A friends uncle has a rather special collection of bikes, and he wanted a hand getting them up to the Morval Vintage Rally near Looe. The bikes in question were a 1939 Series A Vincent Rapide, a 1949 Series B Rapide, a 1950 Series C Rapide, a Series D Rapide (whose age I cannot remember), and a pair of Vincent Comets. The bikes were then also ridden around the show ring. After the show, we went for a drive down to the river (the long way) through the lanes for a picnic and then back home.
During the course or this I got to ride the Series B (lovely) the Series C (probably my favourite) and the series D (scary, as it had managed to get oil over it's tyres and the roads were now wet
)They were all surprising easy to ride and surprisingly rapid on the road, perhaps worryingly so considering the drum brakes all round!! Remembering the right foot one up three down gearchange wasn't too difficult (perhaps thanks to having had a couple of right-foot change bikes in the past) but kick-starting a 1000cc twin needs a "certain technique" that could be found a touch lacking
Anyway, some photo's ....
1939 Series A Rapide
1949 Series B Rapide
1950 Series C Rapide
All in line with the Series D and Comet's
and down by the river
To put in perspective the generosity of the owner letting us ride the wee beasties, a Series A is worth more than my house .....
!
