell with its pronounced tail.