For those seeking an excellent Vincent Black Shadow, here’s your huckleberry. It’s a documented matching-numbers machine with a microscopically detailed restoration by Vincent legend Herb Harris of Harris Vincent Gallery (HVG). Some modest and invisible upgrades are inside, including an electric starter, a new Maugham & Sons crankshaft assembly, and gas-proof Imron paint on the engine, cycle parts and gas tank, which ensures that lovely gold leaf pinstriping won’t be ruined by alcohol in the fuel. All of this makes for peace of mind on real-world riding, which will have to be in the hands of a new owner, as this bike has just over 100 test miles on its genuine, rare, restored, 5-inch, Smiths Black Shadow 150 MPH speedometer. Everything else about this bike is highly original and correct, and in some cases, in better condition than it left the factory. The details include genuine, rechromed Dunlop steel wheels with Vincent stems weight set, correct Avon tires front and rear, genuine hand levers and controls, a correct Miller headlamp and Lucas switchgear, correct Amal Type 289 remote-float carburetor, correct herringbone fuel lines, plated ferrules, and hard lines. There’s also the correct Lucas KVF magneto restored by D. Lindsey, correct aluminum fenders with original fittings and hinges, a beautifully restored saddle by Michael Maestas (tagged Feridax as per original) and even a correct tool kit and tire pump. Only 1,700 Vincent Black Shadows were built. These were the premium Vincent sports roadster, and all are capable (with factory tuning mods) of 150 MPH, as proven by Rollie Free at the Bonneville Salt Flats. This made the Vincent Black Shadow the fastest road-going production motorcycle in the world for more than 25 years, decades after the factory ceased building them in 1955. The Vincent Black Shadow is perhaps the most legendary motorcycle in the world, and this is as good an example as one can find. It’s a simply extraordinary machine on which countless hours have been lavished, and it has been maintained and started continuously since its restoration in 2009.
