Let's try this- The mighty Goose

[Bill Marsh]

Bill, in your honor I went out today and ran her up to a buck ten....three times.

Ton up!


--Mike L.

YAHOO!

But watcherass!

Dcotors won't let me drive a car or ride MC for another month!! :grumpy:

Did get on my riding mower for about a half hour though. Ran it up to 8 MPH!

 

[Andrew Taylor]

I remember when the 3 cylinder Kawasakis came out. I had my Vincent Black Shadow and it was very close on acceleration with the "Sack-o-hockeys". Of courser they would out-handle and out brake me all day long. But they could not out-class me and I hated the sound the 2 cycle 3 cylinder mills made. But WOW, could they GO!

Would leave a Black Shadow puffing in the wind to keep up, but the H1 500 - 3 has no class or predigree just acceleration. 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and standing quarter in 11.2 seconds. Mine was production race tuned, and was a lot quicker. Wheelie in 1st and 2nd, shift the weight forward, and pop the clutch and smoke the back wheel at 70mph. I wish I still had it even though it handled like it was hinged in the middle! I used to have to carry a pocket of platinum tipped spark plugs as they fouled often in city traffic. My reg number was WTO 127J. I keep toying with writing to the British DVLA and seeing it it is still in circulation.

Hope you are able to ride real soon. The weather is just great for it. The Vincent is a wonderful piece of engineering, and you certainly won't ever lose money on it. The factory was just up the road and I also had friends that worked at BSA and Triumph.

Meant to say, my friend had the Guzzi 850 with automatic clutch and running boards. Nice bike.

 

[Bill Marsh]

Would leave a Black Shadow puffing in the wind to keep up, but the H1 500 - 3 has no class or predigree just acceleration. 0-60 in 3.2 seconds and standing quarter in 11.2 seconds. Mine was production race tuned, and was a lot quicker. Wheelie in 1st and 2nd, shift the weight forward, and pop the clutch and smoke the back wheel at 70mph. I wish I still had it even though it handled like it was hinged in the middle! I used to have to carry a pocket of platinum tipped spark plugs as they fouled often in city traffic. My reg number was WTO 127J. I keep toying with writing to the British DVLA and seeing it it is still in circulation.

Hope you are able to ride real soon. The weather is just great for it. The Vincent is a wonderful piece of engineering, and you certainly won't ever lose money on it. The factory was just up the road and I also had friends that worked at BSA and Triumph.

Meant to say, my friend had the Guzzi 850 with automatic clutch and running boards. Nice bike.

The 500 Kaw, was it called a Mach 3?" Was embarrasingly fast. Made the Harley riders quickly fall in the "We're-too-cool-to-race-that-Jap-bike" category. You just could not outrun them in the late '60s/early '70s.

It was the first time I ever noticed the Japanes bikes. I rode a Spanish Bultaco Matador (250cc) enduro bike and also raced a Bultaco Pursang in "Hair and Hound," Scrambles, and Motorcross.

You wish you still had yours, I sort of wish that I still had my Vinnie, thouigh I was convinced that it was out to get me. Bit a taxicab once, will see if I can find photos. Got enough from the lawsuit to begin investing in real estate. Funny how these pivitol events happen.

Traded it for my 1959 R69 BMW (still have it) w crappy American sidecar and a British Army 1945 500cc Triumph flathead, just out of the cosmoline. Sold the Triumph and the sidecar and got more than the Vin was worth then. But sure not more than it IS worth now!.

Still, if I had kept it, I don't think I would be writing this now, nor do I think I would be enjoying this Spring's sun.

Should have packed the Vin in cosmoline, not ridden it and still have it now. But could I have a bike like that and not ride it? Nah. At 27 - 30 could I have just ridden it slowly around town? Nah.

There was a song called "Both Pipes Blazing went Motorcycle Bill."

