Ken and Barry Horner on the Irving Vincent to Daytona venture
Few tales in bike racing mix romance, engineering purity and sheer bloody-minded perseverance fairly just like the Irving Vincent. Hand-built in Melbourne by Ken and Barry Horner, the bike has conquered every little thing from Phillip Island to Goodwood to Daytona. And in 2026, it’s heading again to Daytona.
Because the staff prepares for his or her second assault on the Daytona banking, we spoke to Ken and Barry concerning the venture, the bike’s uncooked character, and the return to a spot they conquered 18 years in the past, when Craig McMartin rode an Irving Vincent to victory within the 2008 Daytona Battle of the Twins.
For a lot of, the unique Daytona marketing campaign stays the stuff of folklore: a hand-built Australian particular taking over the world’s finest on probably the most intimidating circuits on the planet. Its long-awaited return brings with it unfinished enterprise, hard-earned expertise and a renewed sense of function.
This time round, the problem is considerably related, but additionally very totally different. Beau Beaton will race the Irving Vincent within the Tremendous Hooligan class in opposition to some very trendy water-cooled equipment, together with Harley Pan Americas, KTM Dukes, Yamaha MT-09s, Triumph 765 RS, and even Keanu Reeves’ Arch 2S-R.
We sat down with Ken and Barry Horner to speak concerning the legacy of the unique Daytona outing, the evolution of the Irving Vincent, and the deeper that means behind its continued existence.
The solutions aren’t separated between Ken and Barry; the brothers usually reply to every query collectively, and their replies aren’t individualised right here.
So Ken, Barry, why is now the suitable time to take the Irving Vincent again to Daytona?
“Nicely, we checked out doing it final yr, and we thought the job was solely small, but it surely’s became an enormous job. Midway by means of the yr, what we have been planning for this yr (2025) simply wasn’t sensible, so we determined to place it off till Daytona 2026. We’ve been at Daytona earlier than, in 2008, with Craig (McMartin) over there for that one yr.”
With that legacy, what does Daytona imply to you personally and the Irving Vincent venture as an entire?
“Nicely, how lengthy has it been there… 18 years by the point we return there. We did plan to return, I suppose.”
So it’s an 18th birthday bash…
“One thing like that. Yeah, we’re 18 years older now. Yeah, however you already know, I feel what the worldwide monetary disaster hit after we did that first one, then all of it turned to shit after that. Yeah, what occurred was that the AMA was the controlling physique, then there have been some modifications, large infighting and all kinds of issues like that. So the Daytona occasion that was didn’t proceed because it as soon as did, they usually all went their separate methods and ran their very own occasions.
“Yeah, as you mentioned on the primary query there concerning the cause to do it this time, bear in mind, we have been going to do Goodwood. We acquired knocked again for Goodwood, you already know, final yr. We get knocked again as a result of after the primary time we did it, we supposedly gained by an excessive amount of, you already know.
“It’s been an issue. So anyway, they appeared to need us over in America for the baggers, you already know, have an air-cooled bike there. So we thought we’d go the place we’re wished. We went over final yr’s COTA race in September to see what it seemed like.
“And having Herfos over there, clearly main the baggers and successful, as we all know, made it enticing to go and do the USA. We mentioned, properly, it’s higher to go the place you’re wished than making an attempt to struggle to go the place you’re not wished, so we did and acquired an excellent reception from them over there.”
Once you suppose again to Irving Vincent’s debut at Daytona, what’s the primary reminiscence that involves thoughts?
“Shock, horror. First time over there, going by means of the tunnel…
“My God, you’ve by no means been there earlier than, and also you see while you’re driving up there the primary time, and also you take a look at it, my God, what is that this place, you already know? It’s presupposed to be the world’s biggest racetrack.
“I feel it’s acquired an indication out the entrance there, ‘World Middle of Racing’. You get there and suppose, Jesus, it’s a bit, you already know, it’s a bit second-hand in comparison with a few of our tracks. However look, we made good of it…”
And what’s essentially the most sudden problem you confronted throughout that unique journey? One thing solely the staff would know, maybe.
“Nicely, we’d by no means skilled something like that. We have been fairly assured from what we’ve been doing right here that we’d be capable to head there and go, “oh, we’re most likely not as fast as we must be.”
