1950 Vincent 998cc Rapide Project

Registration no. KRU 725 Frame no. RC7592 Rear Frame Number. RC7592 Engine no. F10AB/1/5692 Crankcase mating nos. C70

• Effectively two private owners from new
• Present family ownership since 1954
• Off the road since 1963
• Matching numbers

The outbreak of WW2 in 1939 brought production of all Series A models to a halt, and when Vincent resumed production at the war's end it was with the all-new Series-B. Its rear suspension aside, the Series A Vincent-HRD had been conventional enough: tubular steel frame, girder forks, separate gearbox, etc but with the Series-B Messrs Vincent and Irving effectively established the marque's reputation for the defiance of convention in the pursuit of engineering excellence. For a start there was no 'frame' as such, merely a fabricated box attached to the cylinder heads, that served as the oil tank and incorporated the headstock and the attachment point for the rear springs. The gearbox was integral with the engine, and the swinging arm pivoted directly in the engine/gearbox casings, features commonplace today but unusual 60 years ago. Only in his retention of the pre-war Brampton girder fork did Phillip Vincent appear to be lagging behind other manufacturers, almost all of which had switched to telescopics, but this apparent shortcoming would soon be addressed by the introduction of the famous 'Girdraulic' fork.

Introduced in 1946, the Vincent-HRD Series-B Rapide was immediately the fastest production motorcycle on sale anywhere, with a top speed of over 110mph. The basic design clearly had even greater potential though, which would be realised later in the form of the Black Shadow and Black Lightning models. In 1948 the Vincent range began to be updated to 'Series-C' specification. The most significant changes made concerned the suspension, there being a revised arrangement at the rear incorporating curved lugs for the seat stays and an hydraulic damper between the spring boxes, while at the front the new models boasted Vincent's own 'Girdraulic' fork: a blade-type girder fitted with twin hydraulic dampers. These advances began to find their way onto production models during 1948 but it would be 1950 before all Vincents left the factory in Series-C specification.

First registered to Huxham's Ltd of Dorset, this 'barn find' Rapide came into the lady vendor's family's possession when her late father (its second private owner) purchased the machine from Huxham's in July 1954. In 1963 her father had an accident, suffering serious head injuries (he was not wearing a helmet) and the Vincent has been off the road since then (the 1963 tax disc is still in the holder). Accompanying paperwork consists of the 1954 sales receipt, guarantee, and correspondence; a VOC Certificate of Authenticity; and an old V5 registration document. Offered for restoration and sold strictly as viewed, 'KRU 725' represents an exciting opportunity for the dedicated Vincent enthusiast to return one of these wonderful machines to its former glory.