1950 VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING CLASSIC RACING BRITISH MOTORCYCLE

[danlyons45]

very nice but a sad looking oil puddle at 5:42

[ExUSSailor]

I have probably said this on here before, but, it bears repeating, what a simply gorgeous machine!

[GREEVES246]

RUNNING WEAK AND ON ONE CYLINDER (DUFF PLUG?) BUT SOUNDS NICE ! BUT THEY DONT LIKE POTTERING AROUND THOUGH !

[TheSchumin]

SED

[535bbc]

George rode Nero and SuperNero [google it] you dink....Nemo was a fucking goldfish.....

[PonytailRuth]

@535bbc Ha ha.....That is just so funny about Nemo being a goldfish. I know that Nemo was also a famous whale (slightly bigger). I just love reading all the comments about our bike, so thanks to you and everyone else. I have made more videos of our 1950 Vincent Black Lightning on here if anyone wants to look them up. Thanks!

[DenisHuaHin]

does anyone remember George Brown, i think from Stevenage had a Vincent 1000 drag bike called Nemo?

[trimleyman]

Buddy of mine had one in the early 70s , he claimed it would do close to it's Smith's Chronometrics 150mph, at the time I had an extreme Ducati 350 desmo that would accelerate away from 100mph like it was nothing , his Vincent smoked me I was more than a believer!

[zagezz]

stunning machine, well done everyone. bless your mother! x

[ind347]

Vincent is the only Marque that I would leave my beloved Indian for.

Fantastic video folks and what a beautiful machine.

The sort of people I'd love to share a beer with.

[fattyballaty]

Your mum is cooler than custard!  :o)

[PonytailRuth]

@fattyballaty Thanks for that, and you are indeed correct. Mum has a large feature in the latest Ace Cafe book that is out. I think it is the 50th Anniversary one, and it also features me as a young child with Mum. I am photographed sitting on one of her bikes, and next to one of her Busmar sidecars.

[xrispan]

something tells me that if I chalenge that thing ,I would get smoked....

And I ride a CBF 1000

[geebergoober929]

cor just imagine seeing one of those fly down the street in the 50's

[jamesdj1956]

ce ride sounds powerful id really like to ride one someday but realisticlly will neveget to these bikes are real classics id almost trade my roadking to one haaaaaaaar

[bradleynail]

i heard this bike got banned from races for blowing out house windows, is that true.

[rogerT228]

@bradleynail

Not the Black lightnings, more the supercahrged Vincent´s like the mighty mouse.

My experience at the worldrally in Dutch-Rijswhik in the mid80th of riding Nero and/or Supernero and Mighty-mouse 3-4 yards of my point, strong bodyshaking airvibration.

[amackertv]

I sat on one in Aukaland at the Museum - they had the VROOOOM motorcycle show. The one i sat on belonged to some guy named s T. E. Lawrence :)

[spentacle]

@amackertv I think you should go back and have another look as T. E. Lawrence, when he used the name T. E. Shaw, was known for owning Brough Superiors, 7 of them.

[amackertv]

@spentacle Yes - thanks for that correction - it wasn't his. I checked the catalog.

[amackertv]

@amackertv some of his Broughs were there. (He had 8 i believe... and named each one. I've always named mine. ) He died on his beloved 1932 Brough Superior SS100. 1000ccs - named George VII.

[jf99151]

Leaks like a harley. heheheheh hahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

[snowiedognorth]

@jf99151 You mean, leaks like a Honda! :)

[jb325i]

what a bike !

[gloryroadII]

sounds very tasty nice to see you kept the tt carbs on it and the correct gear change linkage not seen very often these days

[dm21415]

great looking and sounding bike. does it have the GP carbs on it, because it idles very well??

also great to see the manx in the background.

[PingellyPete]

As a Vincent mechanic and racer from way back all I can say is it looks lovely, however the blue rear exhaust is not a good sign...bigger jets needed

[aprilialvr]

such an angelic sound

[ildizastro]

Breathtaking!

