1952 Vincent Rapide Series C on display at the National Motorcycle Museum
in Anamosa, Iowa.  

In 1950, Phillip Vincent forged an agreement with the Indian Sales Corporation to be his American sales agent. Indian was used to bright colors and thus requested something other than black. Vincent responded by hand spraying 107 Vincent Rapide Series C motorcycles in Chinese Red and shipped them to California and Canada.

The 1952 Vincent Rapide Series C was equipped with neat, often unique features such as the reversible rear wheel with a sprocket on each side to offer quick-change final-drive ratios. The unit engine and gearbox are a stressed member, with the two cylinders suspended from a spine, which doubles as the oil tank. The rear section of the frame pivots at the back of the gearbox, controlled by a double spring box and hydraulic shock under the seat. Full tool kits were also supplied.

Approximately 2,700 Vincent Rapide Series C motorcycles were made between 1948 and 1955, although Series B production coincided with the first couple years of the Series C.

  
1934 Harley-Davidson VL on display at the National Motorcycle Museum.  

In 1933, Harley-Davidson, much like the vast majority of American manufacturing businesses, was suffering hard due to the Great Depression. That year, the company was operating on a two-day working week and their sales bottomed out at 3,703 units (60 percent of all motorcycles sold in the USA that year!) from approximately 21,000 units four years earlier. This 1934 Harley-Davidson VL is a typical example of their best-selling bike from that era.

The 74 cubic inch (1,213cc) Big Twin VL series engine was a flat head made between 1930 and 1936 in the the then traditional motorcycle mode readily defined by heavy duty leading link, girder front forks; single sprung leather seat on a rigid, steel tube "hard tail" frame; full valance front fender; hand shift on the tank; bicycle pedal kick-start; removable cast iron cylinder heads; and enclosed primary drive case.

Harley's main competition, Indian, had first produced a flat-head big twin about 14 years earlier. Even so, the VL series had its troubles at launch with the first two months' production being recalled. Shaky start, maybe, but the VL brought Harley timely success as the reliable yet exciting ride of the day.