64 BACK STREET HEROES

When em

barking upon their very first ground-up chop

project, most people elect for a Jap four or a tw

in

of Oriental or even British parentage. Som

e

with deeper pockets m

ight choose a Harley

motor, but w

ho on earth would decide

that, for their maiden leap into the

world of chopper building, the

ideal engine w

ould be a

Vincent 1000cc V-tw

in?

Paul Sadler, that’s who.

TObe fair, that introduction may have given the impression that Paul is a novice to such things, which is very far removed from the truth. He did indeed embark on

a plan to build a chop over five years ago, a scheme that, after some family discussion, rapidly segued into the construction of a Yamaha XJ900 trike. That trike was featured in BSH 280 before going on to win Best Bike-Engined Trike at the Bulldog Bash in 2007 and still continues to pick up trophies to this day. But despite – or perhaps because of – the admiration that the XJ garnered, Paul was still determined to

build a chop, and this time he really did

have a plan.

BACK STREET HEROES 65

PAUL SADLER’S 1947 HRD

1000CC V-TWIN

b a c k s t r e e t h e r o e s - t h e c u s t o m b i k e m a g a z i n e

BACK STREET HEROES 6968 BACK STREET HEROES

But first we have to backtrack to the 1950s. That was when a young man who would one day become Paul’s father-in-law bought a Vincent engine. He fitted it into his Austin 7 to replace the standard 747cc straight four motor, but the experiment wasn’t a great success. So he took the Vincent engine out again, stripped it to pieces and stored it under the bench in his workshop, where it would stay for over fifty years. Obviously, once Paul discovered this hidden treasure, he began to pester his father-in-law. For years, his pleas met with no luck until, two-and-a-half years ago, he finally wore the gentleman down and, at last, found himself the owner of one 1947 HRD-Vincent Series B Rapide 998cc V-twin engine.

The Series B Rapide had been launched just a year before in 1946, and was nothing short of revolutionary. Although probably best-remembered for its monocoque design, using the engine and unit construction gearbox as a stressed member of the frame, the Series B incorporated a number of features that were not simply years, but decades ahead of their time. The front and rear suspension units were attached to the frame’s spine (which acted as the oil tank), an arrangement that remained virtually unique in the motorcycle industry for the next thirty years. Its Feridax dual seat was innovative (and contained a concealed tyre pump and an underneath tool tray with each tool housed in its own felt-lined pocket), but was rapidly adopted by other manufacturers. The Series B had a servo clutch, interchangeable drum brakes, a reversible rear wheel for easy final drive ratio changes, re-routed oil lines (its predecessor, the Series A, had been known as ‘the plumber’s nightmare’ because of its spaghetti of external oil lines) and the engine was the first to have both oil and fuel filters. It was, quite simply, the fastest and most technologically advanced bike in the post-war world, and when one magazine road tested the Rapide in 1947, it commented, ‘Maximum speed not attained’.

The Series B 998cc engine was fabricated with aluminium cylinders and heads not just for lightness, but because, at the time, that material was more readily available through the military aircraft industry (likewise, one of the reasons for the stressed member design instead of a more metal-intensive cradle frame was because of the high demand for steel in post-war reconstruction). However, the power and relatively light weight of the engine quickly became mythical in racing circles, although few could afford the reality. Nevertheless, out of the thousand or so built, a number of Series Bs did make

only produced 13,000 motorcycles in its twenty-seven year lifespan (of that number, less than half were the twins for which the company is still rightly fabled). The VOC keeps comprehensive records on many of the bikes that rolled out of the Vincent factory in Stevenage, and it could confirm that the Series B had indeed been built in 1947, and sold through the famous London Vincent dealership, Conway Motors of Shepherd’s Bush. And after that, the bike had simply dropped out of sight (unsurprisingly, due to its enforced hibernation), having been assumed to have perished. It was the first time that this bike – or, at least, the engine – had surfaced in over fifty years, and the VOC rather likes it when things like that happen. Much to Paul’s amazement, the club was very helpful and supportive, even when they found he was building what chaps who smoke pipes and wear Barbour jackets sniffily term a ‘special’. Invited to his local VOC meeting, he turned up to find the members huddled over a table, poring over his build photos!

