74 Rickman Montesa- Why?

[Tahitian_Red]

I have always been curious about these bikes.  Rickmans seemed to solve the problems of good motors in bad stock frames, but the 74 Montesa VR was a great all-around bike.  I think the VR is one of the nicest looking pre-75 bikes.  What problems did the Rickman Montesa solve?

[mx250]

I don't think it solved any probs, it was just a mariage of conveniences. Rickman wanted an engine and Monty wanted to sell engines.

Rickman seemed to be aimed at the US market. I don't know if that lead to any conflicts but they must have been aimed at a similar market.

I think the Rickman Monty was a 'down market' Rickman with a painted frame and aimed at volume. The Rickman may have been somewhat lighter than the Monty edition but I don't know how they compared in performance and handling. Anyone

[firko]

Rickman Montys frames were nickel plated Graeme. They weren't the best thing to ever come from the Rickman factory but believe it or not they're lighter than a VR and handle extremely well. They're very well put together bikes but they didn't really offer a viable alternative to a proper VR. The VR looks better in my opinion but the Rickman is better finished. It's really down to whatever turns you on.
Graeme Noyce started his GP career on a Rickman Monty and then built a Rickman 400 Husky. He worked at the Rickman factory and built the bike on the Monty jig. You've got a much better chance of building a fair dinkum Noyce replica using a Rickman Montesa frame and a Husky 400 engine than those other  so called RC450 "replicas" mentioned elsewhere.

[mx250]

Rickman Montys frames were nickel plated Graeme.

Are you 100% certain .


 

The VR looks better in my opinion but the Rickman is better finished.

All the Monties were just about the 'pick of the litter' for looks each year in this period. Whereas the tank and chassis parts that looked appropreiate on the larger Rickmans initially looked pretty ordinary on the Rickman Montesa with and then quickly became dated, IMHO .

[firko]

Yes....All Rickmans are nickel plated.

[cappra]

Ditto!
Only Rickman frames I have ever seen have been nickle plated.
At the very least all the Montesa powered Rickmans I have ever seen.

[Tahitian_Red]

Jared,

How does the Rickman compare to the VR on the track?

[mx250]

I thought nickle plated frames were a hallmark of Rickman. I was taking an interest in this.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350083951150&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:MOTORS:1123

The frame looked pretty ordinary so I ask the seller about the frame and he responded it was painted. At first I thought it wasn't a Rickman. Hmmmm, I thought, and went to google images and punched in Rickman Montesa and look at a number of Rickman Montesa's. I checked the frame configeration and satisfied myself it was a Rickman and, although its hard to tell, I thought a number of them looked as though they were painted silver rather than shiny nickle plated. 

[firko]

It's a rough old Rickman that needs saving Graeme. It looks like rusty nickel to me and I think they're Bilstein shocks. Why not buy it for 50 bucks and ship it to Long Beach and include it with the load of stuff Alan and I have there.
.Go on, I know you need it and you're saving another classic from becoming a Hyundi.

[cappra]

Jared,

How does the Rickman compare to the VR on the track?

From the amount of time I have had riding a Rickman (I never raced one)  the Rickman seemed more neutral than
the VR.   It didn't want to hang the rear end out as much and was slightly less stable over the jumps. 
I think the Rickman would turn under the VR with all things being equal.  The one thing I did not like
about the Rickman was the gap between the front of the seat and the gas tank. 

[mx250]

Why not buy it for 50 bucks and ship it to Long Beach and include it with the load of stuff Alan and I have there.
.Go on, I know you need it ....

Behind me Satan; be gone.

Its actually got another bidder now, thats takes away some of the guilt of leaving  another thorough breed to it fate .

It's a rough old Rickman that needs saving Graeme. It looks like rusty nickel to me and I think they're Bilstein shocks.

I was thinking of it. I'm worried that it is indeed a painted rusty frame. I reckon about $500+ to restore/replate (I wouldn't have a Rickman that wasn't shiny, and I mean bling shiny, nickle - whats the point ). Although it might be lucky and have a paint preserved nickle frame .

I've got most of a side port motor that I could slip in - a 'by product' of the VB project .

I've checked the Rickman site, all of the fibreglass can be had for about $600 plus import. And then there's the running gear.

I am tempted but I think I'll pass. I really do have too many projects (mantra: Disclipine, disclipine, I must have self control, I must be strong) . I was only interested in 'saving it for a rainy day'. I think I'll get the rusty side port Monty frame together, up and running, and then in the future, maybe, seek out a Rickman frame. They do come up every now and then.

[mx250]

about the Rickman was the gap between the front of the seat and the gas tank. 

I with you on this Jared. All the Rickmans have it and it looks 'wrong'. How it would feel on the bike I not sure. I know if I was to resto one I would be torn between originality and 'the way it should be'.

[firko]

You're right about the gap between the seat and the tank but while it may be a ball catcher in theory, I've asked mates who've ridden them and they report "no problem". I don't think it looks wrong, it just looks 'Rickman", there's nothing that looks remotely like a Rickman Metisse, which is why I love 'em I guess.
If I was buying that Rickman Monty frame, I'd fit a Husky or some other sideport engine, just to be different. Rickman Metisses are perfect fodder for the hot rodder that lays dormant in many of us. For instance, I bought a pretty nice Rickman Zundapp frame for $100 the other week and last week got a full set of Metisse bodywork for $225 and now will add my DT1 engine and hopefully produce something like this............Actually it'll be a combo. My frame is MK4 like the top photo but the bodywork is MK3 like the bottom shot. I prefer the rounder and softer (like me) Mk3 shape.

[cappra]

There, problem solved!

[firko]

The "problem" may be solved Jared but it looks like shit!