Ken and Barry Horner on the Irving Vincent to Daytona challenge
Few tales in motorbike racing mix romance, engineering purity and sheer bloody-minded perseverance fairly just like the Irving Vincent. Hand-built in Melbourne by Ken and Barry Horner, the bike has conquered all the things from Phillip Island to Goodwood to Daytona. And in 2026, it’s heading again to Daytona.
Because the group prepares for his or her second assault on the Daytona banking, we spoke to Ken and Barry in regards to the challenge, the bike’s uncooked character, and the return to a spot they conquered 18 years in the past, when Craig McMartin rode an Irving Vincent to victory within the 2008 Daytona Battle of the Twins.
For a lot of, the unique Daytona marketing campaign stays the stuff of folklore: a hand-built Australian particular taking over the world’s greatest on one of the vital intimidating circuits on the planet. Its long-awaited return brings with it unfinished enterprise, hard-earned expertise and a renewed sense of goal.
This time round, the problem is considerably related, but additionally very totally different. Beau Beaton will race the Irving Vincent within the Tremendous Hooligan class towards some very fashionable water-cooled equipment, together with Harley Pan Americas, KTM Dukes, Yamaha MT-09s, Triumph 765 RS, and even Keanu Reeves’ Arch 2S-R.
We sat down with Ken and Barry Horner to speak in regards to the legacy of the unique Daytona outing, the evolution of the Irving Vincent, and the deeper that means behind its continued existence.
The solutions usually are not separated between Ken and Barry; the brothers usually reply to every query collectively, and their replies usually are not individualised right here.
So Ken, Barry, why is now the suitable time to take the Irving Vincent again to Daytona?
“Nicely, we checked out doing it final yr, and we thought the job was solely small, however it’s changed into a giant job. Midway by way of the yr, what we had been planning for this yr (2025) simply wasn’t sensible, so we determined to place it off till Daytona 2026. We’ve been at Daytona earlier than, in 2008, with Craig (McMartin) over there for that one yr.”
With that legacy, what does Daytona imply to you personally and the Irving Vincent challenge as a complete?
“Nicely, how lengthy has it been there… 18 years by the point we return there. We did plan to return, I assume.”
So it’s an 18th birthday bash…
“One thing like that. Yeah, we’re 18 years older now. Yeah, however you realize, I feel what the worldwide monetary disaster hit after we did that first one, then all of it turned to shit after that. Yeah, what occurred was that the AMA was the controlling physique, then there have been some modifications, large infighting and all types of issues like that. So the Daytona occasion that was didn’t proceed because it as soon as did, and so they all went their separate methods and ran their very own occasions.
“Yeah, as you stated on the primary query there in regards to the cause to do it this time, keep in mind, we had been going to do Goodwood. We acquired knocked again for Goodwood, you realize, final yr. We get knocked again as a result of after the primary time we did it, we supposedly gained by an excessive amount of, you realize.
“It’s been an issue. So anyway, they appeared to need us over in America for the baggers, you realize, have an air-cooled bike there. So we thought we’d go the place we’re needed. We went over final yr’s COTA race in September to see what it regarded like.
“And having Herfos over there, clearly main the baggers and profitable, as we all know, made it engaging to go and do the USA. We stated, effectively, it’s higher to go the place you’re needed than attempting to struggle to go the place you’re not needed, so we did and acquired an excellent reception from them over there.”
Once you suppose again to Irving Vincent’s debut at Daytona, what’s the primary reminiscence that involves thoughts?
“Shock, horror. First time over there, going by way of the tunnel…
“My God, you’ve by no means been there earlier than, and also you see if you’re driving up there the primary time, and also you have a look at it, my God, what is that this place, you realize? It’s purported to be the world’s biggest racetrack.
“I feel it’s acquired an indication out the entrance there, ‘World Heart of Racing’. You get there and suppose, Jesus, it’s a bit, you realize, it’s a bit second-hand in comparison with a few of our tracks. However look, we made good of it…”
And what’s probably the most surprising problem you confronted throughout that authentic journey? One thing solely the group would know, maybe.
“Nicely, we’d by no means skilled something like that. We had been fairly assured from what we’ve been doing right here that we’d have the ability to head there and go, “oh, we’re in all probability not as fast as we have to be.”