“So we needed to do a good quantity of labor, and most of our greatest beneficial properties got here from gearing it up. We have been too low geared, however we didn’t suppose we have been. We simply went up with the gearing, after which we did a second gearing change, and it nonetheless pulled the rpm residence. So we thought, properly, we’re clearly going faster. We had been going to go the opposite method, but it surely simply saved pulling taller gearing.”
What number of tooth did you get all the way down to on the again then?
“We went from 40 to 38. 38, yeah. The bike nonetheless pulled the identical RPM.”
And on the entrance…?
“21. 21, yeah. You by no means change the entrance spocket on our bike. Yeah, that’s it. That’ll be a shock to a couple.”
How did American groups and followers react to the bike after they noticed it for the primary time?
“Nice. Yeah. You want massive issues. It was a V Twin, you already know, air-cooled. It was simply form of, it’s principally Harley, form of, however not. They knew we have been coming, they usually made every little thing so it was straightforward.”
For those who might redo one ingredient from the unique Daytona marketing campaign, what would it not be and why?
“In all probability the oil respiratory state of affairs. We realized rather a lot over there. We have been fortunate to get away with it.”
I can think about. So, do you run reed valves on the circumstances bleeding right into a field?
How do you overcome the blow-by and crankcase pressurisation concern?
“We’ve acquired electrical scavenge pumps within the catch tank, which we’ve got with these ones now. You may’t cease the stuff getting in there, so that you’ve acquired to get it out again to the place it belongs.”
Only one pump or two?
“Yeah, just one. It’s pre-circulated, but it surely’s going to return out it doesn’t matter what you’ve completed. We’ve been doing this lengthy sufficient; simply return it. They do it on V8 supercars, so it’s simply getting your head round it. Truly, we did the identical at Goodwood.
“However yeah, that’s not the banking the place you’re on full throttle in prime gear for 35 seconds each lap at Daytona. We have been extremely fortunate to get away with that. Like we have been pumping, filling that catch tank up. Yeah. And we had nappies wrapped round it…
“We wrapped it up in nappies and cable-tied all of them on. And so they come again pissing bloody dripping oil, and we simply hid it from them, you already know, we removed that earlier than they got here round or the bike acquired scrutineered once more…”
How totally different is right now’s Irving Vincent from the unique machine?
“In some methods, not a lot, however what we’ve learnt, we’ve put inside, you already know. The essential engine’s the identical. It’s just a bit bit extra about what we’ve been in a position to develop and pull out to assist reliability.
“Which is nice. However thoughts you, we didn’t have any engine points over within the US. Daytona. We didn’t should play with that in any respect. So it was extra dealing with and setup.”
Is there one improve or redesign that you simply’re notably happy with heading into the 2026 Daytona, notably?
“I don’t know. We simply learnt from what we’ve completed within the final 20-odd years. I feel it’s all in that package deal. Simply varied little refinements. Yeah, you’ve acquired, you already know, you’re operating on petrol over there, so that you’ve acquired a…”
Since you run on methanol to assist cool it right here…?
“In sure courses, you run on methanol, yeah. It’s a a lot nicer, a lot friendlier gasoline on an air-cooled engine. So we all know what to anticipate over there, and that’s the most important concern.
“That’s why you’ll see it with the large air scoop on the left-hand facet there, and it’s working very successfully after we examined it at Jap Creek with Beau. Yeah, you already know, we clearly know extra about setup and suspension, and we’re operating the Okay-Tech now.
“That’s all regulated to what you possibly can and may’t do. This isn’t an open-book class. They’re fairly pedantic about what you’re allowed to run, like particular parts should be homologated. And I’m going by means of a little bit little bit of brake homologation in the meanwhile.
“I’m simply ready for a solution as a result of we run AP brakes, they usually query that. Mainly, the hooligan class is road bikes that have been by no means meant to be raced.
“However there’s very a lot an open e book for air-cooled bikes. So we checked out them and thought, properly, yeah, we match the foundations, and we’ve spoken to them over there. I wish to get that every one settled earlier than they go away the nation. I want it in writing that they’re accepted to go racing earlier than they go within the container.”
When will it’s important to put them within the container?
“February, sure, it’s nonetheless a little bit method away.”
