I'm totally impressed with this, I've sought a Vincent since the sixties, watched a dozen or so racing, a couple riding but never even got to throw a leg over one. I served from 76 to 97, in the marines, saw quite a few early, racing, a couple on the open road, and here and there overseas, occasionally. I have built somewhere around a hundred custom bikes, here in N.C., and only wish I'd stumbled across this long ago. I worked avionics on jets and helicopters, and of course on the birds themselves, we always were short handed, and this is a beautiful example of fine craftsmanship, love of the art. I've got a ninety inch "Harley" chopper, I built it in 95, handbuilt frame, made much of the whole of it custom, but never once had a chance to buy a Vincent, not even a badly mauled engine. I have often considered using a "Sportster engine" as a foundation and building a clone, but it never was close enough to be worth the effort, it wouldn't be a "Vincent". That is a level not met any other way. Thanks for showing this incredible build.
i`m in complete AAAAWE......just saw my DREAM BIKE!!!!...the Black Shadow Vincent ( preferably the C-edition ) together with the Indian Scout are the BEST ever built!!...and than this magnificent piece , and the unreal job done to it.....I`m drooling right here....my sincere comps on this M A S T E R P I E C E !
@hakerkatz - not a piece of chrome on the bike, and very little paint. We designed and fabricated everything except the carbs, tires and engine in house, and when it comes to parts like front & rear brakes, forks, swingarm, suspension, shocks, cylinders etc. they definitely have to be engineered ;)
Every time a new Falcon comes out I think, "Wow, Barry's hit his peak - what in blazes is he gonna do to follow this one up???" Then, another bike comes out and I'm left scratching my head, picking up all the details, bolts, lines, trying to wrap my mind around what I'm seeing. And then it hits me - and I see it not for all its litany of gorgeous touches and machinery, but as 1 singular machine... and I go "Wow, Barry's hit his peak - what in blazes is he gonna do to follow this one up???"
Also meant to add, that this motorcycle makes a refreshing change in an era when our TV channels are awash with motorcycle builds consisting of brand new stock bought in frames, brand new stock bought in engines, guards and then multiple bits of tin plate being bent, rolled, beaten and welded together, along with tantrums and usually extremely expensive and usable workshop equipment being replaced by even more expensive computer controlled equipment all of which means less human involvement.
Falcon will shortly bust open the doors of the Academy, as the question 'When does a motorcycle become Art?' is alarm-bell loud with the Black. Super-expensive utilitarian objects typically rely on rare metal or gems to heap on 'value', but with the Black, the investment is more precious still: one year of 9 very talented people's lives, focused on a single motorcycle. This machine glows with the Life invested, and poring over the details is like falling in love - your eyes go 'ooh'.
Beautiful bike, The Bronze Cylinders are a bit too far away from the functional path for me but that has to be the only functional yet attractive seat I've ever seen on a vincent!!!!!!! So when do you start on a (my) Commando?
@hakerkatz - We don't aim to comply with SAE governmental, aerospace, or automotive standards, unless we were Honda, Ducatti, Yamaha etc. this wouldn't be realistic. The fabrication of brakes, forks, swingarm, suspension, shocks, cylinders etc. takes engineering as well as design. We use state of the art equipment, including our 5 axis CNC accurate within 2/10th of a thousanth. Our tolerances with respect to Motorcycle Industry Standard are above spec and beyond tolerances of the original bikes.
About as well a thought out piece of iron as I've ever came across on utube and obviously designed and built by a true engineer with a real passion for his art, it should be in the Louvre sir! for it is just quite simply 'beautiful!'
Man, I was impressed with Paul Sr.'s bike in the quad-build off. The fuel tank design, did he take his design from this bike? Just wondering, I do not mean to be critical or negative. And I am truly amazed at this piece of work/art.
@glendoi Really??? OCC can't come close to this!!! Too many reasons why that statement is wrong, go back to watching those hacks build overpriced crap and let the true Motorcycle lovers worry about what sets the trends that they rip off. Hopefully they'll go belly up this year, they deserve it.
Five blokes ,1 years Thats 5 man years.. What the fuck were they doing? You could hand file a whole bike out of a block of steel in that time. Lets say a 40 hour working week for one year times 5 guys is 10,400 hours . They didnt make the engine or the spokes or the wheels or the tyres or the hubs or the gauges or the lights or the wires and cables. Spent some time on a buffing wheel ,ok. Please can we have some perspective? Yes it looks great but cut the hypebole.
