Comments on: Iconic Design on Two Wheels – What is the Motorcycle Equivalent to the AC Cobra?

By: higgy

higgy — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 10:11:44 +0000

Buell? Harley? A rice burner? come on And no not a 916, no 4 valve Ducati would fit the bill
Gotta be a Ducati Paso. set the bar for every motorcycle made after including the 916.
That would be the only design fitting the bill . Iconic, art the way only Ducati can do.
The only other possible choice would have to be a Britton

By: aichbe

aichbe — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:25:43 +0000

The AC Ace was British, but most of the body and some suspension parts were all that remained after the 260 and 289 smallblock Fords went into them. The 427s were American built, as were the Cobra Daytona coupes, all 6 of them.

By: aichbe

aichbe — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 07:21:08 +0000

Because YOU don’t know anything about Vincents, doesn’t mean they aren’t the most revered and sought-after bikes ever. Let me know when you see a Gixxer of any year sell for $94,000, unless it was a celebrity-owned one. And Vincents, along with most other home-market Brit road bikes, had either low flat bars or clip-ons in the 1950′s and earlier. The Japanese superbikes were copies of English Cafe Racers or Specials. The Aussie Irving-Vincent makes 165 HP. Haya-who? My Evo Sportster 1200 will beat the bikes you mentioned, when it’s not eating clutches…

By: aichbe

aichbe — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:58:59 +0000

Brough Superior was a nice bike, but never made their own engines, (used JAP and others; several designs) and were instantly outclassed by the 1930′s Vincents, which were faster, had good brakes, cost less, and had suspension.
I always thought that Sportster engines resembled the Brough JAP motors.

By: aichbe

aichbe — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:50:47 +0000

Godet-Egli-Vincent. Like the Kirkham and other Cobra replica/kit cars, a replica of the original, but better. Fast enough to stay with anything rideable. Made from international components Italian forks, wheels, and f. drum, British or Aussie engine, Swiss frame design, but built in France. Stock Shadow-spec engine (also a recreation using mostly reincarnated parts from the Owners Club source) is fast, but Aussie-built Irving-Vincent ( w/ 4 valve heads, 1300cc or 1600cc, and up to 165 HP) is REAL fast and, w/ mono-shock rear “frame”, still a race winner after all these years. The two Phillips designed it during WW 2, and build the series B, C, and D until 1955. Good luck finding even a basket case Lightning or Shadow for under 100 K. It’s still the Best Motorcycle Ever, although some Crocker people may disagree.