Vincent Black Lightning

[lefteRavika]

oh,God!!!Please let me die on a vincent's sadle...

[flipotronic1]

Long live Vincents and real Bikers everywhere... keep followin' those white lines brothers..

[worgaz]

It's a Richard Thompson song and it sort of sounds like him...but lots have covered it.

[whosyermama82]

who's singing this?

[hebay2]

Ugliest seat ever on such a beautiful bike

[r2holland]

The r1 of the day, too expensive for most folks then,we had to do wi bantams an c15s etc, get to work etc. but great machines, even today, they are winning sprints against modern stuff!

[tootiredtocare1]

The Vincents featured here are nice, but whatever is that double overhead cam thing ? - nice looking modern version of the Vincent ideal though.

[punkrkid2006]

this song is the best, me and my dad love this song. its our father-song song. thank god for a father lilke mine.

[MrMerciless67]

song makes me wanna cry love it dont know fa about bikes

[eoppen]

Telling any of my friends that in the event of my death, they'd get a 1952 Vincent Black Lightning strikes me as...unwise. Not that I don't trust them; it's just that there's such a thing as pushing one's luck too far.

[hbh32210]

remember trying to kick a shadow over, second effort tossed me over the bars.

that was back in 68

Boys in the shop had a good laugh over that, no one told me to pull the compression release.

DUH!

I bought a used beemer later that year- it was an R-60/2, oh i had some adventures on that ride...

These days it's a fuel injected Moto Guzzi

[DrZiplock]

I don't know anything about motorbikes. But I love this song.

[little69111]

@Bobweotababyetsaboy i reckon

[IMOLEGREGG]

What Dick Turpin would ride if he'd lived in the 50's.

[TheMoorlandman]

Maybe one day, one day I will own that. Strange that I'm 16 and this is my childhood dream. I will get the Vincent and ride it around world...one day.

[EdVidz]

@TheMoorlandman Hooyah lad, that's the spirit!



[donnaabbottserif]

We had a Norton and whenever the song gets to that part, I know my late husband is up in heaven enjoying the lyrics

[drunknmonky77]

Why not put some Del McCourry to it? This isn't the greatest version I have heard......

[OldGreaser666]

@calliope451: Sorry for your loss. It's this kinda girl some call "dreamgirls". He was blessed!

[oldshadecorp]

Great.

Thanks.

[humaidank]

the messages between you are beautiful and really embody the spirit of this song/

[kevinskogg]

That is guitear playing.

[RedRebel8]

Its a pity the lyric 'now nortons and indians and greeves wont do' didn't include harleys as well.

[yourweebrother]

@RedRebel8 That may be because he mentions bikes that are meant to be ridden and not just to be seen posing on.

[RedRebel8]

@yourweebrother hahaha - brilliant, love it!

[astronerd37]

I've never ridden a Vincent but I'm sure you are right.  That picture of Rollie Free riding with just a bathing suit showed up in the Wall Street movie sequel!

[raymondpeckiii]

Having stood over a rumbling Black Shadow I have to swallow my umbrage when RT disses my beloved Norton. He's right.

[astronerd37]

I love this song. I'll grant Richard a little poetic license when he says an Indian doesn't have soul. He just hasn't ridden an Indian Chief.

[waldo2358]

My '68 BMW R50 is beautiful, but hardly in this league. And RT never wrote such a great song to her. Absolute lack of Outlaw Appeal, I guess.

If I had a shitload of money and a good mechanic, I'd get a Vincent in a heartbeat.

And, again, Great song.

[UliJones]

"Red hair and black leather, my favourite colour scheme..."

[georgekallin]

it was written and sung by richard thomson -browndawg, yes its original.

[TheBrowndawg]

who is singing this version? is it the original?

[Putaspellonyou]

what does a bike like this go for these days? just curious...

[johnatcleve2210]

@Putaspellonyou you would be lucky to get one for less than £30000

[flippypimpstein]

I just bought a Royal Enfield G5 Bullet. Its the 1955 model built with 2011 touches (like electronic fuel injection). Solid metal. They just started selling them in California two weeks ago. I have one of the first ones (if not the first) in San Francisco.

[wonghunglow]

I had 2 Vicent Rapide's but the Vincent Black Lightning was and stll is the finest motor cycle ever built followed by the Black Shadow,

I remember buying my spare parts from George Brown who had a shop in Stevenage,Hertfordshire.

[xiane1111]

A great song for a great bike.

