Property of a deceased's estate, 1947 Vincent-HRD 998cc Series-B Rapide

Registration no. KHU 523 Frame no. R2073 Rear frame no. R2073 Engine no. F10AB/1/74 Crankcase mating no. A80 / A80

• Fully matching numbers
• Present ownership since 1985
• In dry storage for some time
• Requires re-commissioning

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 Rapide Series B was immediately the fastest production motorcycle on sale anywhere, with a top speed of 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 up-dated to 'Series C' specification but it would be 1950 before all Vincents left the factory in this form.
This particular matching-numbers Series B Rapide was despatched to a dealership called Waycott Bros in Bristol in April 1947; as far as is known 'KHU 523' is the original registration. Its late owner acquired the Vincent in 1985 and rode it to the Isle of Man TT on many occasions, lapping the circuit and visiting most of the landmark sites there. Kept in dry storage for some time, the Rapide will require re-commissioning before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. The machine is offered with than old-style V5 and old/current V5C documents.
Offered without key