Wilf Owens with his trusty Vincent Black Shadow"

Fairbourne

1997

Wilf's own photo was included in "Vincent, the complete story" by David Wright; Crowood Press, 2002: p. 166.

Registration number of Wilf's Shadow: MKF 640

CAPTION

Long-Distance Man

Wilf Owens with his trusty Black Shadow quite close to home in North Wales.

Wilf Owens bought his 1951 Series C Black Shadow in 1957 for £180 with just 12,000 miles (19,300km) on the clock. The greater part of a lifetime later he is still riding the same Vincent that has now covered over 310, 00 miles (500,000km). When so many motorcyclists chop and change their bikes at frequent intervals, what makes one of them remain with the same machine for 45 years? The Shadow has served Wilf well and is quite fast enough to ride in modern traffic. In addition, he still finds it a practical bike for long-distance travel, it has become a part of him and his family and he has never felt the need to change. It's not a bike that has been used for running backwards and forwards to work ( he has had the occasional "hack" bike for that purpose), but it has taken him the length and breadth of Europe with forty-two consequetive years of trips to places as removed as Norway, Portugal and just about every other country in between.

Still in relatively standard condition, the bike is fitted with a Series D centre stand, panniers, a 12-volt car dynamo, flashing indicators, alloy rims, and other useful modifications of the sort that an owner carries out after forty-five years of ownership! Problems have been few and Wilf and his Shadow are still covering the miles in the manner that PCV designed his motorcycles to do.

Author: Wright, David

Wilf Owens with his trusty Vincent Black Shadow"

Fairbourne

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