I am convinced still that selling the Vincent was a good idea. Same idea I got with a 1988 Honda Hurricane 1000cc. Sell it or die on it. Macabre, but I am still here!

 

[Nasty]

Ahh...BSA, Trump, Vin, Indian...the scoots of my youth. I had one of the Kaws once too...had to sell it as it would whisper a promise of a glorious death every time I got on it.

Tried a Hurricane once too...it made riding almost not fun.

Today, I specialize in cruising and looking cool.

Okay...I didn't say that I actually pulled it off...

 

[Bill Marsh]

Ahh...BSA, Trump, Vin, Indian...the scoots of my youth. I had one of the Kaws once too...had to sell it as it would whisper a promise of a glorious death every time I got on it.

Tried a Hurricane once too...it made riding almost not fun.

Today, I specialize in cruising and looking cool.

Okay...I didn't say that I actually pulled it off...

There are old motorcycle riders and bold motorcycle riders, but there are no both BOLD and OLD motorcycle riders.

Keep on cruising and looking good.

Everytime I see a kid on a road rocket cutting in and out of traffic I send him white light. I know that one day that bonding of man and machine will end tragically. The odds are just too great of a fatal collision. It is not a matter of "if", but a matter of "when."

 

[Andrew Taylor]

The 500 Kaw, was it called a Mach 3?" Was embarrasingly fast. Made the Harley riders quickly fall in the "We're-too-cool-to-race-that-Jap-bike" category. You just could not outrun them in the late '60s/early '70s.

It was the first time I ever noticed the Japanes bikes. I rode a Spanish Bultaco Matador (250cc) enduro bike and also raced a Bultaco Pursang in "Hair and Hound," Scrambles, and Motorcross.

You wish you still had yours, I sort of wish that I still had my Vinnie, thouigh I was convinced that it was out to get me. Bit a taxicab once, will see if I can find photos. Got enough from the lawsuit to begin investing in real estate. Funny how these pivitol events happen.

Traded it for my 1959 R69 BMW (still have it) w crappy American sidecar and a British Army 1945 500cc Triumph flathead, just out of the cosmoline. Sold the Triumph and the sidecar and got more than the Vin was worth then. But sure not more than it IS worth now!.

Still, if I had kept it, I don't think I would be writing this now, nor do I think I would be enjoying this Spring's sun.

Should have packed the Vin in cosmoline, not ridden it and still have it now. But could I have a bike like that and not ride it? Nah. At 27 - 30 could I have just ridden it slowly around town? Nah.

There was a song called "Both Pipes Blazing went Motorcycle Bill."

I am convinced still that selling the Vincent was a good idea. Same idea I got with a 1988 Honda Hurricane 1000cc. Sell it or die on it. Macabre, but I am still here!

Yes, Kawasaki Hi Mach 3. That particular colour scheme was called Blue Laserblend. The earlier model was the first production bike with pointless ignition, and my model returned to 3 sets of points. It was originally Production raced by Bill Smith Kawasaki in Chester, England. They denied it, but when I asked why all the sump screws were wired they were a bit flustered. I got knocked off that bike, a car turned right in front of me. I got compensation too and the driver was charged with driving without due care and attention. I settled eventually, it was in storage and then I sold it. A few years later I got a Honda 125 trail bike and did enduro on it. My first race was featured as a story in Trials and Motorcross News. Then I went to a Kawasaki KL250 trail bike and then a Yamaha RD350 YPVS powervalve. I sold that before I left the UK and guess I am now old enough to buy a Harley I was looking at ex-police bikes at auction 2 weeks ago.

I would love to see pics of the Vincent or any other bikes you owned.

Here is another of mine

 

[Mike L.]

There has been an attempt to revive Vincent. See http://www.vincentmotors.com I don't know if it ever got off the ground, as it looks like nothing's been updated past 2004. Wicked, seductive looking bikes.

Anybody familiar w/ Richard's Thompson's song about the Vincent Black Lightning?

--Mike L.