This is the famous supercharged 1949 Vincent Black Lightning owned by well-known British Vincent dealer Reg Dearden. In 1950 he returned it to the Vincent factory in Stevenage to have it outfitted with a supercharger in order to break the World Speed Record, which had been held by BMW at 173.54 mph since 1937.
The bike’s frame also underwent strengthening and lengthening by approximately six inches. The work was supervised by Phil Vincent himself and took several months to complete.
Due to a series of mishaps after the bike was completed, which included the death of the rider, famous 500cc TT World Champion Les Graham, and transportation snafus, this rare and unbelievably fast machine never raced.
After a series of owners, it is said to be in the hands of a private collector in Texas. I think I know who and where it is, and it isn’t far. I’m going to check into a visit and see if I can put together a little article in the near future, folks.
Until then, enjoy one more photo of one of the most rare of all Vincent motorcycles:
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