Vincent Black Shadow??

[mostrobelle]

I come around the corner to walk into my office, tea in hand, barely awake and I see this... The guy who works in the office across from me has a handful of vintage bikes.  I think he just got this one.  From a distance I thought it was a Guzzi.  I Googled it and I think it is a Black Shadow.  Isn't this the white whale of all bikes?  I've been doing a bit of reading on them.  Very cool stuff.  Vincent Black Shadow

I'm going to try to see if he'll take me on the back for a spin...they have an open house coming up and I'm going to schmooze my way onto the back of that thing one way or another. 



It's tough to see, but if you look at the round, red thing it's a tail light--and it says, "STOP" in chrome letters that fit over the circular lens.   

[jimboecv]

I'm no expert but it's hard to miss one. 
Make sure the brakes 'work' if you go pillion.

[mostrobelle]

The Black Shadow is a twin apparently.  This is just a single.  Might be a Rapide or a Comet???

...working brakes?  Please, bish...I'm used to riding around on bikes where more stuff is broke than not.   

[Drunken Monkey]

Looks like a comet to me, but I'm no expert.

And a Black Shadow being ridden to work on a rainy day? Not unless you have money to burn as a nicely restored one goes for around $50k

[duckwrench13]

This might help to clarify things:

http://www.harrisvincentgallery.com/main.asp

If memory serves, Herb's got one of the largest privately owned collections of Vincents in the world. He's one of the regulars of the Roadrunners B.E.M.C. (my old club in Austin, Tx) events. Great guy!

[mostrobelle]

Looks like a comet to me, but I'm no expert.

And a Black Shadow being ridden to work on a rainy day? Not unless you have money to burn as a nicely restored one goes for around $50k

This guy isn't hurtin' for money... His girlfriend carries a purse around that apparently costs about $3K according to the other women in the office.  I know nothing of these sorts of things.    

[Jaman]

It's a Comet - Rapide's are twins - the Black Shadows have black enameled cases

Nice bike!

[Michael Moore]

Wow, any kind of a Vincent is v. cool and extremely rare. I've seen them on the road exactly twice - once in San Rafael a guy was riding a beat-up one, and the other time I was in Malibu, filling up next to a guy who was riding his Black Shadow to the Rock Store.  They are truly gorgeous bikes, especially the motor, and that huge Smiths tach.

HST on the Vincent:

"There is a fundamental difference, however, between the old Vincents and the new bred of superbikes. If you rode the Black Shadow at top speed for any length of time, you would almost certainly die. That is why there are not many life members of the Vincent Black Shadow Society. The Vincent was like a bullet that went straight; the Ducati is like the magic bullet that went sideways and hit JFK and the Governor of Texas at the same time. It was impossible. But so was my terrifying sideways leap across railroad tracks on the 900SP. The bike did it easily with the grace of a fleeing tomcat. The landing was so easy I remember thinking, goddamnit, if I had screwed it on a little more I could have gone a lot further. "

(Also figures in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.)

[mostrobelle]

HST is just sooooo cool.  I've never read anything of his.  I should.  Thanks!

[Drunken Monkey]

HST is was just sooooo cool.  I've never read anything of his.  I should.  Thanks!

Past tense as he decided to go out 'Hemingway style' in '05

And yes, you should read HST. Just don't read his books back to back as it'll make you crazy.

[Desmostro]

Hey is that guy at Ammunition Design firm? They are right next to you Sansome/ Embarcadero on the corner. I was at a party of theirs last night.
They had a perfectly restored Vincent and a Ducati 250 right next to it sitting in the office. They all ride. (I now want a job there!) One guy restores old bikes and painted this Duc himself. Very impressive.

Here is a part of the front wheel of the Vincent. Isn't it shiny? You're welcome. 
I was kind of focused on the Ducati.

[Popeye the Sailor]

HST is just sooooo cool.  I've never read anything of his.  I should.  Thanks!

If nothing else, read "Song of the Sausage Creature". Sheesh.

[Speeddog]

--------------snip--------------

 and the other time I was in Malibu, filling up next to a guy who was riding his Black Shadow to the Rock Store. 

--------------snip--------------

That was probably Leno, he's got a perfect one that I've seen him arrive on at the Rock Store.

[geoffduc]

Looks like a comet to me, but I'm no expert.

And a Black Shadow being ridden to work on a rainy day? Not unless you have money to burn as a nicely restored one goes for around $50k

There's a guy that comes to the Ducati Owner Club meeting's at the Manchester branch pub night on a Vincent Shadow that he rides rain or shine and he's no money bag's, just an ordinary hard working brit. He joins in with the DOC as it being a v-twin he feels at home with other v-twin owner's.

[mostrobelle]

Past tense as he decided to go out 'Hemingway style' in '05

I was referring to the man's work--no so much the man--as I knew he'd off'd himself.     There's a bike with some reference to HST on the license plate in Desmoto.  I can't remember quite what it says, but it was also cool. 

Hey is that guy at Ammunition Design firm? They are right next to you Sansome/ Embarcadero on the corner. I was at a party of theirs last night.
They had a perfectly restored Vincent and a Ducati 250 right next to it sitting in the office. They all ride. (I now want a job there!) One guy restores old bikes and painted this Duc himself. Very impressive.

You were there?  Ah crap... I didn't go because--well, I'm lazy.  And they have parties all the time.  Yes, that's him.  Don't tell him about what I said about his gf's bag.  (But it's true!)

If nothing else, read "Song of the Sausage Creature". Sheesh.

I know.  I'm bad.