1950s Vincent Comet Pictures
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Thanks to Stan Kendall for this great picture of himself on his Vincent Comet (an early fifties model?) taken in Leicester in about 1962. Ken would have been 18 then. Love the Winkle Pickers’!
Nice Comet Stan, I am rebuilding a Comet reputedly from Leicester, my Dad bought it in bits from the widow of a builder some time in the mid 60′s, apparently it had a sidecar chassis and box to transport his tools and materials. If anyone recollects it I would be very grateful of any history you may know. Unfortunately there is no logbook and the number plates did not come with the bike. I know through the Vincent club that it was originally despatched to S.A.M. – St Andrews Motors, Newcastle 22/9/52, no registration record can be found.
Hi
This might be a long shot but I am rebuilding a comet that came from Leicester in the late 60′s and there are a few similarities, no prop stand, no chain guard (looks like a non standard one fitted) stripped fork blades, trimmed front mudguard and petrol tank dings.
Dad bought it from the widow of a builder who apparently used it as his work transport with a sidecar box, we’ve always known it as the coalhouse comet because it was stripped down and stored in a coalhouse.
Would like to get in touch with Stan Kendall to discover whether it might be the same bike.
Here’s the full story
Some time in the mid 60′s when the Rapide and Canterbury Carmobile were our family transport, Dad bought the Comet from a widow in Leicester, it was stored in her coalhouse and he paid £5 to buy it primarily as a donor for the Twin which was wearing out fast hauling Mam and us 4 boys around so it was never intended to be a project bike.The parts were covered in cement dust and dirt and it was discovered that the deceased owner was a builder and the Comet had been used with a chassis and box for some time around Leicester building sites. There was no logbook or number plates returned with the parts, Dad didn’t really bother, they were just Vincent parts to him. A few months later he sold the magneto for £5 as it was no use for the twin.
I remember the forks were used and the RFM and also the UFM later, many of the other common parts had a spell on the twin until by the early 70′s everything was all pretty much worn out, the twin was taken apart and stored and we had a BMC J4 van in its place.
Dad offered me the Comet in the late 70′s to rebuild but I showed no interest in a lack lustre, dirty pile of worn out parts so I had a succession of mainly two stroke road and trials bikes starting with an Excelsior Consort to pass my test.
1999, Dad split his bike collection between his 4 sons and I was lucky enough to get the Vincents.
Dad helped me rebuild the Rapide first separating the large lumps was easy but Dad couldn’t remember which forks belonged to which bike and such like so in time honoured fashion we just chose the least worn parts for the job.
From that time I always had plans for the Comet, firstly to build another twin with a spare set of crankcases but Andrew Walker talked some sense when he advised to keep it as intended, a matching numbers Comet.
Maughans rebuilt the crank, Bob Dunn rebuilt the head, in fact he did all 3 at the same time, a good magneto was found and about 6k down the line it’s ready to go back together, hopefully the last of the spares will arrive this week.
In 2000 Gordon Powell tried to trace the original registration number but all is lost, we know it went to St Andrews in Newcastle on 22/9/52
So unless new evidence surfaces it will be an age related number.