LIGHTNINGS were the fastest bike BSA made in 1960. They were actually scramblers when new and did not have lights. The Super Rocket had lights but it was slightly less HP than a lightning. I'm sure guys got lightnings and added lights to them at some point, as I remember they did not have a generator as the LUCAS mag handled the ignition. My Vincent Shadow was a 1950 or 1952 and it was bone stock, I bought it used. It ran good and back then it was pretty quick but like I said in a street race my Triumph was faster, it also shifted quicker. My other Vincent was a 1948 RAPIDE that was flawless with Bramton forks. Of course the Rapide was not as fast as the Shadow. My Bonnie was a 1960, it had the double down tube frame while the 59 Bonnie had a single downtime frame. The Bonnies came with a cam called Q cams are in 59 and 60 no other stock bike beat them. The problem with them was they were buzzy on long freeway rides and would vibrate. Back then the normal freeway speed was 65 or 70 in California. A vincent LIGHTNING RAN 150 on the salt flats, VERY FEW LIGHTNINGS WERE EVER MADE. Also Rollie Free rode it with a bathing suit on and the picture became famous. A triumph TR^ with two carbs ran 214 mph on the Salt Flats back then but it was in a streamliner. The guys I rode with were all around 17 to 20 years old and we didn't ever race at a real drag strip. We raced each other on the streets or over twisty roads like old Toping Canyon. I quit riding British bikes in 1961 and instead rode Bobbers which were just stripped down Harleys. Harley's and Indians were cheap and the Harleys could be ridden long distances and even though they leaked a lot of oil and the engines were loose they somehow always seemed to hold together good enough to make it home. I rode a 48 Knucklehead Bobber from Los Angeles to Houston in 62 and packed my girlfriend on a little pinion pad, I was 20 years old. I have fast bikes today and thats cool but I like the long trips with my friends better than anything else. I rode my V8 Chopper with no windshield and on a public hi way that leaves Vegas and goes to Laughlin at 152 mph last year just for fun but I don't normally ride like that. I'm 73 and really pretty lucky that its still no big deal for me to ride any motorcycle made.