Rollie Free’s “bathing suit” Vincent was tuned for speed at the factory and was effectively the prototype of a new full-race Vincent V-twin. Rapides and Shadows had, of course, been raced with great success at the Isle of Man Clubman T.T. and taken many a drag strip record, but these were all converted road bikes. When the Black Lightning was released later in 1948, it was truly an awesome beast, and so much faster than any other motorcycle that it had no peers. It was a specialized machine with, to be honest, few possible outlets for its then- incredible 70 HP and 150 MPH potential, which is why only 31 were built. While there were always speed records to break, Unlimited Class racing for motorcycles of 750cc or higher was rare during the bike’s 1948-1952 production run, although big V-twins were still useful in the sidecar classes of both dirt track and ice racing. Oval track racing was precisely where we first met our subject: the 1950 Vincent Black Lightning, Serial No. F10AB/1C/1641. It was originally ordered by Danish sidecar racing champion David Axelson through the Copenhagen Vincent dealer Villy Egen and delivered on March 20, 1950. Factory mechanic Dennis Minet recorded in one of his famous notebooks (No. 000117) that this Lightning was originally equipped with 2-inch exhaust pipes, 13.5:1 compression pistons and steel wheel rims—21 inches in front and 20 inches at rear. Once in Denmark, it was fitted with a Danish-built dirt track racing sidecar, for Axelson planned to retain his National title in the 1,000-meter round track. In his first race though, a spot of engine trouble forced him to retire. In his second race, the overwhelming power of the Lightning proved too much, and Axelson crashed heavily, killing his passenger, who was a friend. With that, Axelson decided the Vincent was simply too fast, and with the loss of his passenger, he gave up motorcycle racing entirely. The Black Lightning was dry stored in a chicken coop. But a Black Lightning is never forgotten. In July 1956, Carlo Sejer Jensen, another Danish dirt track racing champion (from Arhus), grew tired of hearing a group of German racers boasting of the superiority of their “unbeatable” BMW sidecar racers. Carlo told them, in no uncertain terms, that a Vincent V-twin would show them the way around a track, and when goaded to prove it, he turned to David Axelson to borrow his 6-year-old Lightning. Axelson agreed, the Lightning was exhumed from the poultry shed and refurbished, and Carlo set about practicing with it, doing his best to get to know this fearsome beast. On July 16, 1956, Carlo Sejer Jensen trounced his BMW rivals, winning two trial heats as well as the final race, as reported in the Danish press at the time. “IT WAS TRULY AN AWESOME BEAST, AND SO MUCH FASTER THAN ANY OTHER MOTORCYCLE THAT IT HAD NO PEERS”
