In the pantheon of great motorcycle marques past and present, no name stands taller than Vincent. Established in 1928 when Philip Vincent acquired the assets of defunct manufacturer HRD, Vincent built its reputation in innovative, exquisite, no-compromises engineering and performance that seemed to be years, if not decades, ahead of its time. Everything they stood for was encapsulated in the Black Shadow, introduced in 1948; about 1,700 were built in the six years before the firm ceased production in 1954.

Constructed about a 55-horsepower, 998-cubic-centimeter 50-degree V-twin engine, which along with the gearbox was employed as a stressed member, the Black Shadow was a legitimate 125-mph bike. Just as impressive from the modern perspective, it actually had ride quality and braking capability that were on par with its speed.

Because of its incredible performance, the Black Shadow has obtained a darkly romantic reputation. The great Peter Egan, reviewing it for the September 1998 issue of Cycle World, found it “solid as a brick, unfazed by switchbacks, dips, roller-coaster hilltops, fast sweepers or bumpy mid-speed corners…It is, honestly, one of the nicest-handling bikes I’ve ridden, neutral and instinctive on turn-in and lean.” His review is full of comparisons to bikes far newer, comparisons highly favorable to the Vincent!

The Black Shadow offered here has its original frame, subframe, and engine, and is accompanied by its documenting Vincent Owners Club Certificate of Authenticity and original buff registration book, both of which confirm its numbers; its registration book records British caretakers through 1967. It was restored some years ago to an extremely attractive standard. Acquired by the current owner in 2020 and garaged for some years since in his living room, it is presently fitted with slightly new carburetors for ease of use on the road, but it is accompanied by proper carburetors for the authenticity-minded collector.