[Impalamark64]

Beautiful bike! You need to post a video of it cruising on the open road. I like the Norton Manx in the background, too. What a great pair!

[sidefx996]

Absolutely beautiful! Congrats!

[rudin62]

@sidefx996 muantaaaaappppp

[mhobbs53]

What a beautiful bike! A true example of British engineering at its absolute finest. 

[ballochdubh]

Im not a Vincent lover, but i must admit what a cracker?

[hamrmark]

Even puttering around the back 40 it looks fast. Read the write-up on your mum, would love to sit and listen to some of her stories.

[ROCKSTARCRANE]

Now that's what a motorcycle should look like....wire wheels, same diameter & tire size front & rear...perfect symmetry...

[JimmyTheJiveBunny]

Hey there, fantastic bike! lets see you run it at full chat, this deserves to be thrashed in some classic racing rather than languish in a museum or trailered to classic bike shows.

Who cares what they are worth, bikes were built for riding and bikes like this were built for riding.......FAST.

[grifferuud]

Tham what a bike,it just dose something to me!Big respect for you.Greets from holland

[TheSeeker0131]

Being a lightning, and a racing bike to boot, she don't like to idle. As a matter of fact it HATE'S to idle. If I don't get to ride one, I would love to build one.

[nifur1]

:-)

[Jacob88rOblivion]

How much do these bikes cost?

[TheSeeker0131]

@Jacob88rOblivion The last one that went on sale was in the +$100,000 range. It is a VERY rare motorcycle, and made in such limited quantity, that there is a log of how many were made, there serial number's, what component it was built with... These bike's are just the coolest of the cool. Do some research on them, and the story will unfold. These bike are pure magic!!!

[luv2flyV65]

If I ever had the money . . . . . . . . Thank you for sharing this piece of awesome history. What a treasure.

[jichiren]

can i have it ? 

[aliwhitwell]

Awesome machine. Wish I had one.

[middenrat]

listen to the lungs on that beauty

[PonytailRuth]

@middenrat Thanks very much, and yes indeed it does sound good (like a proper bike should)!

[MrUhu1988]

The sound and the beauty is stunning! I sit here with some tears in my eyes... I own a Royal Enfield Bullet 500 and it's great - but a Black Shadow and Black Lightning are just...I'm speachless...

[PonytailRuth]

@MrUhu1988 Oh wow, thanks so much for your lovely and truly emotional comments which we really DO appreciate.

[lazyman0424]

great bike

[alloypony02]

 oh man

[porkenstine3d]

im jealous! but happy some regular folks still possess and ride such a rare bike!

[TheTater1984]

harley davidson kiss my ass! that is the most beautiful piece of mechanical beauty i have ever seen

[jaratt85]

great sound, bad oil leak though, I know the feeling, my father has triumphs and they are pretty good that way, not that bad though. we have a 65 t120c 74 t150v and even own a basket case 1046 indian chief

[PonytailRuth]

@jaratt85 Thanks for your comments. It wasn't what it looked like regarding the oil leak. The Vincent had been laid up for a couple of years, and only started up very occasionally by the previous owners. When we started it up in the video on the day we bought the bike, it had wet sumped. The oil came out of the breather instead of returning to the tank. We also have a 1940 BSA C10 and a 1956 Norton ES2 in need of full restoration (one day). Your bikes also sound very interesting.

[jaratt85]

@PonytailRuth I know the felling our t120 does that every time we leave it sit for any period of time at all, right now it hasnt been started in over a year and has hardly any oil left in the tank thanks to leaking all over the ground. I went out to try to return it to the tank by kicking it over a couple weeks ago and it wouldnt return. hazards of a brit bike I guess, not too mention this thing was built as a flat track racer before we got it so who knows what they did to the internals

[Britbike20]

nice!!

[PonytailRuth]

@Britbike20 Thanks a lot!

[oddjobjujitsu]

stunning



[PonytailRuth]

@oddjobjujitsu Thank you very much!

[htzzn]

My dad told me about these beautiful bikes when I young. He was right.

