International Motorcycle Magazine, Volume 17, Issue 1 January 2007.
Vincent - Vintage Restoration
Words and Photos By Phil MahoodResurrection of a Prodigal Son
Vincent motorcycles are like old friends, or prodigal sons. They may leave us for a while, on this or that adventure. But if we wait long enough, they come back into our lives. For me, the 1953 Vincent Rapide featured in this year's SUPERSHOW followed that story line.The big 998 cc V-twin started its life in England. Some time in the 1960s, like so many other Vincents, it was abandoned and left to deteriorate in a damp garden shed. Somehow, perhaps after the shed collapsed, it found its way to a London dealer where it was cannibalized to keep other machines running. It was finally rescued in 1974 when I purchased the carcass, along with the dealer's entire stock of used Vincent parts. All five tons of the picked-over bones came to Canada.
That project was just a warm up for Byrne Bramwell. Other Vincents followed. Soon the Rapide was sold to a dealer in Eastern Ontario. Once again the bikewas stored, and finally left to languish in a basement for years. Rescued a second time by Bar Hodgson, the bike was spruced up, ridden occasionally, and was on regular display at many SUPERSHOWs. Although it was a nice running example of a Vincent, it was what we now call an "older restoration". This is a polite way of saying that the standards these days are, ahem, much higher. The bike had developed a few problems too. The most glaring issue was a leak between the rear cylinder head and barrel. It was time for a second rebuild. Bar called me with a question. How would I like to restore the bike I'd sold exactly 30 years ago?
It may be hard to comprehend for owners of modern bikes, but the Vincent parts situation has never been better. As a demonstration of its capabilities, the Vincent Owners Club Spares Company recently assembled a complete Vincent to original specifications from new parts available off their shelves. Try that with your typical three-year old Japanese sport bike! Even better, the quality of these new Vincent parts far exceeds what the factory produced on worn out, post-WWII machinery. By the way, in spite of constant rumours, there is no plan to reproduce complete Vincent motorcycles. Take it from me.
Originally, Bar Hodgson simply wanted the cylinder head leak fixed and for the bike to start and run better. Bar is a certified motorcycle mechanic himself, and maintains all the museum bikes in top working order. But a Vincent is another matter. A quick disassembly revealed all. But, before proceeding, one more thing was needed - a philosophy. "What? Can't we just fix the thing and put it back on the road?" asked Bar. "Oh, I suppose. But let me give you some options. We could have an oily-rag type working bike, a trailer queen, a perfect original example, a hot rod, a touring bike, or combinations of any of these." I explained. "I see. I guess this is not so simple."
The leaking cylinder head turned out to be a common problem on agingVincents. After more than 50 years, metal fatigue had allowed the alloy cylinder casting to distort. We could have re-machined the original, fitted oversize liners, etc. But brand-new assemblies of superior quality are available. That turned out to be the soundest and most cost-effective fix. As we turned over those dazzling, beautiful, perfect new bits, a curious thing began to happen.A quick spruce up became a ground-up rebuild of everything. The syndrome started in the engine and spread. We bought new F1-quality cams, newfollowers, and die-cast close-tolerance pistons. The alloy aluminum enginecovers, a big feature of the Rapide, were buffed to a high luster, with caretaken not to damage the original cast-in maker's logos and trade marks.With such a jewel of an engine, the chassis was now looking decidedlyshabby. Worse, from 20 feet, the overall bike just didn't have "the look".The modern wheels and fat tires were all wrong. The radius of the frontfender didn't match the tire. The rear number plate and tail light wererough aftermarket reproductions. The signature exhaust system was deeplydiscoloured and made up of poorly-fitted and finished pipes.Finally, the tank just wasn't right. Oddly, it looked swollen. Had therebeen an explosion? Fire damage? A failed attempt to pop out a dent withcompressed air? We'll never know.
A search for a new item, or a better second-hand item, turned up nothing acceptable. The solution turned up in the form of a local sheet metalgenius. Off went the pregnant-looking tank to Ross Thompson Metal Finishingfor massaging. It came back in only one week looking slim, trim, andperfectly aligned. Next, I laced up a gorgeous set of new standard rims ofthe original sizes. These are stainless steel, polished and pinstriped. Ispooned on a pair of exact replica original Avon tires. Out went the fendersand braces that were slightly off. Now we had the right Vincent silhouette - slim, lithe, and rapier sharp. From a few steps back, it really was a stunner. Alas, shabby wiring, fadedpaint, and tarnished metal were spoiling the picture. All parts werestripped and painted to match. Hours were spent wire brushing and polishingevery nut and bolt. All that hardware was sent out for cadmium plating, asper original. There are only a few chrome parts on a Vincent. But all thesewere redone. The icing on the cake was a new exhaust system made from theoriginal factory jig.
The above gives one a general idea of the eight-month project. In fact, there were dozens of small details and decisions along the way. Often I feltguilty when I'd go to Bar to suggest yet another upgrade."See this widget, Bar? I could make it look reasonable and put it back on.It'll work, no problem. But it's not really quite right. This curve is notreally correct and there should be a spring tab there. To a real Vincentguy, it'll stick out like a sore thumb. Sleep on it." Invariably, Bar wouldstep up and go for it.Yes, the bike is a runner. But, it is also a museum piece. As such, it will stand out as a reference example to the greatest degree possible.Great classic motorcycles like the Vincent will last forever. We like tothink that we own them while they are in our garages. Yet, I suspect theopposite is true. These machines speak to us and tell us what they need. Weobey. We do their bidding. We are just their temporary caretakers on theirpath through our lives.
At first this may seem to be a curious statement from a man spinning wrenches on one of the all time great classic bikes, the Canadian MotorcycleHeritage Museum's 1953 Vincent Rapide.
Perhaps this explains my fanatical devotion; I've made these machines the subject of a lifetime of study. Many of the more than 2,000 members of the Vincent Owners Club immerse themselves in these machines to the exclusion ofall other, what they consider to be inferior, brands.
Today, I'm busy building, tuning, and refining Vincents for a new generation of enthusiasts, with the idea of keeping these magnificent machines on theroad and in everyday use.
Always trying to learn and grow, I've taken up dirt riding and use a BMW F650 Dakar dual-sport bike for daily transportation, and am the organizer ofthe Ontario Section of the Vincent Owners Club. http://www.voc.uk.com/. pmahood@primus.ca
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