Is there a single element contained in the engine that you simply think about a murals?
“We make every little thing. So it’s every little thing actually. The cylinder heads, the crankshafts, every little thing’s labored extremely properly for me.
“Yeah, we are able to inform you the place all of the dangerous components are…
“As a result of they’re within the engine, as a result of that’s what they have been designed with initially. I’d most likely go the opposite method and say, you already know, we’ve made it to get the engine the place it’s performance-wise, and reliability must be the cam followers, the curler cam followers, which can be a reasonably tight squeeze to place in there. And that’s most likely made essentially the most important distinction.
“Yeah, that’s what offers this engineering. What we did was get the camshafts, with profiles designed by Eric Gaynor. Eric had labored at Repco Brabham and was additionally the chief engineer for the Holden Race Crew within the early days. He designed the cam for HRT down there. It was at all times generally known as Eric’s cam at HRT. And he’s completed each camshafts for ours, the two-valve and the four-valve.”
What’s the key sauce?
What kind of tough ballpark length and raise figures are we speaking?
“It’s all very a lot the identical. It’s similar to a Cosworth profile….
“Nicely, we’ve acquired about 650 thou of raise, and the cam timing is roughly 58-82, 82-58. Yeah. And that’s about the identical as Cosworth F1 engines again within the day. However we solely rev to round 7800 rpm.”
And what about this one?
“That is down a bit due to the petrol, and that’s two valve. Look, it may very well be 7000 rpm. We wish to run conservatively, so we are going to peg it round 7000 rpm on regular gasoline for the banking. Now we have constructed the engine for torque.”
So, what number of newton-metres are we speaking…?
“140 foot-pound.”
In order that’d be round 200 newton metres then, wouldn’t it?
(I later did the calculation – 190 Nm…)
“Look, so that you’ve acquired about 165 horsepower, and also you’ve acquired 140 foot-pounds of torque.”
How’s the chassis developed for the reason that unique marketing campaign?
“Lots. I imply, with Okay-Tech, us being Okay-Tech as properly, and what we’ve learnt with Okay-Tech and simply normal setup through the years, you already know, it’s been ongoing. The precise bike is an excellent handler, which you clearly noticed within the Island Basic races, and that’s most likely…”
Everyone at all times says that it steers nice…
“It’s most likely by the best way it’s with being, you already know, a V-twin and simply slim. And it’s nonetheless the outdated design of the unique, properly, Phil Irving’s design from 1946 of an oil tank stress member and a triangulated swing arm, and there’s no body. The engines are the body. It’s only a geometry which we’ve modernised.
How a lot adjustment do you will have within the geometry?
Like, can you alter the steering geometry?
“Yeah, we’ve acquired eccentric bearings prime and backside on that.
“You recognize, totally different offset triple clamps.”
What supplies are used right now that maybe weren’t obtainable in the course of the bike’s unique construct?
“Nicely, we’re utilizing cho-moly metal in body development and issues like that, as an alternative of delicate metal, and you already know your aluminium is like, properly, there’s nothing modified.
“I imply, all that is aircraft-type stuff, and it was round all in the course of the warfare. However loads of that stuff that was good in the course of the warfare is now in modern-day use, you already know. It’s all new, I suppose. You’ve acquired a brand new engine, not a 70-year-old engine.”
And the way a lot of the bike is CNC-machined or handmade?
Was every little thing form of punched into the pc, or was loads of crafting completed by hand?
“The engine parts by means of the machine instruments, the framework and every little thing else is… you’re taking a look at them (Ken holds up his palms). And there aren’t any younger weapons in a position to make use of a hacksaw and a file as of late. I don’t know whether or not it’s the bodily exertion or the top (laughs).”
And what a part of the bike requires essentially the most delicate craftsmanship?
“It’s using. We will management the remainder of it.”
Are there facets of the bike’s character you’ve intentionally preserved to honour the unique design philosophy?
“Clearly, the look of the Vincent engine continues to be traditional. We haven’t taken away from what that’s. It’s what’s restricted us from… It’s why there’s stuff you wouldn’t, when you have been to make it from a clear sheet of paper, you wouldn’t try this.
