Famous VinnyLongLegs is up for sale in Old Blighty!

[beemerdons]

As an Irishman, I monitor the BBC on a regular basis; to see what those fecking bastards are up to; you never can be too careful if you're a Paddy or Mick!

I came across this fantastic article on a gentleman from Guisborough who's racked up 3/4 of a million miles on his 1955 Vincent, bought new in Newcastle!

Vincent Black Prince to Auction!

A motorbike bought in the north-east of England that has done 721,703 miles (1,161,468km) is to be auctioned.

Only having had one careful and loving owner, the 1955 Vincent Black Prince is expected to fetch at least £35,000.

Stuart Jenkinson, from Guisborough, bought the motorcycle in Newcastle and has modified it many times over the years.

He has also ridden it all over Europe as part of his own long distance touring company.

Bought it in Newcastle in 1955 for £350 it was a top of the range model and Stuart nicknamed it "Vinnylonglegs".

Stuart said: "We didn't have a car, so it was used for going shopping, holidays and going to work and I had a 20-mile ride to work each day.

"For the sorts of distances, countries and roads that I was using it on for touring, it had certain short comings, so I modified it accordingly."

He improved the handling, the brakes, the electrical system and made the body more aerodynamic.

After leaving his teaching job, Stuart started a motorcycle touring business which took the bike all over Europe.

"It's got nearly three-quarters of a million miles on it [the clock] now and a good half of that has been running the tours."

If the bike had its own passport, it would be filled with stamps from countries such as France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden and Greece.

Stuart is now 83 and finds it a bit of struggle to turn the motorbike around and ride it: "That's no way of motorcycling, I don't think, and I've finally decided to bite the bullet and say goodbye to it.

"As any long term owner of a bike or car will understand, selling Vinnylonglegs after 56 years and almost three-quarters of a million miles is going to be a serious wrench.

"I'll just have to make do now with the memories of all our wonderful trips.

"I would like it to go to someone who's going to ride it and get it to the three-quarter of a million mark, it's capable of doing a million miles, I'm sure."

The bike will be auctioned at the International Motorcycle Show in Staffordshire on 24 April 2011 and has attracted a pre-sale estimate of £35,000 - £40,000.

Story from BBC NEWS:

https://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/local/tees/hi/people_and_places/newsid_9392000/9392146.stm

Published: 2011/02/09 15:53:14 GMT

© BBC 2011

 

[SkooterG]

Wow. Very cool.

 

[Crash Cash]

As an Irishman, I monitor the BBC on a regular basis; to see what those fecking bastards are up to; you never can be too careful if you're a Paddy or Mick!

Or a Mexican! (ask the Top Gear guys...)

Hm. He's a better man than I, Gunga Din. I don't think they'd be able to pry my FJR out of my cold dead hands after those many miles and years. I might retire it, but it'd get a place of honor in the garage or the living room. I've got one or two bikes I wish I'd never, never sold, and the FJR is shaping up to be one of those.

 

[beemerdons]

As an Irishman, I monitor the BBC on a regular basis; to see what those fecking bastards are up to; you never can be too careful if you're a Paddy or Mick!

Or a Mexican! (ask the Top Gear guys...)

Hm. He's a better man than I, Gunga Din. I don't think they'd be able to pry my FJR out of my cold dead hands after those many miles and years. I might retire it, but it'd get a place of honor in the garage or the living room. I've got one or two bikes I wish I'd never, never sold, and the FJR is shaping up to be one of those.

As probably the Vincent motorcycle with the highest confirmable mileage of all of that make and with a provenance like it has' date=' I expect that he will be adequately compensated with at least $60,000, if not a good deal more, and perhaps he considers that 750,000 or more miles on motorcycles, particularly nearly that much on a Vincent Black Prince, is enough.
I understand that insurers in Britain are beginning to look askance at riders over 80 years of age and the premium for such a bike as he has, obviously requiring collision and comprehensive coverage, might well make it an uneconomic proposition for him.

PT9766[/quote']

Guys, don't shoot The Messenger, I am just delivering The Message. In the United Kingdom, the British Insurance Industry singles out motorcycle owners/riders over 80 years of age and basically prices them out of their ability to continue to own and operate their motorcycles. The Feckers flat out price the premiums for guys like Stuart Jenkinson so god damn high they could never afford coverage in a million years! Since in less than 18 years I will be 80, this pisses me off to no end! Insurance Jerkoffs!