Vincent HRD Meteor 500 TT Single

Vincent HRD Meteor 500 TT Reproduction

With Phil Aynsley

Though the title ‘Vincent’ is broadly related to 1000cc V-twin bikes, its early single-cylinder fashions are much less well-known.

Philip Vincent really began by shopping for the defunct HRD firm (much less the manufacturing house), from OK-Supreme in Birmingham after they acquired HRD for that firm’s manufacturing unit.

HRD itself was the creation of ex-Royal Flying Corps pilot Howard Raymond Davies, who along with E J Massey, arrange HRD Motors in 1924. The corporate produced bikes utilizing purchased in engines, primarily from JAP, however entered voluntary liquidation in 1928.

Philip Vincent’s new agency was referred to as Vincent HRD Co. (the Vincent showing in small letters above the a lot bigger HRD), once more utilizing different model motors. It wasn’t till 1950 the ‘HRD’ was dropped.

Engineers Massey and Australian Phil Irving each moved from HRD to the brand new Vincent HRD firm. The primary in-house motor design, an OHV 500cc single, appeared in 1934 and was referred to as the “Sequence A” Meteor (earlier fashions had used the Meteor title, therefore the ‘Sequence A’).

The Meteor made 26 hp at 5300 rpm. After the success of the 1935 IoM TT, the place seven bikes had been entered with 5 ending between seventh and thirteenth, a spread of excessive efficiency fashions have been offered, together with the Comet.

A variety of TT replicas (with TTR engine numbers), have been in-built each manufacturing racing and highway going trim. A number of of the unique TT race bikes are believed to have been ‘remanufactured’ to TTR spec earlier than being offered as new after the manufacturing unit withdrew from IoM competitors.

The bike seen right here is considered a kind of bikes. It was offered, new, to Kiwi Ponty Fitzgerald of New Plymouth in 1937. After many house owners it was obtained by Tim Parker in 1975 and has been campaigned in basic races ever since, each by him and it’s present proprietor (as of 2013 once I shot it).

The engine and body numbers are a lot sooner than different 1937 bikes, with the engine quantity showing to be over-stamped from TT32. This might point out a late 1935/early 1936 construct date.

After a protracted competitors historical past each the oil and gasoline tanks look like non-original.

Vincent HRD Meteor 500 Specs