About me
My name is Bernd Schmitz and I am a VOC member from Germany.
My first contact with the Vincent motorcycle and club members took place during the 1987 German leg of the International Rally. Since then I have been first a family member and then a full member continuously. Being a student of mechanical engineering at that time I could not afford a Vincent myself but my brother owned three at that time and we together restored and rode them all.
I had a few very close “moment” on my brother’s B Rapide, all original even down to the pressed steel brake drums, but luckily I never threw a Vincent down the road and hope never to do so. My friend Lennert still teases me today, telling me my eyeballs popped against the visor with the brake lever hard against the the twistgrip when I shot past him heading for a lorry escape lane(full of gravel on the other side of the road), luckily without oncoming traffic
That last lucky escape really made me think and so on my Comet I fitted a Grimeca 4ls front brake which did a really good job. But the looks of that brake in a Vincent is something I never felt happy with, so I designed my own “Vincent brake”.
To up the pressure to get this project finally done, I even went so far as selling the Grimeca and therefore being unable to ride. That cost me at least one riding season, but it also helped with the initial investments in mold making.
I especially have to thank the family of VOC club members for their help and input, regarding my many questions, while designing this brake. My dearest thanks go to David Dunfey from America sharing his knowledge with me and hinting out many possible and advising me on potential problems and things to look at closely and carefully. My thanks also go to my friend Peter Barker who supplied me with important data and measurements as well as giving mental support.Thank you very much David and Peter.
The front brake that you will see here will be up for sale since January and should be another solution for the problem of the Vincent in the breaking department- providing a very significant improvement in Vincent braking performance – while maintaining the original looks as far as possible.