We Highlight One Of The Most Beautiful Bikes In The World

One look is all it takes to fall in love with the unique architecture of the 1968 Egli Vincent Black Shadow Recreation, in the unique collection at The Throttlestop Museum & Dealership in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. This gorgeous piece of machinery is produced by Vincent expert Patrick Godet, a French designer given sole license to produce frames by original designer Fritz Egli himself. The story of this beautiful bike began in 1967, when Swiss engineer and racer Fritz Egli teamed up with Vincent to create an updated bike frame worthy of “the world’s fastest engine”.

The result was a unique spectacle of speed and sensuality, pairing engines of 1,300-1,600 ccs with gentle curves just begging to be clutched in a tight embrace as riders rocketed down the road under the propulsion of 100-plus ponies. Egli’s overhauled chassis included visionary alterations to styles of the day, with a strong but lightweight nickel-plated framework, a large-diameter backbone that performed double duty as an oil tank, updated front forks and rear shocks, modern brakes, and the curvy body Egli became known for.

This marriage of beauty and brawn was not lost on the public, and demand for the Egli-Vincent café racer skyrocketed, owing not only to the exceptional machine itself, but also to the limited availability precipitated by small-scale production from 1968 on. Even today, motorcycle enthusiasts are lining up to buy these bikes, which continue to be produced in Patrick Godet’s small workshop using both original Vincent engines and modern replicas. The wait for a Godet-Egli-Vincent numbers in years, but that doesn’t stop avid fans from ponying up the dough and getting in line.

The stunning piece of machinery that is the 1968 Vincent Shadow Recreation features gas flowed twin front engine cylinder heads, race forks, and an artfully curved body, including exhaust pipes that dramatically sweep across the underbelly of the engine. Quite simply, it’s a vision in curves and chrome that delivers practically unparalleled power for such a pretty package. This rare bike is one that many collectors would die to get their hands on, and all you have to do is get a gander at its unique and alluring styling, not to mention its stellar spec sheet, to understand why.