[lotuselanplus2s]

I'd put a headlight on her and ride her to work everyday.i ride my Triumph everyday,sun or rain,she is dead reliable.

[sneakerpimp13]

We had an old BSA from -55 and we had to have some parts restored and the guy who did the restoration has quite a nice collection of vintage bikes. We we´re sitting around talking about old bikes and I told him that I was a fan of the Black Lightning and he told how rare they where. So it´s nice to see one being taken care of. I can imagine that it is a dream to ride. The sound is awesome. I have been fortunate to see one drag race. Best sound I´ve ever heard :)

Thanks for the upload!

[raedwulfone]

The dog is trying to tell you about the oil pouring out...he is also chuckling about your safety outfits.....I rode in shorts and sandles once, just to put the bike away into the shed .....never again ....Terriffic machine.....

[nowheelspin]

is that a dbl drum front brake system i saw two lines coming to the front axle ? awesome machines

[PonytailRuth]

Yes indeed, it has a double drum front brake system and a double rear brake system. Thanks so much, and I am glad you like it. I am just making another Youtube video about a special song our good friend Sugar Ray Pat Reyford wrote and recorded for us. It is about our own bike and Rollie Free, who broke the land speed record on a Vincent Black Lightning in 1948 Please look out for it very soon!!!!

[nowheelspin]

looking forward to more vids . tanx !!!!! high tech alarm system from the left handle grip.haha

[jonnno243]

On another posting about this bike...the guy said only 32 of these were made..... or did he mean only 32 of the 1952 one?.

But....whatever...that means it will be worth A LOT !!!!!

[PonytailRuth]

@jonnno243 Hello, There were only 32 of these bikes made IN TOTAL of the whole production. Ours is a 1950. Yes indeed, it is certainly is woth A LOT!

[kboy250]

how much ?????

[PonytailRuth]

@kboy250 That is private information obviously....sorry! ..... It is not for sale either.

[mykatamari]

not more than $1million, but more than $100,000. But you are better off getting a bike from today.

[TeamLibertyExpress]

Awesome. Whats the old dude saying... about that little lever on the grip,,,, what is it for?

[PonytailRuth]

@TeamLibertyExpress Hello, He was saying that it is the warning horn which is very very quite. He said that as long as it has an audible warning (even THIS quite) it allows you to get an MOT. I know you are from Canada and may not know what that means, In the UK an MOT is a 'Ministry Of Transport' yearly inspection for road worthiness. This is a legally required certificate for all vehicles over 3 years old in our Country.

[505197]

What a beautiful machine, I'm intrested in their design, looks like pushrods and I imagine a Hemi chamber. It's just stunningly good looking, but the carbs are a bit off song and needed to be synched. It sounds like a bike ought to ,

[PonytailRuth]

@505197 Thanks for your interest. Yes it has pushrods and a Hemi chamber. The carbs are for race use and are not meant to tick over like a normal road bike. This is why they sound like this (and are correct).

[raconter1]

Cool motorcycle! You can see your mum has a lot of spirit! :) Jack

[denty001]

hope you know how expensive and rare them vincents are :P

[PonytailRuth]

@denty001 Thanks for your comment, and Mum REALLY misses riding her countless classic bikes. She is 78 now, with 3 hip replacement operations and dare not risk it again (unless it's with a sidecar for safety)

[PonytailRuth]

@denty001 Hello and thanks for your comment. I can safely answer a great big YES to both points. This bike is in the right hands I assure you. We treasure and respect rare classics like this, and it is very safe.

[aliwhitwell]

A most beautiful motorcycle. Very very rare indeed. Please look after it but ride it. Will put a grin on your face!

[MrEmceeDow]

Beautiful

[PonytailRuth]

@MrEmceeDow Thanks you very much, we are really proud to own it and will treat it with respect I assure you.

[45az78]

i'd kill for one of those

[PonytailRuth]

@45az78 It is certainly very rare, as I am sure you know. I have made one more video of this bike, which you might have seen. Thanks for your nice comment!