“So we needed to do a good quantity of labor, and most of our greatest beneficial properties got here from gearing it up. We had been too low geared, however we didn’t suppose we had been. We simply went up with the gearing, after which we did a second gearing change, and it nonetheless pulled the rpm dwelling. So we thought, effectively, we’re clearly going faster. We had been going to go the opposite means, however it simply saved pulling taller gearing.”
What number of enamel did you get all the way down to on the again then?
“We went from 40 to 38. 38, yeah. The bike nonetheless pulled the identical RPM.”
And on the entrance…?
“21. 21, yeah. You by no means change the entrance spocket on our bike. Yeah, that’s it. That’ll be a shock to a couple.”
How did American groups and followers react to the bike once they noticed it for the primary time?
“Nice. Yeah. You want huge issues. It was a V Twin, you realize, air-cooled. It was simply kind of, it’s mainly Harley, kind of, however not. They knew we had been coming, and so they made all the things so it was straightforward.”
In case you might redo one factor from the unique Daytona marketing campaign, what would it not be and why?
“In all probability the oil respiratory scenario. We discovered quite a bit over there. We had been fortunate to get away with it.”
I can think about. So, do you run reed valves on the instances bleeding right into a field?
How do you overcome the blow-by and crankcase pressurisation situation?
“We’ve acquired electrical scavenge pumps within the catch tank, which now we have with these ones now. You’ll be able to’t cease the stuff getting in there, so that you’ve acquired to get it out again to the place it belongs.”
Only one pump or two?
“Yeah, just one. It’s pre-circulated, however it’s going to come back out it doesn’t matter what you’ve carried out. We’ve been doing this lengthy sufficient; simply return it. They do it on V8 supercars, so it’s simply getting your head round it. Truly, we did the identical at Goodwood.
“However yeah, that’s not the banking the place you’re on full throttle in prime gear for 35 seconds each lap at Daytona. We had been extremely fortunate to get away with that. Like we had been pumping, filling that catch tank up. Yeah. And we had nappies wrapped round it…
“We wrapped it up in nappies and cable-tied all of them on. And so they come again pissing bloody dripping oil, and we simply hid it from them, you realize, we removed that earlier than they got here round or the bike acquired scrutineered once more…”
How totally different is immediately’s Irving Vincent from the unique machine?
“In some methods, not a lot, however what we’ve learnt, we’ve put inside, you realize. The fundamental engine’s the identical. It’s just a bit bit extra about what we’ve been in a position to develop and pull out to assist reliability.
“Which is sweet. However thoughts you, we didn’t have any engine points over within the US. Daytona. We didn’t must play with that in any respect. So it was extra dealing with and setup.”
Is there one improve or redesign that you simply’re notably happy with heading into the 2026 Daytona, notably?
“I don’t know. We simply learnt from what we’ve carried out within the final 20-odd years. I feel it’s all in that package deal. Simply varied little refinements. Yeah, you’ve acquired, you realize, you’re operating on petrol over there, so that you’ve acquired a…”
Since you run on methanol to assist cool it right here…?
“In sure courses, you run on methanol, yeah. It’s a a lot nicer, a lot friendlier gas on an air-cooled engine. So we all know what to anticipate over there, and that’s the most important situation.
“That’s why you’ll see it with the large air scoop on the left-hand facet there, and it’s working very successfully after we examined it at Japanese Creek with Beau. Yeah, you realize, we clearly know extra about setup and suspension, and we’re operating the Ok-Tech now.
“That’s all regulated to what you possibly can and may’t do. This isn’t an open-book class. They’re fairly pedantic about what you’re allowed to run, like particular parts must be homologated. And I’m going by way of just a little little bit of brake homologation in the intervening time.
“I’m simply ready for a solution as a result of we run AP brakes, and so they query that. Principally, the hooligan class is road bikes that had been by no means meant to be raced.
“However there’s very a lot an open guide for air-cooled bikes. So we checked out them and thought, effectively, yeah, we match the principles, and we’ve spoken to them over there. I wish to get that each one settled earlier than they depart the nation. I want it in writing that they’re accredited to go racing earlier than they go within the container.”
When will it’s a must to put them within the container?
