RADICAL RAPIDE
My introduction to HRD / Vincent came about as a fan of speedway racing in the 1960s in Australia. Riders such as Sandy McRae and Ron Johnston from Queensland and the New South Wales riders, Robson, Treloar, Grocott and Burdis were famous exponents of the Vincent speedway sidecars.
I started racing in 1971 when I campaigned a Triumph-powered outfit at our local track. As I improved the Triumph, enlarging it from 650 to 750 and then to 850 with a Norton crank, I started to race at other tracks and was selected to compete at special meetings. At a pairs competition between, I was in a heat when the race was stopped – one of the passengers had fallen off his bike in front of me. To avoid hitting him, I spun my bike around to stop. Speedway bikes don’t have brakes, of course!
The rider who caused the stoppage couldn’t restart the race, leaving me and two other riders to compete. When I went to restart my Triumph it wouldn’t go. Flames were coming out the carburettors, indicating that the timing had slipped (probably when I had spun the bike). To make up the numbers and get a point for third place for my team, I was offered the outfit of the rider who caused the stoppage. The sidecar was propelled by an HRD Vincent.
Some quick instructions on starting and operation ensued, and I was off. Full throttle on take-off in second gear, flat out to the first corner. Throttle off and change to
