1975 Rickman CR750
Miles: 12,001
Clean Title
Listed Price: $19,900 Or Best Offer
Listing Ends: November 15th, 2024
Thanks everyone for indulging my taste in somewhat older machines the past couple of Sundays. Today, we’ve got a vivid orange Rickman CR750, a bike that combined the very best of 1970s British and Japanese motorcycling into one tasty package. By the 70s, the engineering excellence of the Japanese manufacturers was evident, and their sophisticated inline fours offered shocking power and refinement. But spindly frames and weedy suspension kept their machines from really matching the handling of their British, Italian, and German counterparts. Like Bimota, British frame specialists Rickman simply combined the two, slotting Japanese engines and transmissions into their bespoke nickel-plated Reynolds 531 manganese chrome-molybdenum frames. Girling shock absorbers and brakes, a Betor fork, and Borrani rims rounded out the handling package, and dramatic fiberglass bodywork gave the whole thing a very exotic race-bike style. Just add your own donor Honda CB750 engine, wiring harness, and controls.
Undeniable among the crowd, this 1975 Honda CB750 with the Rickman CR750 kit is a true standout in the world of vintage motorcycles. With 12,001 believed original miles, this machine blends the raw power of Honda’s legendary 736cc inline-four engine with Rickman’s high-performance frame and bodywork, making it a perfect example of engineering excellence.
Rickman Motorcycles, founded by brothers Derek and Don Rickman, gained fame for producing high-performance frames and bodywork, quickly becoming the go-to choice for serious racers. Their iconic Reynolds 531 nickel-plated frame-light, strong, and corrosion-resistant-paired with Lockheed calipers, Borrani wheels, and a classic Lucas-style headlight, delivers a ride that’s not only fast but built with meticulous attention to detail.
The aerodynamic Rickman CR750 body kit, featuring a tasteful leather center strap, gives the bike a sleek, race-ready appearance. This particular example has been recently serviced, including new tires, ensuring that it’s ready to hit the road. The paint is in excellent condition, with minimal signs of wear, reflecting its well-preserved status.
It’s not clear from the description whether this is the original paint, but from the photos this Rickman CR750 looks spectacular. Details often varied from bike to bike, but the four-into-one exhaust seen on this example is obviously not a standard Honda part and goes a long way towards making this bike look racy and almost modern. These bikes have a bit of a kit-bike vibe to them which is, to some extent, what they are. But the swoopy bodywork and generally wild paint schemes gave them undeniable presence and the sophisticated frames gave excellent handling for the period. No real history for this Rickman is included in the listing but, considering what other collectible 70s superbikes are selling for these days, the $19,900 being asked seems very fair.
-tad
Great job on the write-up Tad,as usual. This Rickman appears to have used a CB750F as it’s donor. Even retaining the original Super Sport headers. And changing the stock muffler for a much cleaner slip-on. The only painted parts on these bikes are the small side covers. The rest is normally Gel Coat fiberglass.