Hi folks

[AndyWill]

Andy from Warwickshire reporting in.
Just returning to Vmax ownership after a few years away. Bike's being delivered this week
98 model with 18000 miles up all stock and like new

 

[Marauder03]

Hi, welcome. Have any pics to share?

 

[AndyWill]

Cheers!
I'll sort some out when I get the bike

 

[CaptainKyle]

Welcome

 

[Trail Ride]

Welcome. Enjoy the forum.

 

[Dkid]

Welcome to the Classroom

 

[marsmax85]

Welcome to the vmax world !!

 

[Fire-medic]

Welcome, I wondered where in the U.K. Warwickshire was, and looked for it on a map, When I saw it was in the area of Birmingham, I knew I had something to speak of with my UK friend who operates a build & repair shop in Ft. Lauderdale FL. He's from Birmingham.

I noticed Wolverhampton is in proximity to you. That name reminded me of the motorcycle industry in the UK having deep roots in the city, I wasn't sure whom, so I Had to look that up, and I found a great timeline. The company I was trying to recall was Sunbeam. I also saw that HRD and Villiers were there.



HRD and Vincent joined to make HRD Vincent, who made some of the fastest bikes of their era. HRD had success in competition on its own, here is the company founder, Howard Davies cornering at Craig-ny-baa in the 1925 Isle of Man T.T.



HRD began operations in 1924; and by 1928 Phil Vincent, with his degree in engineering bought the rights to the HRD name, with some tooling, and opened HRD Vincent. They used other manufacturers' engines: JAP, Rudge, and Villiers (there's that name again!). It wasn't until after WW II that a newer version of the Series A Vincent Rapide was built, the Series B, there was also a single cylinder Comet. The 'barn-burner' was the Vincent Black Shadow, and its even-hotter Black Lightning (conjure up the most-famous picture of Rollie Free in his bathing suit, goggles, and tennis shoes at Bonneville, clocked at 150 MPH!).



A Vincent Series B

Here's the chart I found, very interesting if you're interested in vintage rides.
http://www.historywebsite.co.uk/Museum/Transport/Motorcycles/Chronology.htm
I assume those of us who are older are familiar with Kevin Cameron, who has the gift of explaining motorcycling engineering, and really, many other subjects related to engineering, including reading the flecks of metal from two strokes' spark plugs to determine if it's running properly, or if it's time for a tear-down and rebuild. "Too-lean?" He developed his spark plug reading skills at places like Daytona International Speedway, Loudon, Laconia, and other roadracing tracks.

He wrote for several publications, including Cycle and Cycle World. Here is his view on Vincents, after reading this, you may choose to refer to him as, "that iconoclast!"
A Revisionist View Of Vincent Motorcycles

Another of Kevin Cameron's stories about racing and traveling from track to track:
https://www.cycleworld.com/story/blogs/ask-kevin/off-to-the-races/


Sometimes you beat the track, sometimes the track beats you.

We will await your bike pics, and we also like to see any old crocks you may also have. Post 'em-up!

 

[AndyWill]

Cheers all. Bike arrives today. Wish some nice weather would arrive too!
This is my third Vmax so I've gotta start remembering stuff Insurance and tax to start with
Pictures to follow.