The Vincent Black Shadow had a claimed top speed of 125 mph.
Vincent produced the Black Shadow in Britain from 1948 to 1955. It was based on the Vincent Rapide but used a higher-performance version of the company’s 998 cc V-twin engine, along with black-finished engine components that gave the model its name.
The 125 mph figure became central to the motorcycle’s reputation. At the time, it was an extraordinary claim for a production motorcycle and helped establish the Black Shadow as one of the fastest road machines available.
The wording matters: 125 mph was the manufacturer’s claimed figure, not a universal result achieved by every road-going example under all conditions. The Black Shadow is also often confused with the Black Lightning, a lighter and more competition-oriented Vincent that was built for even higher performance.