Was looking at a pretty little manx...

I was in Oxford, MD for a couple of days and stopped to vist a wood boat-building outfit - actually just a couple of guys - Cutts & Case. THey have a boat yard and one of the buildings contains some nice other stuff. One item was a really pretty Manx that looks essentially brand new. I asked if they wanted to sell it and the reply was, "we don't sell bikes, we just keep buying em."

Pics taken with phone - indoors, no flash avaiable- sorry for quality


I told him I'd be happy to take the manx off his hands but then I walked around the corner and the Manx was immediately forgotten!


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It's the only pic I took because I was too excited...Yep a Vincent Black LIGHTNING, NOT a black shadow, that looks as good as that manx, runs great and he got it for...sit down...3200 bucks. That's right, three thousand, two hundred dollars several months ago. I offered him an immediate profit of double on his money but he turned me down. He actually got it in trade for work he did that totaled 3200 bucks but the guy didn't have the cash so he offered him the bike. I have no idea why since he could have sold the bike for at least 70-80k based on prices I've seen recently.

It sure pays to be standing in the right place at the right time!

Manx ?????

No. !!!!

ES2 with some Manx lookalike bits on it?

And that Black Lightning is probably a Rapide?

all I can say is wow. When u are picking bikes up that cheap, original or not, still very nice

Not a Manx motor.

highdesert said:

Not a Manx motor.

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Camshaft is in the wrong place for a Manx. :mrgreen:

It's got to be a hoax?

Come on Mike, own up! (before I move this topic to the "Other Classic Motorcycles" section)

L.A.B. said:

It's got to be a hoax?

Come on Mike, own up! (before I move this topic to the "Other Classic Motorcycles" section)

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I vote for Other, especially since he showed us a dolled up ES2 and then proceeded to jizz all over the Vincent. Top that off with the $3200 fib. :roll:

swooshdave said:

I vote for Other, especially since he showed us a dolled up ES2 and then proceeded to jizz all over the Vincent. Top that off with the $3200 fib.

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There's no Norton Commando content-so it's headed in that direction-whatever! :wink:

ES2 ? That's giving the benefit of the doubt. It may well be a Model 50 ! To date, top candidate in the 'best handling' and 'slowest' categories (but that's only because I haven't started on my Featherbed 16H yet ! :roll

OK, I don't know old Norton's at all so it's MY mistake re the Manx. He didn't say it was a Manx and I didn't ask what it was - I just made an assumption. SO I'm sorry about that. BUT - the black lightning is what it is per the owner. I said to my wife, "Wow, I think it's a Vincent Black Shadow" and he said, "Nope, it's a Lightning." I can't imagine the guy was lying to me about how he got it but I suppose it is possible. It looks exactly like pics I have seen of the lightning. I have never seen a Real vincent before though so I suppose it could be anything...

79x100 said:

ES2 ? That's giving the benefit of the doubt. It may well be a Model 50 ! To date, top candidate in the 'best handling' and 'slowest' categories (but that's only because I haven't started on my Featherbed 16H yet ! :roll

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I was giving it the benefit of the doubt that no sane person would Manx-ify a Model 50. :mrgreen:

MexicoMike said:

I said to my wife, "Wow, I think it's a Vincent Black Shadow" and he said, "Nope, it's a Lightning." I can't imagine the guy was lying to me about how he got it but I suppose it is possible.

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How come it doesn't seem to have a single Black Lightning part on it?

MexicoMike said:

It looks exactly like pics I have seen of the lightning.

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Looks nothing like any Black Lightning pictures I've seen as there's not one single part in your photo that suggests it's a genuine Black Lightning?



http://www.thevincent.com/vbl.htm

OK...as I said, I don't know diddly about either Manxs or Vincents but the Vincent looked like the pictures I've seen (from memory) but I certainly don't mean to argue or anything like that. I just posted these based on what I thought/was told and I thought it was cool and the price on the Vincent was incredible. I wish I had taken more pics so folks that know better could point out the differences between whatever kind of Vincent it is and the black lightning.

My wife just looked at the pic you posted and also believes the frame/front/rear hubs, little seat, etc, looks the same. But again, I don't have any idea. It seems that I may have annoyed people with my original post and if so, I apologize, that certainly wasn't my intent - I wanted to share my excitement at seeing these bikes but I guess my enthusiasm was misplaced.

Mike, can't we bust your balls just a little? :mrgreen:

Let's all hold hands and agree that the first bike is a Norton and the second one is a Vincent. Now hug and go play with your Nortons.

Let's all hold hands and agree that the first bike is a Norton and the second one is a Vincent. Now hug and go play with your Nortons.[/quote]

You've got yound kids haven't you

MexicoMike said:

My wife just looked at the pic you posted and also believes the frame/front/rear hubs, little seat, etc, looks the same. But again, I don't have any idea. It seems that I may have annoyed people with my original post and if so, I apologize, that certainly wasn't my intent - I wanted to share my excitement at seeing these bikes but I guess my enthusiasm was misplaced.

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Come on now Mike, there's no need to be so touchy, as I'm sure you didn't offend anyone, but when people are shown a "Manx" Norton which is in fact an asthmatic plodder 500cc ES2 or 350cc Model 50 with certain Manx style parts (OK so you didn't know) and also a Black Lightning which at least judging from its outward appearance it doesn't seem to be, maybe it was originally, so you can hardly blame people for being just a little sceptical.

Vincents are sufficiently rare that few people are familiar enough to identify specific models, be they Rapides, Shadows, Lightnings, Knights, Princes or perhaps even the single-cylinder Meteors and Comets. The name 'Vincent Black Lightning' has such an iconic resonance that it is an understandable mistake to ascribe this to anything with a Vincent logo when confronted with one of these lovely old bikes. In its final years the Vincent company sold cycle-motors, NSU Quicklys and other small utilitarian models badged as NSU Vincents, additionally there was a Vincent lawn mower which could justifiably be known as a 'Vincent Black Bag' on the basis that this was a popular accessory used in the collection of the resultant lawn trimmings.

Please keep bringing these gems to our attention as you uncover them Mike, it is specifically the dearth of knowledge of such things that makes picking up a piece of motoring history at a good price more likely in places like Mexico or Hong Kong than in other places where the collecting bug is more widely practiced, but make sure you don't pay Black Lightning prices for a lawn mower!

Cool Norton Manx replica cafe racer.

Cool Vincent twin.

Unbelievable prices.

That's enough from this corner!

L.A.B. said:

Manx ?????

No. !!!!

ES2 with some Manx lookalike bits on it?

And that Black Lightning is probably a Rapide?

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L.A.B, for 3200 bucks, if true, who cares what kind of vincent it is. Sounds like a great day Mike

L.A.B.,
could you please refrain from posting photos like that,
my mind has just had an orgasm.
That Norton wouldn't be a Model 40 would it?
Oh well, back to polishing my brush painted Fanny B.