[HARRYCANE187]

this ride is a hot wild women

[piercedibe]

@HARRYCANE187 fag

[lesleyblood1]

HRD.

what Hesketh tried to pull off......rebuilt engines via Terry Prince

[lesleyblood1]

HRD

[Tibor3286]

Music to play Mob Wars by !

[RichardBertram1]

I've done Rock music since 1959 professionally. Built the closest thing I could get to a Vincent when the EVO Harley came out (Nitrous and Gas but difficult to tell in a photo). THIS is reality. YOU make your choices, and you live and die by them. If a motorcycle doesn't have a "soul", You'd best stay off it. If it DOES, you'd better be UP to it. Beautiful machines come from people with souls. Most of us (me too) should work on our OWN soul, and build the bike from there.

[wsbill14224]

Very good song to go along with a legendary bike.. great job!

[edslides]

and it just warms my heart to think that in the old days,

a cop would call the girl friend of a known robber down to the hospital to see him before he died. ol boy must have been a real good guy, except for that felonious streak he carried around.

[oscarfish38]

Ha ha ha , just had me ol dad gawping over me shoulder , he was more of a Velocette man but did have a long affair with a Black Shadow , I,m now gettin his (often told, yawn lol) story of how they used to ride down to Hastings on a Sat nite , get upto no good , then out run the police Humber panda cars across the Romney marsh , back into Ashford. With me mum hanging on for dear life , shouting obsenitys into his ear, no skid lids , just leather & denim. Sadly he had to sell it once I was born :(

[soaringvulture]

@oscarfish38 You're a well-bred man; all you have to do is live up to your mom and dad's example and you'll make a mark on the world.

[ajball2000]

@oscarfish38 sounds no different to my old man, except he started with scooters and then had AJS and Matchless'. He lives in spain now with his 4th wife who won't let back on two wheels. Think that's gonna change when I turn up down there on a new Triumph Bonny or Thunderbird next summer!

[TheRofu]

They look incredible modern for their age

[kenzo5716]

the only thing that would outrun a harley XLCH in the old days!

[soaringvulture]

It's the purity. Vincents are pure and Richard Thompson is pure.

Have you ever looked at a Vincent? It's a motor with 2 wheels. There's a seat stuck on it but that's about it. The swing arm pivots on the case and the rear shocks go to the rear cylinder. The front wheel is attached to the front cylinder. Yow.

And Thompson is the same. Pure, sparse, all-consuming and perfect.

[Oliver19eighty9]

Best bike, Best English Folk singer, and his best song.

[pureloveracing]

A fitting tribute to us all. But for me at least, the pics after 2:05 are akin to a version of this song as performed by Britney Spears... Thanks but....

[nowheelspin]

i read somewhere that a british reporter said that the bike` were too fast ,that they had no road` or track to test to see how fast they could go .those speed at that time were for f1 or grand prix racing. 140 mph!!!!!!!!

[jinzo2002]

I just bought the song off iTunes

[redpie66]

Maybe Im just old. But if it ain't kickstart it ain't S***

[BridgerGLambert]

F**K YEAH!

[catweasel28]

The greatest bike song ever. Certainly beats the Shangri-Las.

[SlowRealization]

Stephen King recommended this song, and uncle Stephen is never wrong.

[jjjjjjjjjj1973]

Wow, Great song, great bike, great artist. Thanks for posting.

[Ramadancer]

Whew Lawd! Such thought!

[governmentwarning]

Fantastic song,grand singer,wonderful music...  thanks for posting... Oh yeah,the Vincent... make mine with an Egli chassis...

[guitard777]

those are REAL Vincents you show for the first 2 minutes....all the bike pix after that are modern imposters.

I'll take a Vincent Black Lightning...oops, I can't afford it. Okay, a Black shadow...can't afford that either. Okay, then...how about a Norton...lemme check me pocketbook...nope...can't afford it.

Well.....um...1966 Triumph and no fairing..brushed aluminum tank?

Chrome headlamp?

Okay...I'll take it....let's ride.

[calliope451]

bought my first husband a '68 Triumph. it was a basket. he worked on it in my kitchen for the better part of that winter. come spring, i was never more proud to be seen on the back of a bike...that was in 1982...RIP TLM

[guitard777]

Yep...that was back when bikes were bikes. I lot of good projects get started in the kitchen or living-room. To me, those old motor bikes, the ones with soul, are sorta old bi-planes and steam locomotives and sailing ships...by that I mean they are more than just transportation.

Good that you got to ride with him...I am sorry that he died. Perhaps he rides still. Listen closely some night and you may hear him....he's the sound of a motor-bike starting up in the distance. Take care.

