Supercharged 1950 Vincent Black Shadow
This blown Vincent Black Shadow was built by Max Kelly and raced in California some time in the 1950s. It's a series C Black Shadow with a series B rear section. The blower is a Ventor Supercharger type 2R010 designed and manufactured by Wade Engineering with four 42mm Dellorto carbs doing intake duty. It's an imposing engine with all of this extra plumbing and, like any Vincent engine, looks pretty good from most any angle.
Supercharged 1950 Vincent Black Shadow
There's no information about how it ran or what speeds it reached but it has that period look of the kinds of machines racers would take out to Bonneville and just go for it. It's an interesting bit of mechanical eye candy.
Supercharged 1950 Vincent Black Shadow back in the day
The bike needs to be rebuilt but, according to the owner, most of the pieces are there. Wouldn't it be neat to see someone resurrect this beast? I almost missed this bike but got a note from John pointing it out. Thanks, John!
Link: Blown Vincent - auction ended
Supercharged 1950 Vincent Black Shadow
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
Watch out for your left leg!
Pretty neat. I’d love to see that restored to running condition, too.
cl
There is a timeless quality about that engine. I also dig the use of “Drillium” for weight reduction. I guess the bike was built to be ridden “prone” while wearing gym shorts and cowboy boots. Ye-haw.
OK…….Where do ya sit?
Are those the “rearsets” sticking out of the end of the rear section?
Years ago, I got my fingers on a Black Shadow. Somewhere up over the ton and 3 or so, it went into a violent tank slapper. Those girder forks, you know. How, I don’t know but I hung onto it. After a trip to the laundry and a couple of beers, I stopped shaking. Never did tell the owner about it though.
Paulinator, there is a story of some guy (sorry, my reasearch didn’t tell me who) trying to set a record at Bonneville and couldn’t just quite do it. He stripped off to his shorts, laid prone on the bike and took the record! (Can you just imagine the road rash if he’d come off?)
I saw a poster of this at a Vincent Owner’s Club rally locally about 5 years ago. Incidentally, there were hundreds of Vincents there, everything from pristine (multi-million dollar) museum pieces to daily transports. The Club is based in the UK and, every 4 years, they load up into containers and go someplace for a rally. South Africa, Miami, Australia … This one was in Harrison Hot Springs, BC, Canada.
Hawk:
That was Rollie Free who stripped down and laid on the Vincent, he broke 150 mph on an unfaired “stocker” for the first time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollie_Free
Thanks Runnin’ Blue. That was him ….
Would love to hear this one!
Hawk, your tank-slapper was not the fault of the Girdraulic forks, which are stable at much higher speeds than 103. Something wasn’t adjusted or tightened down; possibly the steering damper . Vinnies aren’t exactly knee-draggers, but a properly set-up one will handle pretty well at all speeds. Put some Ceriani forks on it and you’d be amazed how fast it can go. Ask Jay Leno, he has several, and he rides the piss out of them. Also, check out their racing record at Isle of Man in the 50′s. Now, the 150 mph Bonneville bike had a modified girder fork, but it was probably to drop weight, and to be adjustable for rake via the lower link, which the Girdraulic isn’t. Just guessing, I wasn’t there.
If you want to see another badass Vincent dragster, google “Barn Job”.
That bike is begging to be ridden by someone that’ll open it up and see what it’s good for. Be a good idea to get it to Bonneville to speed week to see what it can do. it is a gem but it’s a pity to see stunning motorcycles that aren’t used and end up as ornaments.
I wondered how the rider shifted it with his boots hooked over those little pegs at the rear axle; then I spotted that beautiful, 2-foot-long shift lever machined from billet “aluminium”. It’s details like that alone that make this bike deserve to be restored and run on the quarter again, or put on a fairing, appropriate tires and tall gearing, and let her rip at Bonneville. This is one vintage machine that should never be shut away in a museum. I’d love to hear it at 230 on the salt!
as far as resting on the bike(sitting} in the vintage picture were the guys wrist is, is in fact where the rider rested. weight over the rear wheel as it were.there are many missing pieces of this bike in its present state including the modified shifter and housing. of which first gear had been removed as it was useless with the supercharger and thus added weight. a small lever existed there on the left side and in the prone position, you pulled up 3 times while throttling the bike with your right hand. a mostly one handed ride as anyone can attest to that has ridden a blown v-twin. the gear changes come QUICK. as far as the bikes condition, the brake lever and mount assembly is also missing,where upon completion of run, you sat up slightly and either let off throttle and reached down with right hand, or furthered yourself with a reach with right foot. a mean machine in its day with wisps of smoke off the tire for nearly the entire run. as far as the salt and 230mph, get real!
to everyone i have ever met, when we talk of going fast, I have said to each one: put a blower on it!
Great bike. Anyone remember the “Barn Job” ? Vincent drag bike of the 60s & 70s.An all time favorite.