“February, sure, it’s nonetheless just a little means away.”
Is there a single element contained in the engine that you simply think about a murals?
“We make all the things. So it’s all the things actually. The cylinder heads, the crankshafts, all the things’s labored extremely effectively for me.
“Yeah, we are able to let you know the place all of the dangerous components are…
“As a result of they’re within the engine, as a result of that’s what they had been designed with initially. I’d in all probability go the opposite means and say, you realize, we’ve made it to get the engine the place it’s performance-wise, and reliability must be the cam followers, the curler cam followers, which might be a reasonably tight squeeze to place in there. And that’s in all probability made probably the most important distinction.
“Yeah, that’s what offers this engineering. What we did was get the camshafts, with profiles designed by Eric Gaynor. Eric had labored at Repco Brabham and was additionally the chief engineer for the Holden Race Group within the early days. He designed the cam for HRT down there. It was all the time referred to as Eric’s cam at HRT. And he’s carried out each camshafts for ours, the two-valve and the four-valve.”
What’s the key sauce?
What kind of tough ballpark period and elevate figures are we speaking?
“It’s all very a lot the identical. It’s similar to a Cosworth profile….
“Nicely, we’ve acquired about 650 thou of elevate, and the cam timing is roughly 58-82, 82-58. Yeah. And that’s about the identical as Cosworth F1 engines again within the day. However we solely rev to round 7800 rpm.”
And what about this one?
“That is down a bit due to the petrol, and that’s two valve. Look, it could possibly be 7000 rpm. We wish to run conservatively, so we are going to peg it round 7000 rpm on regular gas for the banking. We now have constructed the engine for torque.”
So, what number of newton-metres are we speaking…?
“140 foot-pound.”
In order that’d be round 200 newton metres then, wouldn’t it?
(I later did the calculation – 190 Nm…)
“Look, so that you’ve acquired about 165 horsepower, and also you’ve acquired 140 foot-pounds of torque.”
How’s the chassis developed because the authentic marketing campaign?
“So much. I imply, with Ok-Tech, us being Ok-Tech as effectively, and what we’ve learnt with Ok-Tech and simply common setup over time, you realize, it’s been ongoing. The precise bike is an excellent handler, which you clearly noticed within the Island Traditional races, and that’s in all probability…”
Everyone all the time says that it steers nice…
“It’s in all probability by the best way it’s with being, you realize, a V-twin and simply slim. And it’s nonetheless the outdated design of the unique, effectively, Phil Irving’s design from 1946 of an oil tank stress member and a triangulated swing arm, and there’s no body. The engines are the body. It’s only a geometry which we’ve modernised.
How a lot adjustment do you might have within the geometry?
Like, can you modify the steering geometry?
“Yeah, we’ve acquired eccentric bearings prime and backside on that.
“You recognize, totally different offset triple clamps.”
What supplies are used immediately that maybe weren’t out there in the course of the bike’s authentic construct?
“Nicely, we’re utilizing cho-moly metal in body building and issues like that, as an alternative of gentle metal, and you realize your aluminium is like, effectively, there’s nothing modified.
“I imply, all that is aircraft-type stuff, and it was round all in the course of the struggle. However lots of that stuff that was good in the course of the struggle is now in modern-day use, you realize. It’s all new, I assume. You’ve acquired a brand new engine, not a 70-year-old engine.”
And the way a lot of the bike is CNC-machined or handmade?
Was all the things kind of punched into the pc, or was lots of crafting carried out by hand?
“The engine parts by way of the machine instruments, the framework and all the things else is… you’re them (Ken holds up his palms). And there are not any younger weapons ready to make use of a hacksaw and a file today. I don’t know whether or not it’s the bodily exertion or the top (laughs).”
And what a part of the motorbike requires probably the most delicate craftsmanship?
“It’s using. We are able to management the remainder of it.”
Are there features of the bike’s character you’ve intentionally preserved to honour the unique design philosophy?
“Clearly, the look of the Vincent engine continues to be basic. We haven’t taken away from what that’s. It’s what’s restricted us from… It’s why there’s stuff you wouldn’t, for those who had been to make it from a clear sheet of paper, you wouldn’t try this.