[SSGMM1]

Guitard777:

Your words are poetry as we remember them is how they are they are. Likely they are stillriding

[Pitfossil]

@guitard777  - shorter comment than yours: you´re bloody right.

Bike mates, and share a beer?

[edslides]

@calliope451

you are a good woman. it brought a tear when i read your comment.

got any 50 year old sisters?

[hitchanvil]

@calliope451,

Righteous story girl, sorry about the ending. Hope you've stayed in the wind since then. It's hard to replace the passion any other way. Ride Safe!

[paddywhackrn]

@calliope451 It's women like you that men like us ride. Thank you!

[voodoochild137]

@paddywhackrn

Hahahaha. Freudian slip?

[paddywhackrn]

@voodoochild137 Doh! I suppose so. Wow, that's made me blush, and I wrote it!

[problem49]

@calliope451 My condolences on your loss. If my ex had bought me as much as an old weed wacker I would have been gobsmacked, but she never did. C'est la vie. Your husband was a fortunate man.

[ElvisLivesUpstairs]

@calliope451 Aww :( How did he pass?

[scogboy]

word

[nikkitta8]

Wonderful video, thanks John for letting me know about it!!

Nice country-music!

[SLADE330]

Vincent replicas are being made in Australia under the name Irving Vincent,

these high quality machines are a true replica of the HRD, its fitting that they are made in Australia as the original HRD engine designer Was Phil Irving he was an Australian and believe his wife is still in Melbourne

[sabrinacle]

Richaed Thompson just came to CHico. He is really inteligent! His music reflects that

[pho2]

Im guessing this is Chris Thompson

[rjwinz]

If you mean Richard Thompson, yes.

[cuzinkevin]

Wow, count me in a red head and Vincent 1000 sound good to me.

[bambis2]

great version of this song..love the video

[settypatch]

I saw a Vincent Black Shadow. It was in Ketchum Idaho. In a camp ground north of town where we were staying. Every evening this guy would  come through on it. It was the summer of 1972.

[Mmmousemaid]

Hey, i feel the same way about my

old IBM II Selectric.

[problem49]

Sorry. In my fury I misspelled "garbage".

[Lowdenjim]

Great song - great pics - great bike...

[laoban1954]

My God! RT and the Vincent! It gets no better!

[redhot916spd]

slick bikes!!!!!

[ak47doubletap]

Love Song, RT's Voice, Guitar, Brilliant Songwriting of RT, The Vincent Black Lightening - if ya like Motorbikes or not, it is the SONG, we are listening to not the pics. I Say the VBL is one bike I'd ride with Black hair and Red Leather.

[Trencomtrink]

You are so right mate this song will be played at my FUNERAL I love it that much

[Ermengarde11]

Oh hell yes!! Love the photos, great job, five stars. I've loved this song since the first time I heard it in the 90s.

[MehefinHeulog]

great

very neat

thanks

[lykopis]

fantastic

[celloprofundo]

One sweet bike and one great song, has one got a thing, to put in the bong ? :) February is a hard time for a bike lovin' man, when he longs for his toes, to be in the sand..Patience, how can I love thee?

[UbiDuboi]

i want you all to realize that there is only one guitar being played here!

[ericfromkokomo]

who cares all i wanna see is that awesome motorcycle pics!

[nickyboy123poo]

cunt!

[ericfromkokomo]

wow is that suppose to insult me? ok i can play ur childish game too :)

yes im a cunt after all i am wut i eat which means u must be a dick??

:)~

[jimmyclaw99]

the new Vincent is a prototype made by the new company founded by Bernard Li that bought the trademarks. Unfortunately it will never be made because Li died in a motorcycle accident. It's a real shame because they made several nice bikes despite the Honda L-twin they had to use.

[problem49]

Nobody forced them to use an engine that was never intended to be displayed, and they were most certainly not forced to stick out those hideous radiators where they couldn't be missed. The Honda-based Vincent was simply a clumsy looking, poorly designed bike.

[volumeuploud]

i bet you're a Harley fan.

[problem49]

I'd have to lose an awfully large bet before I'd throw a leg over one of those ridiculous hillbilly garge trucks.

[problem49]

The special at 4:27 is a gorgeous, formidable bike. The liquid cooled prototypes are poorly designed jokes. No wonder they were never produced.

[problem49]

Christ almighty what a tremendous song. No one has a greater soul than Richard Thompson.

[Ermengarde11]

Agreed!!

[Timebandit720]

Is the modern lokking Vincent a new factory production model or a one off custom?

