Vincent Motorcycles are some of the most elite and prized two-wheeled examples in existence. Back in January, a 1951 Vincent Black Lightning became the most expensive motorcycle ever sold after fetching a cool $929K at the Las Vegas Bonhams auction. Fortunately, you don’t need to shell out close to a million to get your hands on a clean Vincent example. Case in point: this beautifully restored 1950 Vincent Comet.
The Comet first debuted in the mid 1930’s, and stayed in production until the model was finally put to rest in ’55. During its two decades of production, Vincent introduced a handful of variants including a Sport-spec, Special-spec, and TT-spec just to name a few. Every Comet was assembled at the company’s Great North Road factory in Hertfordshire, England.
Powering the Comet was an air-cooled 499cc OHV single that reportedly made a claimed 28 horsepower at just under 6,000rpm. The half-liter single boasted alloy barrels and cylinder heads with cast-iron liners, as well as an interesting valve design, utilizing double valve guides in an effort to minimize side forces on the valve stem and maximize the component’s lifespan. The Comet’s engine was paired with a Burman BAP four-speed gearbox which was fixed to the backbone frame via cast aluminum. The higher-spec Black Shadow’s large carb and compression ratio (7.3:1) were both found on the Comet, though the latter lacked the trick polished internals found on the Shadow.
The engine on the Comet was a stressed member of the chassis, and the bike utilized a “backbone style” frame and oil tank combo. Another interesting element of the Comet was its suspension, which consisted of Vincent’s classic “Girdraulic” forks up front and a dual suspension in back — noteworthy at a time when the majority of manufacturers were churning out hard-tailed models.
This particular example reportedly came into the possession of the current owner through an estate sale. Supposedly, about a decade ago this Vincent’s restoration project first started, and since its completion fewer than 1,000 miles have been put on the thing. This Comet also recently got a new battery and had its wheels were shod in new Avon rubber. According to the seller this example is in “excellent condition” — a statement I’m inclined to believe based on the photos. The seller also put together a quick YouTube video of the bike being cold started:
You can find this restored 1950 Vincent Comet (VIN: F5AB/2A/4397) for sale here on Craigslist in Bartow County, Georgia with a price of $24,500.