Where Are You Now? Black Shadow engine F10AB/1B/8661

[1660bob]

Hi, sheer curiosity this-above is the original engine no. from my Shadow. It was exported new to Portland, USA in March 1952.
My bike came from the Crazy George Disteel estate-maybe already with a different motor - so perhaps the above engine, if it still exists, is still in the San Francisco area?? Anyone know of this engine?

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

The engine was in a bike that was sold by Bonhams in 2017.

Bonhams Cars : Property of a deceased's estate,c.1954 Vincent 998cc Black Shadow Series-C Frame no. RC11568B/B Engine no. F10AB/1B/8661

Rear frame no. RC11568B/B Crankcase mating no. B38B • Brought back from the USA • Non-matching frame/engine • First registered in the UK in 1979 • One owner since 1979 • Restored in the 1980s The Vincent offered here consists of frame number 'RC11568B/B', which formed part of a Black Shadow...

www.bonhams.com

Simon

 

[1660bob]

Hi Simon, great info- and it all figures too- my engine (9668) + 1900= 11568 is the engine from that bike!! I note from the Bonhams description that it was, like my bike, shipped to Portland, USA, and re-patriated in 1979- not long after the 1978 auction sale of George Disteels estate. Maybe it was a Disteel bike also? who knows.... Thanks again for the info, good to know it still exists , Bob C

 

[1660bob]

Further to above- just been on Fleabay and bought a copy of Oct `88 Performance Bikes for the history file!! God Bless I.T. !!, Bob C

 

[Hanspeter]

The bike is now in Switzerland and still with the engine F10AB/1B/8661
My frame RC 11568B/B

 

[1660bob]

Hi Hanspeter, good to know it still exists!

The engines must have been swapped in America for some reason, I wonder why?

If you don`t mind me asking, do you know if your bike came from the George Disteel estate i.e. the Butterfields auction in San Francisco in 1978? That might suggest Disteel swapped the engines??
Regards, Bob.

 

[A_HRD]

For what it's worth, according to my little black notebook, I first saw this Shadow at the Annual Rally (UK) in 1981 with a UK registration number. The numbers were exactly as indicated by Hanspeter above.
Peter B

 

[mercurycrest]

Hi Hanspeter, good to know it still exists!

The engines must have been swapped in America for some reason, I wonder why?

If you don`t mind me asking, do you know if your bike came from the George Disteel estate i.e. the Butterfields auction in San Francisco in 1978? That might suggest Disteel swapped the engines??
Regards, Bob.

Crazy George didn't work on anything, he just stuffed them away out of sight.

 

[Hanspeter]

Hi Bob (we both are in the same boot due to engine number)
I found a copie DMV Title Feb.5.1968 the owner name: Boone Bill Sebastopol Calif. with F10AB/1B/8661
The engine also was swaped befor this date.

 

[BigEd]

Hi Bob (we both are in the same boot due to engine number)
I found a copie DMV Title Feb.5.1968 the owner name: Boone Bill Sebastopol Calif. with F10AB/1B/8661
The engine also was swapped before this date.

I don't know what the photograph has to do with this topic but I wish that every time the photograph of Mark Forsythe doing a bit of posing on a Vincent twin resurfaces it could have the spurious mention of John Surtees cropped off.