[glassmarky]

Fantastic songwriter and a classic here.

[jedmarum]

What a great great song!! A truly powerful story, beautifully told!

[74norton850]

My 74 Norton (the Hogslayer) has 10 times the soul of its cousin Vincent, and yes I've got a red haired girl too. My favorite color scheme. My hat's off to the British bikes.

[torresdearneiro]

OHHHHHHHHHH!!!, The Motorcycle & Brough Superior.....The best....Up Vincent, Up Brough Superior Forza Ducati

[Thruxstew]

red hair n black leather my favourite colour scheme

[revolt63]

Nice Custom ! I'd love to ride her ...

[chaba49]

the made it look like a JAP bike

[aarfeld]

Beautiful machines--in their glory years, and again reborn.

[alloypony01]

Big Smile / " Before and after is just waiting " Steve McQueen

[caferacermac]

Hats off to you

[brillig1313]

Thank you for posting the studio version of this most excellent Richard Thopmson song. He wrote it, and nobody does it better. Great bike pics, too.

[KyKuruptYouth]

My hats off to this fellow for writing this, but his voice is just so annoying to me... I personally think Del McCoury does a splendid job too...

[lastnickeldrifter]

Del is great, i even have a proud pic of yours truly stood next to Del, Rob, Ronnie and Jason......BUT....i can't barely forgive him for changing "Boxhill" to "Knoxville".....plus....Thomps­on is by far the greater talent for his vast legacy of amazing songs, not to mention he's one of the best, most innovative guitarists in the world.Ok !

[lewys93]

I think that The Egli Vincents should have the original "classic" look about them. For people who want a modern bike, the Vincent name means nothing; for the Vincent enthusiasts, this has nothing that they want

[caferacermac]

What a great song and what an icon of a bike

[frankmelvin]

agreed

[madbiker53]

it looks like vincent makin a comeback ;]

[IamaVampiressQueen]

cool!:) thanks for sending this:)

[madbiker53]

nay probs

[joknrok]

Generic? Can anyone point out a bike that looks like the new one? I haven't looked into these much, and have much respect for originals, but that new bike looks incredible, no matter what the name on it is. If it handles anything like it looks, that's the bike I'm after, realistically, even over the '52. For riding pleasure purposes of course.

Purists are blinded sometimes, no?

[shocktower70]

In the 60's I saw HRD's on fuel pulling 1/4 miles at 185 mph.....I agree how could crap bikes put a bike like this out of busness? Even the kawaski three cyls with their 11 .00 sec 1/4 mile times were not faster

[johnboi465]

how can british bikes like this go out of bisness and chinese shit sell?

[chris71mach1]

cause despite their obvious superiority, british bikes cost more than chinese bikes (horray for sweat shops and slave labor). unfortunately, as long as people are cheap asses, this will continue (at least until brits can slash their production costs in half)

[fattrucker01]

reliability

[63busfreak]

The new vincent is a joke it is built in cali and has a honda motor. Why do people ruin the name. Vincent may you R I P

[bsa650royalstar]

JMR Egli-Vincent are still knocking them out. I thought the Honda engined bikes project had gone down the pan. Nothing seems to have happened since about 2004.....or has it?

[63busfreak]

Last I read it had a Honda motor. I think if you go to there web site it will tell you.

[63busfreak]

Go to the Vincent web site it will tell you all about it.

[005davidragon]

what's at 2:05?

[005davidragon]

the whole 2nd half of the video is full of bastardizations of what was once a great motorcycle.

if a company is going to use the name "Vincent" why not make something with class- like the Vincent motorcycles from the 1950's?

[74norton850]

The '52 Vincent Black Lighting might be second only to the 1974 Norton Commando, but we don't have a song written about the Commando. So lift a pint to these great British bikes!

[borimirtheboring]

Nice song about a sexy motorcycle. My late father was a big fan of British bikes. He had Triumphs but always wanted a Vincent. He said it was the Rolls Royce of motorcycles.

[exmotorcop]

Heard Del McCrory Band sing this on YouTube. Listening to this version helped me figure out that he's saying "Greeves", not "Beeza's" (BSA),as I thought. Only bikers know what an "Aerial" coming down from heaven is. Clever songwriting.

[yakabayngu]

Great pics, great tunes. Check out Del McCoury's version of this classic song as well, there's a good clip up here on the tube. Anyways, these bikes don't necessarily need music, but for me it does add that special something to the magic :-)

[auto4union]

That should read Del Mcroury`s "Cover Version"!

[stringplayer07]

Who the crap is singing? he is horrible.