Another source of useful advice was Steve Hamel of St Paul, Minnesota, who is one of the world’s leading experts on all things Vincent, and the person who rebuilt the engine for Matt Hotch’s Salt Flats Vincent that was featured in BSH 276. Perhaps some indication of just how good Mr Hamel is at his stuff is that he was the first Vincent pilot (aboard a 1950 Black Lightning) to break Rollie Free’s 1948 land speed record of 150.313mph – and he didn’t make his attempt wearing nothing but a bathing suit. He was rewarded not only with the kudos of breaking a record that’d stood for fifty-eight years, but his home city gave him a special honour, too. 14th October 2006 was ‘Steve Hamel and his Marvellous Vincent Race Bike Day’ in St Paul. Russell at Vinparts, too, proved to be a mine of information and, after conversing with them both, Paul set about making a valuable modification to the engine. Wanting to ensure negative rather than positive pressure in the crankcase to allow maximum performance, he fitted a dual-speed pump in order to both pump and scavenge the oil, as well as tapping off oil galleries to direct lubricant downwards through one filter into the engine. On its return, the oil is then sieved via a second filter fitted underneath. He also modified the rocker feed so that more oil splashes down into the big V-twin motor.

how the frame would look. Now, it should be mentioned that Paul is not a man to make things easy for himself. A talented and skilled toolmaker, his first job was … to make a tool. To achieve the frame curves that he had in mind, he had to build a machine to roll the tube. The frame started life on a 1951 Royal Enfield, although now only the headstock and a portion of the downtubes remain. The engine cradle combines not only a belt and braces approach, but also a melding of traditional British frame building with the innovation of Vincent; the engine is mounted at the top as it would have been in its original chassis, but also at the bottom, too, in more conventional fashion.

A casual glance might give the impression that this is a rigid frame, but on close inspection, you may well notice the lateral shocks beneath the seat. Paul wanted this bike to appear as something other than it was; it had to look as if it might indeed have been produced sixty years ago – hence the use of brass and copper fittings. In short, it would be the bike that never was. To create the impression that it’s a rigid, Paul designed and built a swinging arm which incorporates the rear mudguard and oil tank and which appears to curve up to form the seat base. However, the seat is actually mounted off of the rear of the engine cradle with two shocks bolted underneath; it is, in fact, an updated version of the original Series B rear suspension that was adopted by many manufacturers in the 1980s. Having built a swinging arm to his own design and, more importantly, to his satisfaction, Paul happened to line it up against the original suspension on a friend’s Vincent. While not the same shape, it was proportionately identical to the old bike without a measurement having previously been taken.

A Triumph gearbox was Paul’s first choice, but once he’d fitted it and bolted the swinging arm in place, he was concerned about strength; to his mind, it didn’t seem to be quite man enough for the torquey Vinnie lump. So he opted for a Harley four-speed kicker ‘box and a BDL open belt primary drive – which created a whole new set of problems. With the Triumph gearbox in mind, the swinging arm had been designed so that the chain cleared it. With the new set-up in place, the chain wanted to run right through where the subframe tube would sit. A wider wheel was called for … and a gas axe to cut the swinging arm apart and widen it. This, however, is symptomatic of how Paul works, as I’ve learned. Everything on both the previous trike build and on this project had to meet his standards, and pretty high standards they are, too. Parts that nine out of ten people would have thought to be perfectly fine would end up being remade or consigned to a reject pile in the corner of the workshop. Paul says;

“If something wasn’t right, it was changed. I probably now have enough one-off bits left over from this project to build another bike!”

Another major task was to strip and rebuild both the gearbox and the engine. During this procedure, Paul sent a note of the engine casings to the Vincent Owners Club, which is the world’s largest single marque club; no small feat, considering that Vincent

their way into competition sport and it’s extremely likely that Paul’s engine was used for racing, probably in a kneeler outfit. This presumption is founded on the fact that the gearbox had been removed – quite crudely – with a hacksaw, which was a common, er, modification carried out by racing teams. I should add that this was done before Paul’s father-in-law obtained the engine.

Having liberated the engine from its lengthy storage, Paul started to amass parts. Due to his friendship with Porky, late of the parishes of Krazy Horse Custom Cycles and Black Bear Harley-Davidson, that collection included several Harley components, among them a pair of wheels. Sitting the engine on his frame jig, Paul then moved the wheels around until he was happy with the placing and could envisage

“IF SOMETHING WASN’T RIGHT, IT WAS CHANGED. I PROBABLY NOW HAVE ENOUGH ONE-OFF BITS LEFT OVER FROM THIS PROJECT TO BUILD ANOTHER BIKE!”

One of the criticisms – if it can really be termed as such – that used to be levelled at Vincent was that its bikes were over-engineered, and it’s a principle that Paul is happy to follow. I think that the reason that he enjoyed virtually every minute of this build – despite the times that he found himself remaking or modifying parts – is that it was, as he says, ‘basic old-fashioned engineering’, and one for which, as well as the tube roller machine, he made countless tools and pullers for specific jobs.