“However we wished to maintain the unique look. Just like the engine sitting over there, and other people form of, we get questions, oh, the place’d you get that engine from? Oh, we made it. ‘Oh, you restored it’? No, we make it. However we made the factor right here, you already know.
“The unique from 70 years in the past, it’s acquired to be the best-looking engine ever produced, what it appears to be like like, you already know. We might do it, however you wouldn’t put a water jacket round it, and that’s what it wants when you have been actually chasing efficiency and modernity.
“Yeah, it’s acquired to be a water jacket. You’d have a distinct valve prepare, you already know, it goes on and on and on. If we have been ranging from a clean sheet of paper and never making an attempt to stay to the format of the Fifties unique, we’d change the vee angle, which might be totally different for positive.
“However we put up with that, and that’s a problem. That’s what brings us up there to take it in opposition to everybody else with pushrods, you already know.
“So you actually attempt to flip pig shit into strawberry jam, you already know.”
How a lot digital help does the Irving Vincent use right now?
I see you’ve acquired the MoTeC sprint…
“MoTeC ECU and all the remainder of it”
Is there any type of engine brake management completed with the butterflies or ignition, or is that simply all the way down to the rider…?
“Completely bugger all. Nothing’s going to be completed. Not for this. No traction management, no nothing.”
“It’s acquired throttle cables. Yeah. See, that’s the most important factor. Look, you go to the fashionable ECUs, 130s and no matter, all of it pertains to fly-by-wire. However we’re straight cable-driven. We don’t even run a slipper clutch.”
So how do the boys take care of engine braking?
We’ve talked about crankcase air flow being an issue, so I think about there’s important compression to take care of…
“Most individuals say, ‘I can’t consider you haven’t acquired a slipper clutch,’ however loads of well-known riders have ridden it and mentioned it doesn’t want one.”
So the boys aren’t doing it with themselves with their left hand?
“No, I don’t suppose so, actually.”
I assumed together with your slugs being that massive…?
“Nicely, typically, Shawn Giles rode it one time coming straight off the Superbikes, and we simply upped the idle velocity to assist him a little bit bit there.
“However Beau’s been introduced up with this. The truth is, he rides our bikes higher than he does a Ducati. It’s simply the truth that he’s been introduced up with it.
“We’ve saved it that method. We wish to hold it that method.
“We would put some potentiometers on the shocks as a sensible factor, and just some issues to see the place issues are.
“However look, the factor’s at all times labored on the Island Basic there. He’s gone across the exterior of Jeremy McWilliams, you already know, when he’s down there, and he can’t consider how good it’s.”
“What’s the element you are concerned about most at 300k’s in banking?
“The massive lump within the center. Yeah, the warmth. I feel the warmth has rather a lot to do with it. Yeah, warmth’s my greatest concern.”
And methanol would have fastened that, wouldn’t it?
“Yeah, as a result of we’ve acquired to run laws. Regulation petrol, VP, it’s like 103 octane. Yeah, and we’re operating an oil cooler.”
And the octane in America is measured very otherwise from the best way we measure octane right here…
“It’s the VP race gasoline, although. That’s the necessary factor. We will get consistency. Yeah, we are able to tune it to that right here.”
If somebody jumped from a contemporary superbike, maybe one of many younger guys now, onto your bike, what would shock them first?
“They’d hate it. In all probability the gearbox too. You recognize, you’ve acquired to be sympathetic, I suppose. Throttle cables, no electronics.”
Is there a quick-shifter?
“Nicely, we’re going to place one on it. We’ve tried it as soon as earlier than, and we didn’t have it set proper. Yeah, however we’d like one. It’s all there to do.”
It’s a simple method to wreck a gearbox if it’s not arrange proper…
“Yeah, we’ve gone down that street. We didn’t do any injury, however we thought we have been going to. It was going to finish up in tears if we saved going.”
Why is Beau the suitable man for the job?
“He’s been with us since 2009, when he gained down on the island.
“What occurred was that Craig was presupposed to trip on the Moto GP, and Ducati had form of mentioned, you already know, we’re operating the large expo, you’ve acquired to take care of the expo, you possibly can’t try this. And Beau was form of underneath Craig’s wing, being taught, you already know, as Beau might trip anyway.