[soberbar]

Richard Thompson is the artist. He is a superior guitarist/songwriter/performer­. If he is not your type of artist that's OK, but you might want to check out some of his other work.

[FRANKMORRISSETTE]

YOU SUCK

[FRANKMORRISSETTE]

that was for STRINGPLAYER07

[night21rider]

Marzenie i pewnie nietylko moje. Pozdrowienia P.s. fajny utworek

[McAteerPaul]

Heavenly Tune...

Heavenly Bikes!

[Bullettube]

Damn

[lukeycoulson]

i remember my late uncles rapide,he rode it to finland in the early 80's. even as a kid i could see that a vincent was something special.beautiful.

[EdWatts]

My father-in-law had a Black Shadow, an Ariel Square Four, Matchless, BSA B44, 1923 Harley, and a lot of the motorcycles we consider classics now...back in "the day" when they were just a bunch of used motorbikes. He seldom regrets selling them, and he is certain that most of what is available today is far superior to what was offered then...just like today's cars. He has also had a GL1800 and a bunch of new BMW's. I have a 1979 and a 1982 Honda CBX and a new Sportster; the circle continues.

[roadrash998]

That's a really good tune. Nice pictures too.

[nickladey]

love the song and the vid my favret bike of all time is the vincent black shadow thanks for shering with the online comunity

nick cox hull

[2wheelsturnin]

The art of the motorcycle.

[VincentLightningMC]

Excellent Video.. Thanks so much for posting it. I will play it every day.. You have done all Vincent MC and Richard Thompson fans a Great Favor.

[turboslag]

Thats a total myth I'm afraid !!!

Try a film called Chasing Shadows for a good dose of things Vincent !!

[modelleg]

The brits melted-down all the Spitfires left over after the battle of britain to make these bikes. great song, great artist, great bike.

[eugene8047]

not true

[deaddoc]

The time I hear the right music on a motorcycle video. Yeah, Richard Thompson is great. And he's been around since 1967. He started out with English folk rock group "Fairport Convention." Start there and go...... One of the top gituarists from the time, many acclaim.

[upstart1776]

What a great song and video....thanks so much for sharing this.

[auto4union]

The Black Lightning is the racing spec` Black Shadow! 155mph im sure!Some of the new bikes looked cool!Others did look a bit generic I agree!One of these days....!Oh!There some live versions of this song a mere click away!The best biking song ever!Ride swift`n sure folk!!

[Leadingnorth]

I luv the new bikes. We can't allll have a classic

[JasonCrucifix]

The music is Richard Thompson from his "Rumor and Sigh" album. If you like this, and you look up his stuff, you will become an instant and eternal RT fan. Guaranteed.

[VincentLightningMC]

Jason.. so true mate.. this song led me to collect every thing RT ever made .. He is the greatest..

[hypnotstcollector]

I ment to say a 1948 BSA 500 SINGLE w/ twin amals. i even remember riding on it in 1953 at ages 3&4.

[hypnotstcollector]

my dad had a bsa 500 w/ twin amals. in 1959 i read 'modern motorcycle maintainance', c.1949.i saw the black shadow. never could afford one.never recovered. in 1980 Doobie bro' had shop in santa cruz ca w/ one. wanted $10k. a little pricey then. in 1990 i missed a basket case for $10k. in 2005 at Tiger Gilbert,colo., auction a 90% ENG in a norton frame brought $10k-ish;some famous hog farmer from ark?

[thumbcandy]

what is the music?

[Brian7Donofrio]

I like mine better. Too many new fake vincents. IT"S THE 1952 BLACK LIGHTNING THATS THE ONE :-) the company should have just made an exact copy of the original. The new ones look too generic.

[eddietwang]

but it would keep breaking down??

[bartjooh]

Would people still give bikes maintenance & attention like you maintain a horse?

besides... for the time beïng, these bikes were very reliable! 100k+ miles without overhoul... just be gentle with it.

after my guzzi cafe racer i'll be building a comet. why a comet? i like them more. look more agile. lighter... the guzzi is real good for the V twin 1000! Regards, Bart

[HulaRider]

I loved my horses, but I no longer have a lifestyle that will let me care for them. I can leave my bike locked up for a week, and it's still "alive" when I get home. But, yep -still gotta do the maintenance.

[daveyshrike]

Beautiful track. Thunderous, gorgeous, evocative machine. THAT's a real V-Twin: are you watching, Harley? Hand-built, exquisitely engineered British class. A real 'Gentleman Thug' of a bike.

[Leadingnorth]

Keep the rubber side down!!