At the front end is a Harley wheel and parts of forks (although the latter was made up of parts from several sets), topped with 3-D machined slab yokes in anodised billet. Of the countless hand-made parts, those yokes are probably among the ones of which Paul is the proudest, although – as he rather wistfully points out – people tend not to notice them. As the front end is now wider than standard, Paul fitted four wheel bearings to spread the load on the spindle. He did the same at the rear, and the sharp-eyed among you may have noticed the lack of mudguard struts. No need for them when, as Paul has done, the edges are wired for strength (the rear of the seat also cantilevers with the ‘guard, as well as neatly housing all of the electrical gubbins). A gel-filled battery is fitted behind the engine, although, with a kickstart, it’s only required to power the lights. That’s just as well, because replacing the battery involves the removal of the exhaust pipes…

And the other name? Well, that’s in tribute to a very special Vincent. The Black Widow was a bored and stroked street version of the Lightning; fitted with huge racing carb, owners were advised that it would run best on aviation fuel. It was so fast – ergo, so dangerous – that it was eventually outlawed in 37 of the 48 American states of the time, a decision aided by the fact that it was quicker than anything else on the road and could outrun any police vehicle. Due to their reputation, price and propensity for being wrecked, very few Black Widows survive.

Never heard of the Vincent Black Widow? That’s because it never existed. The whole story of this fastest-ever Vincent was concocted as an elaborate spoof, although – in the traditions of the best hoaxes – it has passed into lore, and there are people who will swear blind that it was a real factory model. The Black Widow was indeed the Vincent that never was, and the ultimate example of misdirection. So, if you ask the model of this bike and Paul tells you it’s a Black Widow, you’ll know that he’s fibbing. Or is he…?

words: BLUEphotos: SIMON EVERETT

Thanks to Rougham Airfield for the photo shoot location, and a very special thanks to Jaz, our lovely model – and Paul’s eldest daughter.

ENGINE:1947 HRD 1000cc V-twin rebuilt by owner, high compression pistons, steel cam idler gear, uprated oil pump, gas flowed twin plug cylinder heads with hardened valve inserts, stellited, plasma nitrided valves, modified rocker bearings and rocker oil feed system, dual 32mm Mikuni carbs, electronic ignition, one-off straight-through stainless steel

exhaust pipes by Nick Paravani of Competition Fabrications (01953 454573), 4-speed Harley ratchet top kicker gearbox, modified open BDL belt primary drive with adapter hub and clutch, one-off kickstart pedal by owner.

FRAME:1951 Royal Enfield, modified by owner, one-off swinging arm, underseat twin shock softail.

FRONT END:Stock length Harley-Davidson fork legs, Progressive Suspension springs, one-off 3-D machined slab yokes by owner with original grease nipples for detail, 19” H-D wheel, Buell disc, modified 6-pot brake caliper, vintage car spotlight, one-off handlebars and switchgear by owner.

REAR END:5.00 x 16” Harley-Davidson wheel, Suzuki GSX brake caliper, rolled CDS swinging arm with mounts for mudguard and oil tank, one-off chainguard by owner.

PAINT:Tank, mudguards, chainguard and headlamp by Ren and Ink (07721 335306). Powder coating and two-pack lacquer by Morley Brothers (01223 423048).

MISCELLANEOUS:All fabrication and machining by owner. Seat covered by Jeff of GB Upholstery (01284 388777).

THANKS:“The missus and kids for putting up with me being in the workshop forever, Porky who gets in a strop if he doesn’t get a mention, (can’t think what he did, must have done something!), Russell of Vinparts (01597 823222) for all the advice on rebuilding the engine and supplying parts really quickly.”

Fabrication of the exhaust system was one of the few tasks that Paul didn’t undertake himself. He did consider doing it, but he soon realised that Nick Paravani at Competition Fabrications could do the job more quickly and cheaply than he would be able to – especially when you bear in mind that, had he made his own pipes, Paul probably wouldn’t have been content with the first set that he turned out … or the second… Paul is very pleased with Nick’s work, and the exhausts are a perfect complement to the rumbly engine. That was proven when he started up the dry built bike in his driveway prior to its maiden run (kicking over the engine is a fine art, now that he’s dispensed with the decompressor. Most of the time there’s no problem, but, says Mr Sadler, “When it does kick back, it launches me!”). As it fired up, Paul’s phone rang. It was a good friend of his, James. He said, “You’ve got your bike going, then? I can hear it from home!” James lives a mile away.

As I’ve mentioned, the underlying theme of this project was to build something that never was, but something which might have been, a bike that would have even knowledgeable enthusiasts scratching their heads, and Paul took that to the logical conclusion when it came to naming the Vincent. It actually has two names; ‘Miss Demeanour’ aka ‘The Black Widow’. The first was the idea of Paul’s daughters, Jaz and Hazel, and was inspired by the credits of a Carry On film. Following initial sketches by Paul’s sister-in-law, Ren Shawney took the idea and elaborated on it, as well as suggesting that the widened British front mudguard should have a cream panel and pinstripe, a detail which is repeated on the rear, accentuating the centre rib. That rib is continued in the tank – once again, all Paul’s own work – and flares out to embrace the front of the seat.

70 BACK STREET HEROES

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