old farts, vincent black shadow and NOS geweldig filmpje!

[lachgasvullen.nl]

Posted by Brian Lohnes

I am not a big motorcycle enthusiast, but I have a weird affinity for old English bikes. If I were to own any motorcycle (and of course I’d have to be loaded up with cash to do it) I’d choose an old Vincent Black Shadow. These motorcycles were decades ahead of their day in power and performance and to see one that has been hot rodded to make 180hp at the tire with nitrous is absolutely freaking awesome. To see it run on the dyno in a little bandbox of a British workshop so packed with shop equipment that it doesn’t seem there would be room for the motorcycle to enter is even better. This video is absolutely awesome on all levels.

We have a lot of admiration for our hot rodding brothers and sisters in Europe. Their environment is far less open than ours but they do a great job with what they have, as evidenced by this video. It is also proof that you don’t need a 5,000 sq/ft shop to be a total bad ass. John Renwick has a couple hundred and he’s the man!

In this video Renwick gives a full tour of his LSR Vincent, makes several dyno pulls (the ones with nitrous result in a wonderful cone of orange fire from the pipes), and gives us a look see around his cozy workshop. The little place is something right out of the movies. Organized, but every inch is being used for some purpose. When the bike is on the dyno (or “rolling road” as the Brits call it) there is a big mill or band saw like 2 feet from the back tire. We’re not kidding, this place flat out rules the school.

Renwick in his coveralls is also straight out of central casting. If you were to look up “British mechanic” in the dictionary this is the photo that would be present and accounted for. An older guy with a smile in coveralls. He’s also sharp as a tack and claims that this motorcycle, with it’s ancient v-twin Vincent engine brought out to 1665CCs is making 180hp on the gas. Or has he says at one point when the bike turns 7,000 RPM on the roller, “That means it’s going like smoke!” He’s owned a 150+ mph record at Bonneville so Renwick is the real deal.

This video is everything right about hot rodding and the stuff we love to do. John Renwick is BangShifty to the core!



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