When I was 19 years old, I bought and restored a '51 Vincent. I spent about 3 years rebuilding it back to concours condition. Unfortunately, I didn't get to ride it because I was engaged to be married and I was pressured by my wife-to-be and my parents to sell the Vincent and buy a "sensible" car. I eventually gave in to the pressure and part-exchanged it for a Ford Fiesta.

However, a couple of weeks ago, I posted a message on a Vincent forum asking if anyone knew where it was and last week, I had a reply.
Apparently, its owner of the last 24 years had suddenly died and his family were looking to sell his beloved Vincent.
To cut a long story short, I went to see it this afternoon and a deal was stuck

I really can't believe I'm going to get my bike back again afdter all this time. Just to be clear, neither the Ford Fiesta nor the first wife lasted very long

Paul

Last edited by PaulB on Sat Sep 09 2006 8:31pm. Edited 2 times in total

aha, back down memory lane heh!!!

I know that feeling

YOU must be in your fourties

Good luck with the bike, and hopefully you are now allowed to enoy the bike

Cool always nice to see your old toys  RRS TDV6 Gone but still around
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PaulB wrote:

When I was 19 years old, I bought and restored a '51 Vincent. I spent about 3 years rebuilding it back to concours consition. Unfortunately, I didn't get to ride it because I was engaged to be married and I was pressured by my wife-to-be and my parents to sell the Vincent and buy a "sensible" car. I eventually gave in to the pressure and part-exchanged it for a Ford Fiesta.

I have no clue what's good about a 51 Vincent, but it goes to show what great judges of longevity your fiancee and parents were! Congrats Paul - it's always great to see something like this come out of your past life. Is it still in concourse condition?  

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Havank,
I am indeed in my forties

Shmoogle,
This is a Vincent...


As far a classic bikes go, they don't get much better than a Vincent. They were marketed as "the world's fastest motorcycle" and they were by some considerable margin. The "cooking" version did 125mph in 1949 and the "hot" one did over 150'.
No it isn't still concourse but it has been well used and maintained and is in sound mechanical order. It just needs a bit of TLC.

Paul

Nice looking piece of kit, Paul. Now that I see a pic of one, I wonder if I might have seen one at Wings & Wheels a couple of weekends ago. Are they a rarity? 

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My Dad had a Vincent Velocet back in the 'good old days', before I came along.

He always talked about how it was special and the modern day "Jap crap" couldn't hold a candle to the bikes of yester year.

I'm glad you tracked down your first "real girlfriend" PaulB. I hope you both live happily ever after.  Arctic Frost TDV6 SE. Aspen Leather, Cherry Wood, Privacy Glass, PTI, Tow Pack, Mudflaps, Tasmods, a new Fuelflap, a RRSport.co.uk umbrella in the boot & a RRSport.co.uk sticker on the rear glass.
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They are pretty rare. Total production of all models combined was around 10,000, but they stopped production in '55 and a very significant number have inevitably just disappeared as is the way with countless old cars and bikes. But it is quite possible that you saw one.
In the '60s, nobody really wanted an old bike and many had their engines taken out and used for other purposes including Norvins (Vincent engine in a Norton frame), drag bikes, choppers etc.

Paul

TB,
You've mixed two different bikes together there
The Vincent and the Velocette are two different manufacturers.
I used to have a couple of Velo's as well around the same time as the Vinnie.

Paul

It must be the Velocette then. That name definately rings a bell.

I just thought the Vincent and Velocette sounded as if they went together.

Anyway, one thing for sure was that he definately owned it back in the late fifties. Arctic Frost TDV6 SE. Aspen Leather, Cherry Wood, Privacy Glass, PTI, Tow Pack, Mudflaps, Tasmods, a new Fuelflap, a RRSport.co.uk umbrella in the boot & a RRSport.co.uk sticker on the rear glass.
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Some people accuse me of thinking the world revolves around me, but I'm not stupid . . . I know it revolves around the sun. Which shines out of my @rse!!!

The Velo' was a nice bike. The hot Velo was the Venom Thruxton.

..a 500cc single.

Very nice Paul - you'll have to get it back to its former glory then pop round on it to let me have a closer inspection. I take it you still have the Harley as well

Cheers

Martin 
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Oh yes

cool  
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Will give you more pleasure than the other two anyway. Nice result :lol

Paul B what sort of Harley do you have??