C'est magnifique

Considering the innate Englishness of the Vincent twin, a surprising amount of success enjoyed by the machine has been attributable to input of other nationalities, including Australian Phil Irving and Swiss Fritz Egli. Tim Britton samples a version with a touch of French flair.

Superb motorcycles built to exacting standards for discerning riders was the aim of Philip Vincent at his Stevenage works. Certainly they were different from just about anything available on the market, employing cantilever rear suspension years before it was common for machines to have any suspension at all.

Post-WWII, Vincents utilised a front fork described as 'Girdraulic', essentially a combination of girders with a hydraulic damper incorporated, when lesser marques were fitting rudimentary telescopic devices.No chassis was deemed necessary at Stevenage, instead the engine unit acted as a stressed member to which sub-assemblies for front and rear suspension were bolted. Available in 500cc single and 1000cc V-twin firm they has an aurora of mystique about them possibly due to the high price that such exacting standards require

In early Fifties, houses could be purchased for less than the cost of new Vincent. naturally this tended to restrict the market - and, while exclusivity is all well and good, but a certain level of sales success is needed to achieve survival.

Sadly for Vincent the hard, cruel commercial world impacted on their idealistic approach to business, and the doors to the factory closed. In a perverse way, this perhaps ensured that the marque would transcend common failure and its many enthusiasts tried to, and have succeeded in, keeping the Vincent alive. From the Vincent Owners Club to specialist manufacturers the name is familiar to many in the motorcycling world.

It has been said, by more Knowledgeable people than me, that the Vincent attracts a distinctly different type of owner from normal classic enthusiast. The sort of person to whom 'standard' is all very well but 'modified ' is better. And that's probably why specials and highly modified machines are welcome at club events.

Naturally, some specials are better than others and during the sixties, in the competitive world of hill climbing, a Swiss engineer, Fritz Egli, built himself a 'modern' version of the Vincent and began to win regularly. Keeping to the formula of using the engine as a stressed frame member, the Egli Vincent has a spine frame, but featured swinging arm suspension and telescopic forks. Egli's attention enhanced an already legendary motorcycle. Gradually, supplies of the obsolete V-twin engines dried up as the classic movement got under way and motorcycles became collectable or restorable, so Egli moved on to catering for other makers.

Now in Order to be able to sell hand-built motorcycles, you need a client - which is where Serge 'Raspoutine' Vollard comes in.

To dispel a myth or two here, while the word ' special' and 'replica' are almost guaranteed to make many classic enthusiasts hot under the collar, the machines Patrick makes, while they do replicate a special, are brand new. Yes, that's right; there are no cannibalised Vincents involved in the process. in fact, largely due to people like Patrick, who is the first to admit he is only part of the spares manufacturing scene, it is possible to get any and every part for a Vincent, brand new.

You pay money, around £26,000, and get factory fresh motorcycling. And what motorcycling it is. Given the low volume production and within certain parameters, the end result is up to the customer's taste, but by and large the specification of Serge's machine is what you get for your money - the classic Sixties look coupled to fantastic reliability. In the couple of months Serge has owned his machine, he has already been abroad with it.

The specifications Serge requested includes an engine with a slightly lower compression ratio than necessary for ultimate performance, but which still gives the machine rocketship acceleration. Naturally, the engine is built to Patrick's exacting standards and includes the French designed electric start system made by Francois Grosset.

It is reliable, it does away with the kick start. In any case, a kick start on this type of machine is very awkward to use given that it has low, racing type, bars and rearset footrests, that are actually modified Black Shadow items.

Front suspension is taken care of by Ceriani GP forks with Fontana four leading shoe drum brake, while at rear are MAxton dampers and hub.

In order to balance the looks of Serge's super sports machine Patrick has arranged the twin 930 Amal Concentrics on one side and the sinuous Godet-made two-into-one exhaust on the other. The exhaust pipes themselves terminate in a BSA Gold Star style silencer that emits the most beautiful sound imaginable. Slightly harsher than a Vincent system, but deeper, more of a rumble than the Goldie; I'd say the closest i've heard to it is a dirt track Harley with a boom box silencer.

The first thing I noticed is how much room there is on the Egli Vincent Godet. I've ridden other café racers and felt cramped, but not on this one. OK, it is a long motorcycle but so are the others, and this one feels right. Perhaps this is because Serge and I are reasonably similar in height. Whatever the reason, I'm comfortable at the outset. then it's simply a case of pressing the electric start button and letting the already warm engine catch and settle down to a steady rumble. Had the weather not been warm with brilliant blue skies, a little choke from cold would have been needed. Either way, I'm told starting isn't a problem, no doubt aided by the Boyer electronic ignition kit.

Riding the powerful V-twin is a real pleasure and it is easy to understand the impact its originator made on the Alpine hill climbing scene. I'm not going to pretend that the twisty bit of road I'm riding on is an Alpine pass, but the bends are quite tight and this Vincent sticks to the road like glue.

Patrick goes against modern thinking and fits his machines with traditional size tyres. After a little discussion with Serge, he tells me: "with everything, there are fashions and tyres are the same. Riders are convinced by advertising that they need big, wide tyres but my racing experience tells me that grip has more to do with compound and rider confidence."

While I don't fling Serge's machine around to hard, there is no trace of washing out at the front or any twichyness at the rear as we hit a few tarmac ripples. I just lean into the bend and the Egli goes where I want it, power off. The suspension has been tailored to suit Serge as part of the after sales service Patrick Godet provides for his customers. Certainly the few irregularities in the road are soaked up by the GP forks and Maxton rear unit in a way suggestive of expert attention.

We must make quite a spectacle of ourselves as we rumble, thud or pop our way up and down this stretch of road, performing for the camera with a slack handful of motorcycles ranging from a clutchless, single-speed, belt driven veteran from the turn of the 20th century, to a 2002 Egli Vincent godet. Still we don't seem to be upsetting anyone and lensman Stuart is running off film at a great rate of knots until eventually he runs out of the stuff, bringing our shoot to an end. By this time Patrick has returned on his Vincent Black Prince and announces: "You will follow me." He heads off towards his workshop in Malaunay. The area we are in is only a few miles from Rouen, but remains very rural with picturesque villages to be travelled through and in one of these Patrick pulls into the village square. Parking up he ushers us to a cafe where a vast spread awaits. When we are seated he says: "OK Tim, you ask the questions, I'll translate." We remain there for hours, which is just as it should be, language barriers transcended by the common interest in motorcycles.

2002 Godet Egli-Vincent

Engine Type:

Journalist: Tim Britton

Photographer: Garry Stuart

Sections of the article and photographs has been reproduced with permission of The Classic MotorCycle magazine.

The full article appeared in The Classic MotorCycle magazine March 2003 issue, available from The Classic MotorCycle magazine archives.

Please visit http://www.classicmotorcycle.co.uk for more information.

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