“However we needed to maintain the unique look. Just like the engine sitting over there, and folks kind of, we get questions, oh, the place’d you get that engine from? Oh, we made it. ‘Oh, you restored it’? No, we make it. However we made the factor right here, you realize.
“The unique from 70 years in the past, it’s acquired to be the best-looking engine ever produced, what it appears like, you realize. We might do it, however you wouldn’t put a water jacket round it, and that’s what it wants for those who had been actually chasing efficiency and modernity.
“Yeah, it’s acquired to be a water jacket. You’d have a special valve practice, you realize, it goes on and on and on. If we had been ranging from a clean sheet of paper and never attempting to stay to the format of the Nineteen Fifties authentic, we might change the vee angle, which might be totally different for positive.
“However we put up with that, and that’s a problem. That’s what brings us up there to take it towards everybody else with pushrods, you realize.
“So you actually attempt to flip pig shit into strawberry jam, you realize.”
How a lot digital help does the Irving Vincent use immediately?
I see you’ve acquired the MoTeC sprint…
“MoTeC ECU and all the remainder of it”
Is there any type of engine brake management carried out with the butterflies or ignition, or is that simply all the way down to the rider…?
“Completely bugger all. Nothing’s going to be carried out. Not for this. No traction management, no nothing.”
“It’s acquired throttle cables. Yeah. See, that’s the most important factor. Look, you go to the trendy ECUs, 130s and no matter, all of it pertains to fly-by-wire. However we’re straight cable-driven. We don’t even run a slipper clutch.”
So how do the boys take care of engine braking?
We’ve talked about crankcase air flow being an issue, so I think about there’s important compression to take care of…
“Most individuals say, ‘I can’t imagine you haven’t acquired a slipper clutch,’ however loads of well-known riders have ridden it and stated it doesn’t want one.”
So the boys aren’t doing it with themselves with their left hand?
“No, I don’t suppose so, actually.”
I believed along with your slugs being that huge…?
“Nicely, generally, Shawn Giles rode it one time coming straight off the Superbikes, and we simply upped the idle velocity to assist him just a little bit there.
“However Beau’s been introduced up with this. In actual fact, he rides our bikes higher than he does a Ducati. It’s simply the truth that he’s been introduced up with it.
“We’ve saved it that means. We wish to maintain it that means.
“We’d put some potentiometers on the shocks as a sensible factor, and just some issues to see the place issues are.
“However look, the factor’s all the time labored on the Island Traditional there. He’s gone across the exterior of Jeremy McWilliams, you realize, when he’s down there, and he can’t imagine how good it’s.”
“What’s the element you are worried about most at 300k’s in banking?
“The massive lump within the center. Yeah, the warmth. I feel the warmth has quite a bit to do with it. Yeah, warmth’s my greatest concern.”
And methanol would have mounted that, wouldn’t it?
“Yeah, as a result of we’ve acquired to run laws. Regulation petrol, VP, it’s like 103 octane. Yeah, and we’re operating an oil cooler.”
And the octane in America is measured very in a different way from the best way we measure octane right here…
“It’s the VP race gas, although. That’s the vital factor. We are able to get consistency. Yeah, we are able to tune it to that right here.”
If somebody jumped from a contemporary superbike, maybe one of many younger guys now, onto your bike, what would shock them first?
“They’d hate it. In all probability the gearbox too. You recognize, you’ve acquired to be sympathetic, I suppose. Throttle cables, no electronics.”
Is there a quick-shifter?
“Nicely, we’re going to place one on it. We’ve tried it as soon as earlier than, and we didn’t have it set proper. Yeah, however we’d like one. It’s all there to do.”
It’s a simple approach to wreck a gearbox if it’s not arrange proper…
“Yeah, we’ve gone down that street. We didn’t do any injury, however we thought we had been going to. It was going to finish up in tears if we saved going.”
Why is Beau the suitable man for the job?
“He’s been with us since 2009, when he gained down on the island.
“What occurred was that Craig was purported to experience on the Moto GP, and Ducati had kind of stated, you realize, we’re operating the large expo, you’ve acquired to take care of the expo, you possibly can’t try this. And Beau was kind of beneath Craig’s wing, being taught, you realize, as Beau might experience anyway.
