The Vintagent Originals: Stories We Need to Tell
VINCENT BLACK LIGHTNING (2022)
Run Time: 5:55
Director: David Martinez
Editor: Anais Bernard
Key Cast: Paul d’Orléans, 1950 Vincent Black Lightning courtesy Bryan Bossier / Sinless Cycles
FILM MAKERS
From David Martinez Studio: “My love of storytelling started when I was teenager photographing the San Francisco punk scene. What drew me to photography then is what I still love about it now – the endless ways you can use images to tell a story. What began as a solitary journey has evolved into a highly collaborative process – an integral part of my photography that I really love. I’m always humbled by how many people and places contribute to one single frame.
SUMMARY
The Vincent Black Lightning is simply legendary. It was the ‘World’s Fastest Standard Motorcycle’ for over 25 years, after Rollie Free rode the prototype on the Bonneville Salt Flats at just over 150mph – in his bathing suit! As you could order a Black Lightning with full road equipment – as with this 1950 example – that claim was fully justified.
Vintagent founder Paul d’Orléans road tests this historic machine, discusses its history, and discusses why the Black Lightning deserves its reputation in song and story. The Lightning in our film is one of only 38 built by the factory, with a great back story: a Scandinavian racing champion ordered it new, but it only raced twice before he stored it in a chicken coop! It was pulled out once more for a grudge match against some BMW racers, which it won. It was purchased by an engineer who packed it away for decades, before it was reassembled by an expert with all original parts, and is now in amazing condition.
‘Vincent Black Lightning’ was filmed in San Francisco and west Marin County by David Martinez, who captures the beauty of the place and the motorcycle, and just as importantly the SOUND of this stirring vehicle. Dig it!
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Thank you for the Black Lightning clip. I agree that the Black Lightning, or just about any Vincent for thast matter, is one of the best motorcycles ever made. I had the great fortune of riding a well sorted Rapide through the Kootenay mountains a while ago. It was an experience that I will never forget. Yes, there are motorcycles that are faster, have better brakes, more predictable handling and are far more reliable, but none compare with the aesthetics and sound of a well prepared Vincent.
Having been an honorary VOC member and had the pleasure of calling Big Sid and his son friend for awhile …
…..Agreed ……. except for perhaps an Egli or Egli Godet Vincent … which to this day IMO are still the best rides out there as Egli Godet continues on past Godet’s passing bar none .
Ahhh …. and then there’s that custom Black Lightning that H-D sculptor Jeff Decker built as well as that absolute gem custom Vincent …. Vincent Prat featured on his now defunct SouthSiders site
Suffice it to say .. to quote the bard ( Richard Thompson )
” Says James, in my opinion, there’s nothing in this world
Beats a 52 Vincent…… ”
Or any Vincent for that matter
Oh … and Pd’O … thanks for the additional ADV pics as well as the Vincent short .
😎
.. oh .. and errr … not to elicit any jealousy or envy but …. back in the day a friend had a business of repairing nothing but ole Brit bikes . So what shows up at his shop one day … but a bona fide real deal Black Lightning set up for the street ( street goodies were an option ) So after he gets it tweaked , tuned and sorted … what does friend do .. under the table knowing my love for Vincents ? Slip me the keys telling me to give it its test ride . Luckily … Peter Egan a few months earlier had published his article on riding a Vincent in CW … which I committed to memory before showing up … so I knew what the pitfalls and foibles of a Vincent were before swinging a leg over .
And no … sorry to disappoint .. but I did not do an HST choosing rather to take it easy .. not wanting to awaken the wrath of the ” Sausage Creature ” .. and brought the bike back safe and sound . Cant tell you how many times afterwards I considered the purchase of a well sorted basket case .. or a ‘ kit ‘ bike awaiting final assembly .Ahhh .. the reality of my chosen profession … when you got the time .. you usually don’t have the money … when you’ve got the money you don’t have the time … and when you’ve got both .. the last thing you want to do is commit to a project .. or … err … go to the dentist / MD etc 😉
Sigh … the joys of having been ‘ almost famous ‘.. comfortable but not rich … and tied in back in the day to so many folks across the M/C and music industry …. sigh ….
Rock On – Ride On – Play on ( if yer a player ) -Remain Calm ( despite humanity’s penchant for self destruction …) and do .. please – Carry On … as will I
” Now Nortons and Indians and Greeveses won’t do
They don’t have a soul like a Vincent 52 ” – Richard Thompson
😎
I think I would melt unto the asphalt, right there on the spot, if given the opportunity to ride a Vincent… It’d be like some primitive future science-fiction fantasy coming true, before my very eyes. Thank you for this, yet again!
the engine acts as a major part of the chassis, with the specially made oil tank and solid metal forging attached to mount the forks from.