Rickman Weslake

[shortshifter]

Best of British???Have to be pretty close.Blue one on US ebay at present.Nice!!!!

[Marc.com]

Yep buy now of $8500 so nothing wrong with the price

[firko]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160650233659
I agree Marc, not a bad price but I've seen them for 5-6k only a year or two ago. These Weslake headed Mk4 B44 Metisses are pretty rare when compared to a Triumph or Matchless Mk3 as nobody has set up to replicate the Mk4 frame, every Mk4 Metisse you see is the real deal. The majority of them were sold in the USA for desert racing in the latter part of the sixties but didn't set the market alight as the lightweight two stroke had by then become the hot ticket. A few of us forum members have ridden Jonesy's identical bike and while not being an arm stretching horsepower monster, it's a very cool thing to ride. I suspect TM Bills hot laps on the bike at CD7 prompted the purchase of his own Mk3 B44 Metisse. It's kind of similar to a 490 Maico in that unless you've ridden a Metisse it's hard to understand what's so special about them.

* The Weslake conversion came about When Rickmans approached Harry Waslake to design a better breathing top end for the then aging B44 motor for the upcoming procuction Mk4. With only a short lead in time Harry reportedly used the design from his Ford Zephyr six conversion in single cylinder form.
Below: Jonesy's Metisse.

[Marc.com]

The problem I have with the Mk 4 is probably the same as Triton using a unit Triumph motor, the frame looks far too big for the motor, so you end up with these ridiculous long engine plates and the countershaft in the next state from the swingarm pivot.

this is more like it

[firko]

e frame looks far too big for the motor,

I don't quite agree Marc....the Mk4 frame is roughly 10% smaller all over than the Mk3. I doubt very much if a 650 unit triumph would fit a Mk4. I had a Mk4 500 Triumph and it was a very tight fit.

[Marc.com]

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think the 650 fits all Mk 3 engine bays either. There is a difference in the lengths of the BSA and Triumph/Matchless big single frames. The pre unit Triumph is doable with AMC box, the unit 500 motor bolts in with space about it/ my frame is original single frame as you can see by the front mounts.

Finally I decided the that particular pre unit motor was wasted a bit on the Rickman so it is going into Triton / Manx lookilike.

[firko]

Correct me if I am wrong but I don't think the 650 fits all Mk 3 engine bays either

Yeah that's right Marc, that's why they made the Mk3a which is more a different shape than actually being bigger. It's still bigger than the Mk4 which was designed for the B44-T100.

[Marc.com]

Guess you can only shorten or lengthen a frame built for a twin so much, guess I am too used to the Cheney where there B44 fits like a cock in a sock. 

[flower pot racing]

Yep buy now of $8500 so nothing wrong with the price

Agreed, that's a really nice original bike.  Good value and a lot of bike for the money.