A single-owner 1955 Vincent Black Knight is among the consignments for H&H Classics auction scheduled for July 30 at the National Motorcycle Museum in England.
“The bike is in amazing original condition, showing 58,000 original miles,” said Mark Bryan of H&H Classics. “It comes with the original bill of sale, Vincent guarantee, RF60 buff logbook and factory workshop manual. It is the full package.
“Coming across one of these bikes in this condition is unusual enough, but the same owner from new is incredibly rare.”
The Black Knight was basically a Vincent Rapide that was upgraded and enclosed to help protect its components from rain and road dirt. As it turned out, the bodywork also provided additional cooling air to the engine’s rear cylinder.
Phil Vincent once referred to the model as the “two-wheeled Bentley.”
According to H&H Classics, the motorcycle was purchased by Rex Bigg of Muswell Hill, London, for £381.18. He rode the bike on trips to Ireland and the Lake District, and on his honeymoon. He restored the bike in the early 1980s.
As he aged, Bigg rode the bike less often, opting for a lighter Douglas Mk5 he also owned, so the Black Knight was garaged except for an odd ride or for being shown at local motorcycle events. Bigg died in 2017.
