However, in service the rear cylinders proved to be impossible to cool properly, and this led to quite poor reliability.
After prolonged periods of full throttle many engines suffered piston failure on the rear cylinder.
However, probably due to the model initially experiencing mechanical failure, changes were made to the rear cylinder.
Violet shrewdly waited until the monorail left the terminal, and then just made the rear cylinder.
Unresolved problems with cooling of the rear cylinders prevented the engine from going into production.
The distinctive air scoops mounted below the fuel tank on either side of the motorbike provide additional cooling for the rear cylinder.
As well as allowing Vincent to reduce production costs, the enclosure actually improved performance by directing more air to the rear cylinder.
The wheelbase can be reduced by placing the transmission above the rear cylinder, as done on some Douglas motorcycles.
The V6 was derived from the 4.4-litre P76 V8, with the two rear cylinders chopped off.
A float-controlled automatic device reduced the cut-off of the rear cylinders to prevent slipping when the water tank was running low.