THE SPECIALIST
Vincent owners can be sure of being able to ride their machines for many years to come, thanks to the work of these dedicated enthusiasts
Need Vincent spares? They’ve got everything you need here
So confident are the Vincent Owners Club (VOC) and the Vincent Owners Club Spares Company Ltd (VOCSC) about the ongoing popularity of their favourite machines, that they’ve put their money where their collective mouths are. They’ve bought the freehold of a building to provide both a permanent home for the spares operation – as well as a club headquarters to be proud of.
Not many owners’ clubs have their own premises. Aside from the AJS and Matchless Owners Club – from which the VOCSC rented space 11 years ago, before moving into their new home in September 2018 – and the VMCC, I can’t think of another in the UK. It’s a big commitment and we’ve been invited to Desborough, Northamptonshire to see how it’s working out.
For legal reasons, the freehold of the building is owned by a management company created by the VOC and VOCSC, who rent half of the property each. But the reality is that both have security of tenure – and the space to grow and thrive. Bob Patchett, the managing director of the spares operation, explains: “The VOCSC was set up in the mid-’70s. Parts to keep bikes on the road were getting harder and harder to find. It’s run on strictly business lines and is a separate entity to the club – although the club own 43% of the shares. Anyone – not just club members – can buy spares, though members and shareholders benefit from a 10% discount and profits are ploughed back into maintaining stock levels and developing new parts. We’ve remanufactured countless parts over the years.” Amazingly, VOCSC can supply every part for any postwar Vincent model – as well as many of the hard-to-find parts for the pre-war Series A models. In 2007, the company built a brand new Black Shadow entirely from its new spares stock. The bike sold at auction for £34,500 – a fraction of what you’d need to pay for a genuine ’50s Shadow. It’s all the more impressive when you consider that many of the parts have been painstakingly recreated using the original factory drawings – which the club owns – as a starting point. “We have good contacts in the manufacturing world,” Bob confirms. “And we’ve embraced modern manufacturing techniques. We can use better materials than those available to the Stevenage factory, too. It’s about knowing the firms and individuals who can work to the standards we insist on,” Bob continues. “The club’s technical committee produced the drawings our manufacturing partners need to produce their part of the assembly. It’s another example of how the club and the VOCSC work together.” The willingness of the VOCSC to reproduce even slowselling items is testament to their avowed aim of keeping
as many Vincents as possible out pounding the roads. “Take the crankcases, for example,” says Bob. “We might only sell two or three pairs a year, but we want anyone who’s damaged their cases to be able to get their bike back up and running. They cost a fortune to reproduce – but if it means getting another Vincent running, it’s worth it. Both Bob and former MD of the VOCSC, Ian Savage – who’s still a volunteer director of the company – agree that modern upgrades have been a growth area in recent years. “Most club members are riders,” Comet owner Ian confirms. “We sell a lot of Pazon electronic ignitions and 12-volt conversions, and we’re working on an electric starter for Comets. Grosset electric starters for the twins are already available in France.”
Bob admits that being able to provide every part for any post-war Vincent is made easier by the number of parts that are shared between models. “It does help us,” he says. “But you still have to keep on top of it. We stock around 100,000 parts across 2000 separate product lines.” Helping Bob to do just that day to day are customer service manager Michelle Eldridge and purchase ledger and accounts manager Jacqui Wright. Michelle, who has been with the company for 10 years, is friendly and knowledgeable, and often the first point of contact with customers, while
Jacqui ensures the financial side of the operation runs smoothly. Behind the scenes, there are five volunteer directors (all club members) each with their own special area of responsibility. It works. How many classic bikes enjoy 100% parts availability, 65 years after the factory that built them closed down? With the new premises offering all the facilities the VOCSC needs to thrive, here’s to the future.
There are bikes for sale on the premises, too, and there’s also the sort of ‘project’ Comet you might see at a show or auction. “It’s a bitsa that the club bought to add to the Series A and Model PS loan bikes that the club already owns,” explains Paul. “We’ll rebuild it into a tidy runner.”
Continuing the autojumble theme, there’s a trestle table with an array of NOS parts the club bought and some used spares that have been donated to the club over the years. “It’s a sort of ongoing autojumble,” laughs Paul. “Any money raised from the used spares goes to the air ambulance and whatever we get for the NOS parts goes into the club kitty.”
Elsewhere, there’s a part-built twin a member bought as a ‘95% finished project’. “It turns out it needed a bit more than that,” laughs Bob Patchett, who seems to have inherited the job of finishing it off. There’s also a couple of beautifully finished, sectioned engines in Perspex display cases.
It’s a great space for a club to own outright – and the VOC are still growing into it at the moment. But already, they’re planning for the future, while keeping to the core values of the 70-year-old club. All present insist the VOC is primarily for riders, not investors – and their own stories back that up. Paul Adams’ main ride is a much modified 1954 Shadow – with Honda CBX brakes and Comstar wheels. “I just wanted to be able to stop,” Paul laughs. “I’ve owned it for 35 years and I’ve ridden across America on it twice. I think I’ve done over 90,000 miles on it. Ian has owned the Comet in the workshop since he was 16. He’s working on that electric start for the singles now, but he started restoring the bike in his school metalwork classes aged 16. Gill and Ernie Lowinger own a Shadow, Rapide and Comet each – and Ernie also has a Rapide-based, bored-and-stroked 1300cc special... oh and a Firefly. A mangled front wheel rim on display in the clubhouse belongs to Gill’s Shadow. “That was down to a Spanish ‘white van man’ in 2018, she smiles. “The bike cost £17,000 to repair.”
Plans for the future include building up the club’s collection of Vincent memorabilia, installing some more display cabinets and period photographs, organising ridein events at the new club HQ along with technical talks and demonstrations, plus building on the club’s membership base – hopefully with some younger members. As Paul Adams remarks: “The direction of the club and the type of Vincent owner we attract is bound to change. But we’re confident there’ll always be people who want to own and ride Vincent motorcycles.”
I hope he’s right. There’s passion in this room. Passion for Vincents – and passion for the VOC. And a determination to preserve the heritage of the Vincent – not just as museum pieces, but as living, working machines. Whether you can’t afford a Vincent, or you’ve got half a dozen in the garage, it’s hard not to admire – and believe in – the enthusiasm, commitment and drive that have gone into securing a permanent home for the VOC and the VOCSC.
‘WE STOCK AROUND 100,000 PARTS ACROSS 2000 PRODUCT LINES’