I am a regular reader of your magazine and was particularly interested in the article in the June issue on the Vinc ent-HRDs – I completely agree with you on the handling between Series As, Bs and Cs.
I have been a lifelong devotee of Vincents since I was 19 (now 72) and besides a C Shadow and Comet, I also have an A Comet and an ex works TT Rep (one of the two supercharged machines used in the 1936 TT, ridden by Jack Williams and Jock Forbes) both of the latter with Bramptons, and they handle as if they are on rails compared to the Cs. Saying that, there is nothing wrong with the Cs and in fact I have ridden many thousands of miles on them, including the Vincent International in Canada.
But I also (three years ago) built a replica of the Victor prototype that Vincent made shortly before it ceased motorcycle production. It is a basically a D Rapide frame modified to accept a very late C Comet engine with modified D enclosures.
Because the old D Armstrong dampers were clapped, I had a pair of adjustable dampers made by ProTech Shocks from Melksham. Fitted with Avon Road Riders, the handling is superb.
Incidentally, the A Meteor featured in your article used to belong to a friend of mine, the late Chris Edwards. When he first bought it from an ex-employee of Moultons, I helped him out in the initial stages of the build, as Chris was a D man and I was the only one in his local section with As.
I have included a photo of the Victor along with the A Comet. I will be out on one of my Vincents this morning as I have been riding one of them regularly to and from Cheltenham hospital where I have been having cancer treatment for the last two months… last session today, yippee!
Brian Werrett, Gloucestershire.
Read more Letters, Opinion, News and Features at www.classicmotorcyle.co.uk and in the August 2020 issue of The Classic Motorcycle – on sale now!
