1955 Vincent 998cc Black Knight

1955 Vincent 998cc Black Knight
Registration no. EEJ 501
Frame no. RD12910F
Engine no. F10AB/2/11010
RFM - RD12910F
Crankcase mating no - 186V

• One of the rarest of post-war Vincents
• Matching frame and engine numbers
• Present ownership since 2015

Ever since the Series A's arrival in 1937, the Vincent v-twin had been synonymous with design innovation, engineering excellence, and superlative high performance. So in September 1955 when it was revealed that production of the Stevenage-built machines would cease, the news stunned the motorcycling world. It had been decided that the firm's future lay in more profitable lines of manufacture. By the time its demise was announced, Vincent's final twin - the Series D - had been in production for just six months.

It had been Philip Vincent's belief that provision of ample weather protection combined with enclosure of engine and gearbox, would make the Vincent Series D the ultimate 'gentleman's motorcycle', though delayed delivery of the glassfibre panels - plus continuing demand for traditionally styled models - resulted in over half the production leaving the Stevenage factory in un-enclosed form. The enclosed Rapide and Black Shadow were known as the 'Black Knight' and 'Black Prince' respectively. Other Series D innovations included a new frame and rear suspension, and a user-friendly centre stand, plus many improvements to the peerless v-twin engine.

Sadly, its creator's vision of the Series-D as a two-wheeled Grande Routière just did not conform to the public's perception of the Vincent as the ultimate sports motorcycle. The firm lost money on every machine made, and when production ceased in December 1955 around 460 Series-D v-twins had been built, some 200 of which were enclosed models.

This enclosed Vincent Black Knight was acquired by the current vendor in February 2015. Accompanying documentation consists of an old-style continuation logbook (issued 1962), current V5C Registration Certificate, some previous-owner correspondence, and sundry bills (many from the VOC Spares Company), one of which (dated January 2010) is for overhauling two Vincent cylinder heads and supplying two new VOC barrel and piston assemblies. The machine also comes with parts lists, Alton alternator instructions, and a genuine Vincent Rider's Handbook.