First Black Shadow - Stevenage workers

Gene Nehring

Well Known and Active Forum User
VOC Member
Note how narrow the gold lines are on the fuel tank.

Hi Simon,

I have an old shadow tank that needs restoration that has the same thin lines. It is from a C model shadow that was left in a Michigan State barn for 50 years.
 

Robert Watson

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VOC Member
The blanking plate at the generator drive might be because there appears to be no electrics fitted yet. No wiring, no headlight or brackets, no dip switch, no battery..........
 

Gene Nehring

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VOC Member
The blanking plate at the generator drive might be because there appears to be no electrics fitted yet. No wiring, no headlight or brackets, no dip switch, no battery..........

Interesting to see that the choke cables are running down the right side of the tank. The adjusters right at steering damper height.
 

Jonathan Lambley

VOC Machine Researcher
VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
As Graham says, JRO 102 was the prototype Shadow and from the VOC database it was made in Feb 1948.
The first production Black Shadow was made in April 1948, was shipped to Canada and ended up in the USA, where I believe it is today.
The first production Shadow had ribbed brake drums, as has the one in the picture but I don't know if JRO 102 had similar. Maybe someone has an old photo of JRO to clarify what brake drums it had?
 

Simon Dinsdale

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VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
The "Motor Cycle" and "Motorcycling" road tests for the prototype Black Shadow are reprinted in "Vincent Gold Portfolio 1945-1980". In both magazines it has a Feb 1948 test which describes the engine including the cylinder heads and barrels as painted black and ribbed brake drums.
There is a picture of the bike in pg 21 of the above book which shows no headlight. This is from Motor Cycling Feb 19 1948.

Simon
 

Simon Dinsdale

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VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
2019_05_27_09_27_46.jpg
 

Daimog

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Non-VOC Member
Talking to Ted Davies one day about quantity of different models, he says records cant be trusted as some machines were thrown together to look complete at the end of the day, counted off, then next day stripped down and rebuilt properly, then counted off again.
 

Jonathan Lambley

VOC Machine Researcher
VOC Member
VOC Forum Moderator
Talking to Ted Davies one day about quantity of different models, he says records cant be trusted as some machines were thrown together to look complete at the end of the day, counted off, then next day stripped down and rebuilt properly, then counted off again.
To be honest I think the factory records are the only thing that we can happily trust as an accurate source of information. Simon Dinsdale and his predecessors will I'm sure agree that there are the occasional mishaps and corrections but overall they are pretty bang on.
I can't imagine Phil Vincent being complicit with any of Ted's suggested procedures and I just wonder what Ted meant, other than there are bikes recorded that never left the factory, which don't cause us a great problem
On the other hand I have heard rumours that Ted 'alledgedly' produced several models from his own shed that were definately not in the factory records.
As for numbers of each model made, we never quote exact figures in order to be roughly correct.
 
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