Cycle News

EHRET VINCENT SERIES C BLACK LIGHTNING P110 Feature "Black Jack" Ehret's first major outing on the Lightning was the Australian TT at the Little River circuit on Boxing Day 1952, where he finished second in the Senior Unlimited TT. At that time, the Australian Land Speed record was constantly under attack, so in January 1953, Ehret selected a re- mote stretch of road in western NSW to challenge Les Warton's Vincent record of 122.6 mph. Despite a few problems, he averaged an officially timed 141.509 mph to smash the record. Ehret claimed the attempt cost him £1000-plus, but considered it well worth it in sales promotion for his business to earn the coveted certificate from the Auto Cycle Council of Australia. A rare moment indeed— RIDING JACK'S VINCENT I n its 68-year existence, Vincent Black Light- ning engine number F10/ AB/1C/7305, frame num- ber RC 9205 has so far clocked up 8587 kilome- ters (the kilometer speedo was fitted from new in "Eu- ropean" specification) and virtually every single meter has been covered in pur- suit of glory. And thanks to its then owner Nicolas Dourassoff's generosity, I added around 50 more of those kilometers myself after he asked me to come and test it! To be invited to ride a bike such as the Ehret Vincent was an act of huge generosity, as well as im- plied trust. My two dozen laps came at the Circuit Carole on the outskirts of Paris, to which Nicolas brought the battle-scarred warrior, recommissioned for use by French Vincent guru Patrick Godet, for me to ride. Godet also brought along a recently built, 100-percent authentic Black Lightning Replica, which he'd created for customer Peter Fox. Peter had already covered 1200 street miles on it, pro- nouncing it "huge fun, and incredibly impressive once you get it revving, when it feels like you're being pulled along by a huge bungee cord!" Thanks, Peter, I couldn't put it better myself, for that is indeed the impres- sion you get on the Ehret Vincent once you see its Smiths Chronometric rev-counter's needle track its way with traditionally jerkiness to the 3800 rpm mark, whereupon the bungee cord releases and you're swept to what must have been unthought-of speed by mid-20th century standards. Nothing much happens below those revs, though, so you have to coax the engine into meaningful action with a dab on the Ferodo clutch's light-action lever. But from that access point to its inbuilt poke onwards, the paragon of performance that all the Black Lightning's records and race victories proclaim it to be, makes itself ap- parent. In no time at all the revcounter's showing the 6000 rpm mark, at which point you must stab the extended gearlever down- ward with your right foot to hit a higher ratio of the four available. There are such massive amounts of torque even by today's standards that the Vincent just lunges forward in the next higher gear when you get back on the throttle again, noting as you do so that its action seems unaccountably smooth, considering how worn the self-evidently ancient cables sprouting from the right handlebar and leading to the twin Amal 10TT9 carbs, appear to be. That's because, in recommissioning this racer for track action in accordance with Nicolas Dourassoff's belief that historic bikes should be seen and heard in action, not stuck in a garage on permanent static display, The sense of occasion when riding Ehret's Vincent is not lost on Alan—neither is the spritely performance.

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