Rickman Motorcycles

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Rickman Honda CR750

Rickman Motorcycles was a

motorcycle chassis constructor established by brothers Derek and Don Rickman. The firm manufactured motorcycles from 1960 (64 years ago) (1960) through 1975 (49 years ago) (1975).[1]

History

Bultaco Metisse with Spanish engine first offered complete in 1964 by Rickman Motorcycles[2]

Initially the frame designs were for

Honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z1.[3] The road bikes were the first to use disc brakes both front and rear (a joint project with Lockheed).[4]

Other innovations included the use of large diameter telescopic forks (1-5/8" or 41.2mm) and oil carried in the frame tubes to help dissipate heat and save weight. An eight valve cylinder head conversion (700cc) for Triumph 650cc twins was developed in the late 1960s which considerably increased power output (up to 60 bhp or more depending on state of tune) and showed up some weaknesses in the Triumph crankcases and connecting rods. Chain adjustment was via eccentric discs rather than drawbolts to avoid misalignment.

After the

Clymer repair manuals and Enfield "Indians" fame) in the United States, but unfortunately he had just died, and his export agents, Mitchell's of Birmingham, were left to dispose of them. They approached the Rickman brothers for frames, and as the Rickman brothers' main problem had always been engine supply, a limited run of 137 Rickman Interceptors were built.[5]

In about 1971, Rickman began producing complete motorcycles in 3 displacements, 100 cc 125 cc and 250 cc. The 100s had Japanese

Zundapp engines, while the 250s featured Spanish Montesa powerplants.[1] Many of these little Motocross bikes were produced from 1971 to 1975, most being shipped to America.[1]

In 1974, Rickman was awarded the

Queen's Award to Industry for their export business which achieved £1 million sales to the US each year,[6] but it was the same year Norton Villiers Triumph collapsed. The Rickman brothers turned their attention to larger Japanese motorcycle engines, and produced Rickman Honda 750s, Rickman Kawasaki Z1/Z900s, Rickman Honda Bol d'Or 10th century, Rickman Kawasaki Z1000s, and Rickman Suzuki GS1000s.[1][7][8]

The bikes or frame kits were known for their beautiful

fibreglass work and nickel-plated frames and are often referred to as "Metisse" frames, a term used for their own first effort.[1]
The Rickmans had a sense of humour. Google translates the word politely as "mongrel".

The company stopped producing complete motorcycles in 1975, continuing to produce accessories.[1] In the 1980s the Rickmans sold their parts to a company called MRD (Model, Replica & Design until then specialising in model aeroplanes). 'MRD Metisse' was born, and run by Pat French,[9] a Rickman Metisse enthusiast.[10] Business was good throughout the late '80s but the early '90s saw a levelling off of the business.[1] In 1999 a new enthusiast arrived on the scene and set up a new company (Métisse Motorcycles) and bought Pat French's business including some later parts and the rights to use the word 'Metisse'.

Throughout this period another Rickman enthusiast, successful scrambler and friend of the Rickman's Adrian Moss was the first to spot that the Mark III would be the most popular model over time. Adrian was already building and racing Rickman bikes and spares. He set up the successful British Bike Bonanza in 1981,[11] for pre-65 machines and enthusiasts, which is still going, to this day. The company name was also licensed to Adrian,[12] and later passed to him, enabling the production of genuine Rickman Motorcycles to continue as they always had done.

Derek and Don Rickman were inducted into the A.M.A. Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007.[1] Derek Rickman died in July 2021.[13]

Kit cars

By 1985, before the Rickman brothers retired, Rickman Engineering Limited diversified into general engineering and into the production of a

GFRP body version similar to Suzuki Jeep,[10] and the Metisse sports coupe, based on donor-vehicle mechanicals, individually builder-sourced. Rickman, and later by the Lomax Company, produced over 1000 vehicles.[14] The Ranger was later produced in Russia by Avtokam who produced the entire vehicle.[15]

  • Rickman Ranger Softop
    Rickman Ranger Softop
  • Rickman Ranger Softop
    Rickman Ranger Softop
  • Rickman Ranger Hardtop
    Rickman Ranger Hardtop
  • Rickman Space Ranger
    Rickman Space Ranger
  • Rickman Space Ranger
    Rickman Space Ranger
  • Rickman Rancher
    Rickman Rancher

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Derek and Don Rickman at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  2. Motor Cycle
    , 5 November 1964, p.796 Accessed 19 January 2021
  3. ^ Williams, Greg. "Pulling the Trigger: Rickman Honda CR750". Motorcycle Classics January/February 2012. Motorcycle Classics. Retrieved 10 December 2012.
  4. ISBN 1-872004-19-9
  5. ^ Gary Ilminen (January–February 2010). "1971 Rickman-Enfield Interceptor". Motorcycle Classics. Retrieved 21 May 2010.
  6. ^ Royal Rickman! Motorcycle News, 24 April 1974, p.1 (front cover). Retrieved 14 March 2022
  7. ^ American Motorcyclist, Dec 2007 Vol. 61, No. 12. Page 57.
  8. ^ "1974 Rickman CR750 at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame". motorcyclemuseum.org. Archived from the original on 29 July 2011. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  9. ^ "Pat French - Classic Motorcycle News from RealClassic.co.uk". www.realclassic.co.uk. Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  10. ^ a b Remember Metisse? Motorcycle Sport, June 1989, pp.276-279. Accessed 8 September 2019
  11. ^ British Bike Bonanza
  12. ^ 'Rickman Motorcycles Limited'
  13. ^ AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer Derek Rickman Passes cyclenews.com, 19 July 2021. Retrieved 9 September 2021
  14. ^ "RCOC History Page". www.rickmancarsownersclub.org.uk. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013.
  15. ^ https://autohs.ru/avtomobili/legkovye/avtokam-2160-istoriya-poslednego-sovetskogo-vnedorozhnika.html

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rickman.
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