Bullshit Biker Stories

[Posh Tourer :P]

found it in the back of a wharehouse

Hijack....

Is that a warehouse, a warewhare or a househouse?

[Motu]

Fucking spelling Nazi's - I'm gunna get Igor to proof read my posts from now on.

[pete376403]

Now this is pretty http://www.off-road.com/rick/triumph/

[merv]

Now this is pretty http://www.off-road.com/rick/triumph/

Motu how did your heart rate go seeing that?

[vifferman]

Now this is pretty http://www.off-road.com/rick/triumph/

Too kewl!
The names (bikes and riders) you were bandying around were very familiar, but that photo kickstarted my rusty memory!

[Motu]

Motu how did your heart rate go seeing that?

It made me depresed,to think of what I had,and now am just one of those guys who says ''I used to have one of those'' But at the time nobody (cept me!) knew what they were and I had a hard time to sell them.A couple of guys in the trade knew what they were,but only wanted one and all the parts,leaving me with a bike and no parts.

The hand built British bikes of that era were something else alright - the Rickman was a gem,a very strong Reynolds 531 frame,brazed I think...twin top rails with a crossover at the steering head like a featherbed,then a brace tube coming back to the low top rails,oil in frame of course,and nickel not chrome plated.Fibreglass tank/seat/airbox and mine had alloy guards,I converted the twin high pipes to TT pipes under the engine,splaying out in front of the rear wheel.Originaly it had a Velocete rear wheel,but it was too low geared for street use,so I fitted a Triumph conical rear - with a large Trident sprocket for off road use...I cut the sprockets in half so I could change the gearing without removing the wheel.Apart from the small tank the biggest pain as a street bike was carrying 20 eccentric washers to adjust the chain.

The Cheney made the Rickman look like a lard arse - the tubing was smaller diameter with only a single top rail and that big gusset at the steering head you can see in those photos,the welding was superb,outstanding in those days,you can see that stuff on Taiwanese pushbikes now.Rear wheel adjustment on mine was a big eccentric alloy block,like a modern bike has.The wheels were Rickman magnesium hubs with high strength steel rims,these were lighter than alloy rims,but stronger - 20in on the front.Alloy tank/guards/airbox with genuine Cheney stickers.It had been raced on the beach and left in a carport when I got it,so the alloy took some cleaning - I just had to paint the frame silver.Ah,that was magnesium alloy too,I needed a side cover repaired and the guy who repaired it (freebee) said he got a hell of a fright when it burnt up on him.

This bike was so light that minus engine my mate - big of body,small of brain - could clean and jerk it over his head.I slapped a motor together and cobbled it into a runner,but it was very twitchy for a street bike,there was no classic motocross back then,so really it was just a waste of time.

The Rickman was a sliding fool as Rick Seaman (sp??) once reported in Dirtbike.On thick Naki loam where I learnt to ride it - it would just go into huge full lock 2nd and 3rd gear slides,you never had to come out of them in a big paddock,just orgasmic bliss that went on for as long as you held the throttle open.It did big long jumps - not high,one metre high,10 long - coming down on the rear wheel,standing on the pegs and holding a powerstand for ages,then slamming it into a slide before the boxthorn took you out.I never knew I was a potential World Motocross Champion until I rode that bike,there was no mistake I could make that the bike wouldn't correct - every word you read about these bikes is only the half of it.

Merv - you follow both worlds like I do...do you remember a guy who rode a Rickman in motocross in the late 60s early 70s? always on the rear wheel,big slides and winning everything? I think he was from Taranaki,Egmont Village.My friend Allan Smart (Paul's brother) married his daughter and said he had a shed full of Rickmans and Cheney's.talk about a name dropper.

[merv]

I was a HB guy then and as I said we had the Bevans on Spartans and there was a guy Ash French from Waipuk area had a Matchless Metisse - I always thought that was a cool looking bike. Then the fast guys started riding CZ two strokes, then eventually moved onto Jap stuff. Bob Grover also had some old British bike too, can't remember what is was but it wasn't very quick. The roadies will know Bob as the guy that has competed continuously at Wanganui since Adam was a cowboy, on Jap hybrids there though, in Formula 3.

[Motu]

More bullshit from Motuworld.

The house I was staying in in Melbourne had a brand new never run Moto Guzzi 250 4cyl sitting on the hearth.On the mantlepiece was a 50cc Ducati pull rod motor,I was responsible for that,bringing it over as hand luggage.On a coffee table was a Guzzi 1000 engine,all covers,bolts etc gold platted.Here's why.

My mate over there (he was into everything Italian and ran the Italian club,setting up the NZ one too) He picked up a beat up Guzzi 1000 Convert to do up - so he bought a brand new one,still in the crate....and wrecked it! never even put it together.He ended up with all new parts for his one and sold the rest as parts,making money on the deal.Then he had a hairbrained sceme to gold plate everything,this was the time just before gold more than tripled in price.He got the motor done,gold prices skyrocketed,dream shattered.

I got to ride lot's of exotic stuff,for the time - didn't get to ride the MV Augusta 750,but went on it as pillion,kinda special eh?.I did ride an MV 350 twin,it only had 175km on it - so I figured I'd better help run it in,giving it death.I coulda bought that one for $1000,but at that time there was a 100% duty on bikes from Aust - two grand for an MV Augusta 350? augh,get real,not bloody likely.

[F5 Dave]

OK Kerry !!

The only way any one here could overtake Kevin Mcgee would be after he had put his bike into the wall during the 500GP.

Jimbo/Deano etc, back on topic & back to page 3: I think you could fill the whole rest of the forum with stories from Mr Daytona. My favourite (in addition to the obvious racing ones) is the being able to reprogram ‘90’s Suzuki ignitions.

Sure, & while you’re about it can you please reprogram my rectifier/regulator?

[jimbo600]

Jimbo/Deano etc, back on topic & back to page 3: I think you could fill the whole rest of the forum with stories from Mr Daytona. My favourite (in addition to the obvious racing ones) is the being able to reprogram ‘90’s Suzuki ignitions.

Sure, & while you’re about it can you please reprogram my rectifier/regulator?

What, you mean Mr Daytona's stories aint true!

Bugger, and there I was thinking he was a hero and all.