After whipping off the sheet, what you take in is a motorcycle so purposeful in its design that you can't but know that this mother was born to go fast! And that if you were to encounter it on the road, the best look you would get would be of its rider's heels!

We are just now beginning to put the bike through its first paces. Soon we plan to conduct speed trials, thanks to an Air Force officer who has promised us access to a taxi strip. No doubt we will have much fine tuning to do, but many of the Lightning's modifications have already been proven in a Cooper power unit we 'did' a few years ago (the Cooper is a small racing car powered by a Vincent motor). The owner has had racing success with it-- he just recently set FTD (Fastest Time of the Day) up the Mt. Equinox hill climb, against all engine sizes. Thus proven racing practice is at the heart of our Lightning. And that is the only way I would have it. When I contributed the last of my old Vincent Lightning stock to this project I did so with the intention that those parts would be used to obtain high performance and reliability. And they will. In short, what you see in these photos is a true Replica, not a cold, dead non-runner, but a fully race worthy example.

SPECS

Owner: Bill Hoddinott, VA

• General
  • Year and Model: Vincent Black Lightning Replica
  • Basic power unit is a 1950 C Shadow
  • Fabrication: Big Sid's (specifically Biberman/Hoddinott, except as noted)
  • Value/Time: priceless/endless
  • Chrome: none, except for exhaust pipes, gas and oil caps

  Engine:
  • Year/size/type: 1950/1000cc/C Shadow
  • Weight: 380 lbs, dry.
  • Horsepower: Est. 75-80 on race gas.
  • Performance: Est 145-155 MPH without fairing. Depends on fuel.
  • Rebuilder: Big Sid's
  • Ignition: manual retard Lucas conversion using standard Lightning tach drive pieces and Lucas racing spark plug wire. Lower end: "SBR" type super-duty crankshaft with Alpha caged 3/16" roller big end. Manx Norton type castellated crank pin nuts. Remachined flywheels for oversized crankpin. Mainshaft, crankpin, nuts all discreetly tack-welded to prevent shifting under extreme stress. "Vibrac" connecting rods, fully polished.
  • Assembly built by Ron Barrale.
  • Heads: Two "fronts." Polished 32mm and re-sphered (for enhanced gas flow) combustion chambers per Vincent Works practice. Viton O-rings in valve guides for oil control.
  • Barrels and Pistons: L.A. Sleeve Co., .006" interferences; 11.5 Specialloid pistons with .062" compression plates net to 10:1 compression, .0075 clearance.
  • Cams and Timing gears: Original new MKII Lightning cams, courtesy of Vaughn Greene. Steel Large Idler.
  • Carbs: Original 32mm Amal TTs courtesy of Vaughn Greene. Late Vincent Works chrome-plated cast steel adapters for two front heads courtesy of Dave Matson.
  • Exhaust: Original 2" racing exhaust pipes courtesy of Hugh Hall.

  Transmission
  
  • Year: amalgam.
  • Shifting: foot, four-speed constant mesh with rearset race controls.
  • Clutch: Black Lightning lightweight drum and primary plate.
  • Gearbox: Black Lightning Internals with 2.07 first gear and double backlash on third and top. Welded support rib on camplate spindle boss. Complete spindle installed as semi-perminant fixture with Red Loc-tite. Full floating hard bronze mainshaft bushing and non-overrunning gear selector ratchet with positive stops, both as per Phil Irving's design. 20w-50 Amsoil Racing synthetic oil.
  • Rearset Gearchange: Combination of original pieces and correct reproductions fabricated by Ron Barrale. Cadmium plated.
  • Sprocket (rear): 50T hard alloy sprocket on Vincent adaptor--current gearing for 1/4 mile.
  • Sprocket: 21T countershaft sprocket.

    
    

  Painting
  
  • Original Vincent Works baked enamel finish (black)

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  Frame and Forks
  
  • Front forks: Girdraulic.
  • Rear Fork: standard Vincent Rear Frame Member (RFM), courtesy of Chris McIntosh.
  • Hydraulic Dampers: Vincent with modifications by Big Sid.

    
    

  Accessories
  
  • Bars: flat drag bar.
  • Fenders: Lightning specs, with "short"-style rear.
  • Headlight: None.
  • Taillight: None.
  • Speedo: Tach only. Original Smiths gold face rev counter for the Lightning.
  • Front pegs: none.
  • Rear pegs Rearset Vincent footrests, rearset Vincent Brake, and plates, combination of original pieces and correct reproductions fabricated by Ron Barrale. Cadmium plate.
  • Gas Tank: Original, cutaway slightly enlarged for TT carb clearance by Bill Jean. Repainted and gold-leaf by Larry Carmack.
  • Oil Tank: boxed structure sits underneath gas tank.
  • Oil System: dry sump.
  • Oil Pump: Vincent "Two Start" double-speed worm conversion. 20w-50 Valvoline racing oil.
  • Seat: fabricated to late Lightning specs.
    
  Wheels:
  
  • Front: 21" Lightning with "Elektron" original brakeplates, courtesy of Vaughn Greene.
  • Hub: Vincent light alloy with two brakes. Avon ribbed tire
  • Rear: 19" (20" WM2 original rim and 3.5" tire not available for many years) Electron brake plates. Hub: Vincent light alloy; rear sprocket is carried on disc, only one brake (on the left side).

    
    

  Other Special modifications:
  
  • All brackets, plates, knobs drilled as per Works racing practice, Chain: Reynolds with rivetting link, Fuel: race gas (alcohol blends optional).