AN 82-year-old motorbike fan is 'revved up' again after being reunited with the classic bike of his youth.

Its been nearly 60 years since John Bowerbank last clapped eyes on the gleaming curves of his 500cc Vincent Comet.

As a young man in his twenties, he paid £253 for the 1953 model, which was made in the same year Marlon Brando starred in motorcycle outlaw movie, The Wild One.

Mr Bowerbank, now an Octogenerian, bought the Vincent Comet up from bike dealer James Walkers in Kendal - using it to ride to work and customising it with a tradesman's sidecar to carry his joinery tools from job to job.

But he lost track of it after selling it in 1957 and never saw it again.

But now the Octogenerian has been 'reunited' - thanks to the Lakeland Motor Museum at Backbarrow.

Mr Bowerbank spotted an article about the museum’s collection of Vincent motorbikes and got in touch to offer the attraction some of his own motorbiking memorabilia.

Chris Lowe, operations manager at the museum, takes up the story.

He explained: “Mr Bowerbank contacted us to offer the Comet’s handbook he’d kept for all those years, and only then did he discover that his original motorcycle had survived and was actually part of the display!

“It appears that it never left the county, although it was sold on several times before ending up in the hands of the museum’s director, Bill Bewley, who recently restored it to its former glory. "

Mr Lowe added: "In their heyday, Vincent's were admired as the epitome of motorcycling excellence, so it’s been fantastic to reunite Mr Bowerbank with his beloved Comet six decades on.”

Mr Bowerbank himself added: “I was amazed to discover that it was my original comet on display at the museum. It was one of the top motorcycles of its day and I have often wondered where it ended up, but I never really expected to see it again."

The classic bikes can now exchange hands for over £10,000.

The Lakeland Motor Museum’s full collection of Vincent motorcycles includes even older Comets such as a 1937 HRD Series A 500cc, a 1947 HRD Series B 500cc Rapide, a 1949 HRD 998cc Black Lightning and a1951 Series C 998cc Black Shadow.

The collection is part of more than 60 other motorcycles also on display as well as a special section dedicated to the Isle of Man TT Races and the racing successes of the ‘Morecambe Missile’ John McGuinness.