1950 Vincent Comet 500cc Motorcycle (Project)

Description

One of the most famous names in British motorcycling, Philip Conrad Vincent built his first machine in 1927 and was soon joined by engineer Frank Walker. After buying out HRD, the newly formed Vincent-HRD concern began producing high quality sporting motorcycles, initially with proprietary engines from Rudge and JAP but later - and thanks to the talents of Australian engineering wizard Phil Irving - Vincent developed a 500cc single cylinder engine. Debuted at the 1935 Olympia Show, the new engine, christened the Series A, appeared in two models - the Meteor and Comet - the former catalogued as the cheaper Sports Model and the latter a more highly tuned and better equipped version. After a gap of several years, when production of the twins came into effect, the single-cylinder model was relaunched in 1948 with the Meteor and Comet badges used once again. The Comet was effectively half a Black Shadow, riding on a slightly reduced wheelbase, the 499cc engine had a 6.8:1 compression ratio and developed 28 horsepower at 5800rpm. The Series C Comet was a popular choice, both at home and abroad, boasting most of the features of the upmarket Vincent twins. Production of Vincents in the early 1950s was in decline, making the Comet offered here a very scarce collector's item.