“And it was extra the purpose Craig made: I can’t experience, however Beau will have the ability to do it. And he stated, if I inform him to not drop it, he gained’t. So we took him to Broadford for a little bit of a run one morning, and he went effectively, bloody effectively. He was kind of across the lap report time. Job carried out. We went down the island and in three begins, he had three wins, which upset among the institution. So the older crew acquired the shits a bit.”
What retains the Irving Mission alive in any case these years?
“Ardour, the problem. We maintain creating challenges like that; that’s what we’re doing for Daytona.”
What do you suppose is probably the most broadly understood facet of the bike within the challenge as a complete?
“That is determined by whether or not it’s from our angle or another person’s angle. With the front-runners, generally you get a number of saying ‘that factor shouldn’t be there’, yeah. However they don’t perceive what we put into it. I feel it’s what lots of people don’t perceive, is the quantity of hours, and it’s simply not machine hours, it’s not kind of hand hours, it’s head hours as effectively (Ken factors to his noggin), you realize.
“Yeah, they don’t perceive what goes into the thought. Like, you spend extra time serious about the way you’re going to do one thing than you do truly doing it. In any other case, you’d go purchase a V4R, put it on the monitor, and do it now. Nicely, we’ve carried out that. We’ve carried out that with Craig, and the problem isn’t there. It’s good to do, however the problem is that we nonetheless come again to this.”
Do you ever take into consideration how Irving Vincent might be remembered a long time from now, maybe after you boys have handed the mortal coil, maybe, and the place does it get handed on to after the water boys are not any extra?
“That’s an excellent query. The largest downside with all that kind of stuff is that it turns into extra helpful if you’re not right here. Yeah, effectively, that’s part of the artwork. That’s part of the artwork.
“Nicely, I’ve acquired lots of the Repco Brabham patterns right here that Alan Hamilton rescued that may have ended up within the hearth, and Hammo purchased them about 4 years in the past, that is earlier than the pandemic, and he stated, ‘Nicely, I can’t allow them to find yourself within the hearth,’
“So Alan stated to me, ‘Nicely, we’ll personal them collectively. However it’s what I stated to Alan. I stated, “We’ve acquired to guarantee that we’ve rescued them this time, however we’ve acquired to guarantee that within the subsequent life, they’re not going to finish up within the hearth”.
“We haven’t been in a position to obtain that, and that is in all probability in the identical scenario. As a result of Alan’s not right here any extra. Life goes on. Yeah, as we realise it in a while. However yeah, it’s an excellent query, however it’s nonetheless to be determined.
“Yeah, it’s all the time, and I’m saying it continuously, if you look again on a few of these issues, the intent is there, however they find yourself within the flawed spot. Yeah, who’s going to do it? Who’s going to proceed it to what we do?
“You recognize, that’s the factor. It might go the flawed means, simply. Most issues kind of go flawed once they get handed on. I imply, we type of have simply seen it with Gary Rogers, you realize, with all of the stuff down there. What’s going to occur down there?
“The query is, individuals are like, what’s going to occur with GRM? Gary’s not there. As soon as that keenness goes, it’s tough. The youthful era in all probability hasn’t acquired what we’ve acquired.”
If Irving Vincent had been an individual, how would you describe his or her character?
“Tough. Nicely, difficult. Yeah, however it repeats itself, too. It’s constant.
“Yeah, like engine growth and stuff, we all the time wrestle to get additional. It’s arduous to get, however you realize the place the determine is and when it’s good.
“They repeat themselves within the dyno. You recognize what’s flawed. You recognize what the factor ought to do earlier than you pull a lever. The preparation’s all carried out right here, and also you get to the monitor. The concept is to go to the monitor and simply put gas in it.
“That’s when it’s an excellent weekend, what we do. And that’s what we intend to do for Daytona. It’s not a lot testing and testing and testing on the monitor; it’s all carried out right here, and to verify it doesn’t go flawed once we get there.”
The Irving Vincent has by no means been about chasing mainstream conference; it has all the time been about proving what Australian ingenuity can obtain. Because the group prepares for Daytona, there are nonetheless numerous unknowns, however one certainty: no matter occurs at Daytona, a brand new and unforgettable chapter might be written within the Irving Vincent legacy for a machine that’s already a giant a part of Australian motorcycling folklore…
