1975 Triumph RICKMAN CR 120
Miles: 1,600
Original and Unrestored
$10,800 OBO
Still on MSO
On Ebay until March 23rd
Another amazing offering from one of our long-time supporters, Bob. Oftentimes when one thinks of a rare sport bike their mind drifts to some Italian exotic with equal parts horsepower and carbon fiber. These rocket ships also come with eye watering MSRPs. But one would be remiss to not look to the vintage market for some real gems. There are endless examples of early performance motorcycles with interesting history and incredible stories.
In the mid 70s there just were not that many factory ringers. Sure the OEMs marketed the performance and the sometimes the connection to racing, but the idea of a homologation special was not fully formed. But they did have another option that is rather unique to the time period, frame swaps and kit bikes. You could literally order frame kits, suspension and other go fast parts from places like Rickman. These were much more than just a random collection of parts, these were engineered packages with performance as the main target.
Rickman is possibly the most famous of these types of options. They offered frames to fit everything from a Honda SOHC to a Kawasaki Z1 engine. Another option was the Triumph twin example here today. This was the hot ticket for the time, and very different to how things are down today. The nickel plated frames of the Rickmans became an iconic feature. It is almost universally agreed that these were also among the best looking bikes of the era.
From the eBay Listing:
SUPER RARE ORIGINAL UNRESTORED 1975 RICKMAN CR TRIUMPH T120 WITH ONLY 1600 ORIGINAL MILES
THIS BIKE WAS ORIGINALLY SOLD TO VETTER FAIRING CO. (CRAIG VETTER) IN MARCH OF 1976. CRAIG TOLD A MUTUAL ACQUAINTANCE THE BIKE WAS SOLD WITHOUT THE ENGINE INSTALLED. VETTER FARING CO. WAS A RICKMAN DEALER FOR A FEW YEARS IN THE EARLY 1970’S. IT SEEMS THE BUYER SET IT UP AS A FACTORY RACE BIKE AND USED IT FOR A FEW SESSIONS THEN THE BIKE SAT. THIS BIKE HAS VINTAGE RACING HISTORY AND A MOTORCYCLE CELEBRITY FORMER OWNER THAT MAKES FOR A GREAT STORY WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS.
THE TRIUMPH T120 ENGINE ( I BELIEVE IT TO BE THE ORIGINAL TO THE BIKE) WAS REBUILT WITH A CHANTLAND BIG BORE KIT. THIS SALE INCLUDES A SECOND TRIUMPH PARTS ENGINE AND OTHER MIS PARTS.
THE BIKE IS BEING SOLD WITH THE ORIGINAL MSO (TITLE) MANUFACTURERS STATEMENT OF ORIGIN SINCE THE BIKE WAS NEVER ACTUALLY TITLED IN ANYONES NAME. AS A LICENSED FLORIDA MOTOR VEHICLE DEALER I CAN RE-ASSIGN THE MSO TO THE NEW OWNER.
I BOUGHT THIS BIKE WITH THE PLAN OF FULLY RESTORING IT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL STUNNING BEAUTY. BUT WITH OVER 100 BIKES TO CARE FOR AND OVER 40 OTHER ON GOING PROJECTS I JUST WON’T GET TO IT FOR MYSELF. IF THE NEW OWNER WANTS TO CONTRACT WITH MY SHOP WE WOULD CONSIDER TAKING ON THE RESTORATION PROJECT AND MAKING IT A PRIORITY.
I HAVE BEEN RESTORING, RACING, RIDING, FIXING, BUYING, SELLING, AND COLLECTING RARE MOTORCYCLES SINCE GRADUATING FROM “AMI” AMERICAN MOTORCYCLE INSTITUTE DAYTONA BEACH FLORIDA IN 1980. I WAS AWARDED MOTORCYCLE COLLECTOR OF THE YEAR AT THE 2023 BOCA RATON CONCOURS D’ ELEGANCE (THE EAST COAST PEBBLE BEACH) I HAVE HAD JUDGES SAY MY RESTORATIONS LOOK LIKE THEY JUST CAME OUT OF THE FACTORY CRATE 🙂 SO I DO KNOW A LITTLE ABOUT BIKES.
I HAVE OWNED SEVERAL RICKMANS BUT THIS IS THE ONLY CR 120 I HAVE HAD. THE HISTORY OF THIS BIKE IS DEFINITELY NOTE WORTHY. SO DON’T MISS OUT… I ALWAYS MAKE THE JOKE TELL YOU WIFE THIS BIKE WILL ONLY APPRECIATE WITH TIME UNLIKE HER SHOE COLLECTION. THAT IS FOR SURE OF THIS RARE FIND.
The example today is clearly a project, but what is equally clear is that it is a worthwhile one. Can see that the major and special components are all accounted for. Nice to see one with the upgraded Rickman forks and AP calipers. The next owner will have a choice to make. Restore to road race glory or revert it back to street use. Either has appeal, so there is no wrong decision. The bold move would be to embrace the patina, the nicks, the rust and just get it running. Think of the looks you would get at your local bike night. While any project is not a trivial undertaking, a well curated example such as this Rickman offers a solid foundation to work from. The effort required to finish the project should be no greater than that of a similar vintage standard Triumph or BSA. This project also offers an opportunity. The opportunity tailer a very rare motorcycle to your liking. The next owner can dictate the condition, state of tune and even the color.
