Vincent Black Lightning Vincent Black Lightning The Vincent Black Lightning was a Vincent-HRD motorcycle first built in September 1948 at the Vincent works in Great North Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, UK, and produced from 1948 to 1952. The bike was a purpose-built factory modified Black Shadow that was then named and produced as the Black Lightning. At the time the Black Lightning was the fastest production motorcycle in the world. Vincent-HRD began motorcycle production in 1928 and were well established after World War II when they launched the Black Lightning. This was a production version of the Black Lightning which held the motorcycle land-speed
Vincent Black Shadow Touring specification, and a sidecar could be fitted on either side of the bike. The Series B and C machines do not carry any indication of the model name in their transfers, lining or badges. Beginning in 1955 on the Series D Black Shadow the figure of Mercury is joined by transfer text reading "Black Shadow". The rear suspension of the Black Shadow is a cantilever system, with a rear frame member (RFM) of two parallel upright triangular members pivoting from heavy plates on the back of the transmission case at the bottom and attached at the top to two