The Australian Way: Vincent Rapide Series B Racer

Melbourne-based brothers Ken and Barry Horner are the can-do kids of Australian road racing — whether vintage or modern.

Over the past decade, they’ve amassed an enviable roster of race wins and podiums with the various Irving Vincent 1,300cc V-twin racers they’ve created from the ground up in their Hallam, Victoria, Australia, machine shop. Then, just to show they could take on the modern twin-cylinder mafia equally well, in 2008 their enlarged 1,600cc air-cooled 2-valve pushrod V-twin ridden by Craig McMartin rumbled away from a full grid of liquid-cooled multi-valve race replicas, including Ducati 1198 Superbikes with such famous names as two-time World Superbike champion Doug Polen and AMA Superbike star Larry Pegram aboard, to win the world’s premier ProTwins race on the Daytona bankings.

For those unaware of the Horners’ achievements thus far, their exquisitely engineered bikes are based on the classic Vincent 50-degree V-twin motorcycle, and are built as a tribute to legendary Australian engineer Phil Irving, creator of the Vincent. The Horners struck up a friendship with Irving after he moved back to Australia, where Ken Horner, now 64, and brother Barry, a year younger, had both tasted success in sidecar racing. Ken retired from racing in 1977 to start his own engineering company, later joined by Barry, and today K.H. Equipment exports half its production to China and the U.S. This mainly consists of air starter motors for the mining and fuel exploration industries, entailing a 20-strong workforce turning out high-precision machined components, including trick race components for Australia’s leading V8 Supercar teams.

Order the September/October 2018 issue of Motorcycle Classics to read more about the Horner Bros. Vincent Rapide Series B racer. Contact Customer Service at (800) 880-7567 or contact us by email.