“And it was extra the purpose Craig made: I can’t trip, however Beau will be capable to do it. And he mentioned, if I inform him to not drop it, he gained’t. So we took him to Broadford for a little bit of a run one morning, and he went properly, bloody properly. He was form of across the lap document time. Job completed. We went down the island and in three begins, he had three wins, which upset a few of the institution. So the older crew acquired the shits a bit.”
What retains the Irving Mission alive in any case these years?
“Ardour, the problem. We hold creating challenges like that; that’s what we’re doing for Daytona.”
What do you suppose is essentially the most broadly understood side of the bike within the venture as an entire?
“That will depend on whether or not it’s from our angle or another person’s angle. With the front-runners, typically you get a number of saying ‘that factor shouldn’t be there’, yeah. However they don’t perceive what we put into it. I feel it’s what lots of people don’t perceive, is the quantity of hours, and it’s simply not machine hours, it’s not form of hand hours, it’s head hours as properly (Ken factors to his noggin), you already know.
“Yeah, they don’t perceive what goes into the thought. Like, you spend extra time occupied with the way you’re going to do one thing than you do truly doing it. In any other case, you’d go purchase a V4R, put it on the monitor, and do it now. Nicely, we’ve completed that. We’ve completed that with Craig, and the problem isn’t there. It’s good to do, however the problem is that we nonetheless come again to this.”
Do you ever take into consideration how Irving Vincent can be remembered many years from now, maybe after you boys have handed the mortal coil, maybe, and the place does it get handed on to after the water boys aren’t any extra?
“That’s a superb query. The most important downside with all that form of stuff is that it turns into extra beneficial while you’re not right here. Yeah, properly, that’s part of the artwork. That’s part of the artwork.
“Nicely, I’ve acquired loads of the Repco Brabham patterns right here that Alan Hamilton rescued that may have ended up within the hearth, and Hammo purchased them about 4 years in the past, that is earlier than the pandemic, and he mentioned, ‘Nicely, I can’t allow them to find yourself within the hearth,’
“So Alan mentioned to me, ‘Nicely, we’ll personal them collectively. But it surely’s what I mentioned to Alan. I mentioned, “We’ve acquired to make it possible for we’ve rescued them this time, however we’ve acquired to make it possible for within the subsequent life, they’re not going to finish up within the hearth”.
“We haven’t been in a position to obtain that, and that is most likely in the identical state of affairs. As a result of Alan’s not right here any extra. Life goes on. Yeah, as we realise it in a while. However yeah, it’s a superb query, but it surely’s nonetheless to be determined.
“Yeah, it’s at all times, and I’m saying it continuously, while you look again on a few of these issues, the intent is there, however they find yourself within the unsuitable spot. Yeah, who’s going to do it? Who’s going to proceed it to what we do?
“You recognize, that’s the factor. It might go the unsuitable method, simply. Most issues form of go unsuitable after they get handed on. I imply, we form of have simply seen it with Gary Rogers, you already know, with all of the stuff down there. What’s going to occur down there?
“The query is, individuals are like, what’s going to occur with GRM? Gary’s not there. As soon as that zeal goes, it’s troublesome. The youthful technology most likely hasn’t acquired what we’ve acquired.”
If Irving Vincent have been an individual, how would you describe his or her character?
“Tough. Nicely, difficult. Yeah, but it surely repeats itself, too. It’s constant.
“Yeah, like engine growth and stuff, we at all times battle to get further. It’s exhausting to get, however you already know the place the determine is and when it’s good.
“They repeat themselves within the dyno. You recognize what’s unsuitable. You recognize what the factor ought to do earlier than you pull a lever. The preparation’s all completed right here, and also you get to the monitor. The concept is to go to the monitor and simply put gasoline in it.
“That’s when it’s a superb weekend, what we do. And that’s what we intend to do for Daytona. It’s not a lot testing and testing and testing on the monitor; it’s all completed right here, and to ensure it doesn’t go unsuitable once we get there.”
The Irving Vincent has by no means been about chasing mainstream conference; it has at all times been about proving what Australian ingenuity can obtain. Because the staff prepares for Daytona, there are nonetheless numerous unknowns, however one certainty: no matter occurs at Daytona, a brand new and unforgettable chapter can be written within the Irving Vincent legacy for a machine that’s already an enormous a part of Australian motorcycling folklore…
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