Egli/Vincent

[worntorn]

The bike on the left in your post is one commissioned by Bernard Li a (now deceased) businessman from California. He bought the rights to use the Vincent name in the US only. This bike used a Honda engine. The idea was universally hated by Vincent owners and club members plus a good deal of other Brit motorcycle followers. His plan was to produce and market these bikes.

Without a Vincent engine it just isn't a Vincent. They sound different, look different and are built differently than any other motorcycle engine. I'm not sure if the photo is computer generated or is an actual bike, I can't remember if he got any built.
Anyway, the whole project flopped.

The bike on the right in your post is a Rapide 1000, same as the one I borrowed the engine from for this project, except it has had the seat changed.
The standard Vincent is still a very nice touring bike, loads of grunt, comfy seat and a very smooth engine. My wife and I have ridden down to California from Vancouver BC on my '47 Rapide 3 times now, no problems at all. It just floats along two up and loaded with luggage.

The first photo in my post is of a very nice Egli Vincent built by Jos Den Ouden of Holland.
I met him at the 07 International Vincent Rally in the Isle of Man.
The IOM racing committee invited Vincent owners from all over the world to do a lap of the IOM TT race circuit, the most famous race circuit of them all. It is the motorcycling equivalent of the 24hr Lemans. It started in 1907 so this was part of their 100th Anniversary celebration.

183 of us went around. The circuit is 34 miles with 234 corners!
There was no limit on speed, so it quickly turned into a race. There were 3 crashes , one airlift of an ijured rider, but other than that it was great fun. There is a youtube video of it somewhere, I'll find a link.
The other two photos show my Rapide set up for touring. After the IOM event we toured England and Scotland for 2500 miles on the bike without a problem. I think the second photo is in the Penine hills not far from Skipton, England. This was the trip of a lifetime (my first airflight done at age 52!)