This 1952 Vincent was sold in Sheffield, England in 1952. It was most recently owned by my Father-In-Law who was a speedway rider, and also a well know fastidious restorer of vintage motorbikes. He spared no effort with this one. It has been kept in a shed with covers on for the last 20 years we have owned it. The engine and upper frame have matching numbers, and the bike has been certified by Vincent H.R.D Owners Club and comes with its Official Machine Dating Certificate. Most recently, any repair or maintenance work has been done by Old School Motorcycle Service and Repairs. He reports that the bike is in superb condition, and is supplied with receipts for work done. It has been ridden every 4-6 weeks, and is fully registered to ride on the road in Western Australia. It starts and runs really well. I can send videos of it being kick-started from cold, and idling. 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 proprietory engines from Rudge and JAP but later - and thanks to the talents of Australian engineering wizard Phil Irving - they 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 at the 1948 Motorcycle Show 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 ration and developed 28 horsepower at 5800rpm. The Series C Comet was a popular choice, both at home and abroad, in the early 1950s, boasting most of the features of the upmarket Vincent twins. Production of Vincents in the early 1950s was in serious decline and just over 1200 were built in 1952, making the Comet offered here a very scarce collector's item. Not interested in any swaps.
