I've ridden the HRD, but not the Black Shadow.
Those were the Bikes., and the days when ,if you stopped, every passing bike stopped to see if you needed help.
We've just got it here in Belgium,where I live. Pretty old ones ,I think. John Duttine arrived a few weeks ago. It's on 4 times a week but the Belgians are just as daft as the BBC. -so we've got Tennis instead this week.