British Japanese Fusion
It’s an oversimplification but, in some ways, the introduction of the Honda CB750 and the Kawasaki Z1 signaled the beginning of the end for the British bike industry. The engines that powered those bikes were powerful, refined, reliable, and relatively easy to tune for increased power, but the bikes themselves were often heavy and handling was considered pretty poor, compared to British bikes of the period. So it’s no surprise that some enterprising Brits ended up creating machines like today’s 1974 Rickman CR900 in response, an amalgam of Japanese engineering and British motorsports experience.
Like Bimota, Rickman was famous for taking existing engines and bolting them into stiff, lightweight frames. The company was founded by brothers Derek and Don Rickman, who originally made kits to build offroad racing motorcycles powered by a wide variety of domestic and foreign engines using their “Metisse” frames, a word that basically meant “mongrel.”
The innovative designs often used the frames themselves to store and cool their oil and could be adapted to fit a variety of engines. The company later expanded their repertoire to include the building of complete bikes, then into building road-oriented bikes, as can be seen here.
As the British bike industry collapsed and the company moved into building road bikes powered by Japanese inline four engines, these later bikes added wild, fully-faired fiberglass bodywork and vivid color schemes. The CR900 seen here uses a Kawasaki 903cc DOHC inline-four that was factory-rated at 81 horsepower and 54 lb-ft of torque. Given the wild looks, it’s easy to overlook the frame but, as with Bimota, the frame is actually the centerpiece of the bike. Made chrome-moly with beautiful bronze welds, the bright, nickel-plated frame and swingarm formed a stiff, stable foundation for a bike with handling characteristics that far eclipsed those of the original Kawasaki.
From the Seller: 1974 Kawasaki Rickman CR900 for Sale
COMING OUT OF MY PERSONAL COLLECTION IS MY ALL ORIGINAL UN-RESTORED LOW 8500 MILES RICKMAN CR900. THIS IS AN AMAZING AWARD WINNING EARLY CR900 WITH ALL THE ORIGINAL PARTS IT CAME WITH. VERY HARD TO FIND IN THIS ORIGINAL CONDITION.
THE FRAME:
STILL IN ITS ORIGINAL “METISSE” NICKEL-PLATED CONDITION THE FRAME HAS NEVER BEEN MOLESTED OR MODIFIED AND IS JUST STARTING TO HAVE THAT 50 YEAR OLD PATINA. IN 1974 THIS WAS THE FIRST BIKE TO FEATURE DISC BRAKES FRONT AND REAR THANKS TO A JOINT PROJECT WITH LOCKHEED. THIS RICKMAN FEATURES ALL THE ORIGINAL COMPONENTS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE LEATHER TANK STRAP AND THE EXHAUST IS AN ORIGINAL 1976.THIS BIKE HAS WON COUNTLESS AWARDS OVER THE 10 YEARS THAT I HAVE OWNED HER. SHE WAS LAST STARTED AND RIDDEN A YEAR AGO AND THE ENGINE RAN PERFECTLY. SHE HAS BEEN ON DISPLAY IN MY FRONT AREA AND HAS BEEN SUCH A CONVERSATION PIECE. THE LIME GREEN PAINT WORK IS FLAWLESS WITH NO BLEMISHES TO SPEAK OF. THE SOLO SEAT IS ALL ORIGINAL LEATHER IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. SHE HAS AVON AM22 TYRES AND THE ORIGINAL WHEELS. THE SHOCKS ARE THE ORIGINAL KONI SHOCKS.
THE ENGINE: LOW NUMBER 01964
I BELIEVE THIS IS THE ORIGINAL 1973/1974 (MOST LIKELY BUILT IN DEC 1972) KAWASAKI Z1 900 ENGINE THAT THIS RICKMAN WAS BUILT WITH. THE ENGINE HAS NEVER BEEN MOLESTED AND STILL HAS THE ORIGINAL SMOOTH BORE CARBS WITH VELOCITY STACKS.THIS IS A VERY HARD TO FIND OPPORTUNITY TO OWN AN ORIGINAL PIECE OF MOTORCYCLE HISTORY, THERE ARE ONLY A FEW OF THESE LIME GREEN WORKS OF ART, SO DON’T MISS OUT
TELL YOUR WIFE THAT THESE VERY RARE BIKES WILL ONLY APPRECIATE IN VALUE 10-15% PER YEAR, NOT LIKE HER HANDBAG AND SHOE COLLECTION 🙂
I HAVE BEEN COLLECTING, RIDING, RACING, AND RESTORING VERY SPECIAL BIKES SINCE GRADUATING FROM “AMI” AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE INSTITUTE IN DAYTONA BEACH FL. IN 1980.
I HAVE WON COUNTLESS AWARDS FOR MY BIKES AND HAVE HAD THE BEST COMPLEMENTS FROM JUDGES INCLUDING “THIS IS NOT A RESTORATION IT LOOKS LIKE YOU JUST ROLLED IT OUT OF A CRATE”
MY RESTORATIONS ARE THAT IMPRESSIVE!!! MY ORIGINAL BIKE ARE EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE. I ONLY COLLECTED THE BEST OF THE BEST!!!
I JUST WON “MOTORCYCLE COLLECTOR OF THE YEAR” AT THE 2023 BOCA RATON CONCOURS D’ ELEGANCE. SOMETHING I AM VERY PROUD OF.
SO DON’T MISS OUT. CALL ME WITH ANY QUESTIONS 954-816-0806 OR COME BY MY SHOP IN NORTH MIAMI. PLEASE ASK ABOUT OTHER RARE BIKES I WILL BE SELLING AND I CAN LIST THEM. DON’T BE SHY SEND YOUR OFFERS…
I ALSO HAVE A 1977 RICKMAN CR900 (THE LAST OF THE SERIES) AND A 1975 RICKMAN TRIUMPH VERY RARE BOTH WILL BE FOR SALE ALONG WITH COUNTLESS RICKMAN PARTS…
The price for this vivid green bit of sportbike history? A cool $39,000. It’s in original condition, with just some minor pitting and patina to show that it’s not been restored. Even though the company did build complete machines, they were generally sold as kits that included the gorgeous frame and fiberglass body kits, meaning the details can vary a bit between bikes. There’s a “kit bike” vibe that’s entirely earned, but that doesn’t make these bikes any less capable. Or desirable, and this one appears to be one of the best.
-tad
