Old Bike Australasia – July 21, 2019

OLD BIKE AUSTRALASIA: 39

crankshaft and flywheels and a metallic painted
wooden chain case) in time for it to be exhibited at
the 1936 Show at Olympia. However Irving was not
part of the launch, having left to re-join Velocette.
The 998cc engine developed 45 bhp and tipped
the scales at around 200 kg, giving it a theoretical
top speed of 110 mph. During early testing, the
Rapide engine was discovered to be too powerful
for the Burman gearbox, but apart from a redesign
for the clutch, little could be done without a
complete redesign, something that could not be
accomplished at the time. With no suitable
alternative transmission available, it was up to the
owner to treat the ‘box with kid gloves to avoid
major failures that even included cracked casings.
From its general release in early 1937 and up to
the outbreak of WW2, 77 (some reports say 79)
Rapides were delivered to owners who could afford
the asking price for what was rightly claimed to be
the fastest standard production motorcycle – in fact
anything on two, three or four wheels – in the
world. Naturally, there was a high attrition rate for
the Rapides over the next six years, some even
being scrapped for their metal content. During the
conflict, PCV and Irving found themselves working
together again, this time for the Air Ministry. In
what spare time they had, the pair discussed what
could be, post-war, the evolution of the Rapide –
the Series B – with unit construction of engine and
gearbox to eliminate the earlier issues.

Time marches on

Fast forward to 2006, when Canadian Robert Watson
acquired a dismantled Series A Rapide from Toronto,
and enlisted help from his friend and fellow Vincent
tragic Dan Smith in order to retrieve it from the

other side of the country. Smith and Watson had

known each other for many years and both were

members of the Vincent Owners Club on the West

Coast. Before the current situation where there are

many remanufactured parts available for Vincents,

spares were extremely difficult to come by, so in

Smith’s case, being an expert machinist who wasn’t

afraid of a challenge was a decided advantage.

There was no doubt that the Toronto-based Rapide

was a true basket case that would take a great deal

of time and effort, and a not inconsiderable amount

of money to bring back to life. Fortunately, Smith

was up to the task, and during the course of the

rebuild, began to think about creating a close-to

identical machine for himself.

Smith takes up the story. “Robert Watson decided

VINCENT SERIES A RAPIDE

It’s easy to see where the

‘Plumber’s Nightmare’

epithet came from.