The Vincent was not my first motorcycle but the result of a slow maturation that began in 1982, when a friend let me ride his Rapide for a few miles. I was a student then, and it took me 12 long years to afford my own 1948 Rapide Series B. Since then I have owned many other V‑twins, including a 1951 Black Shadow, but the Egli‑Vincent became, to me, almost inevitable — the motorcycle that suited me best. Even today, though I love all British classics, she remains the ultimate motorcycle for me, the one I would keep if I could keep only one. My hope is to convey that passion to you through these pages dedicated to the Egli‑Vincent and, more broadly, the Fast Vincent.