1965 Rickman Metisse-Triumph 650cc Mk III Desert Racer, Frame no. 974 Engine no. T120C DU15504

1965 Rickman Metisse-Triumph 650cc Mk III Desert Racer
Frame no. 974
Engine no. T120C DU15504
British brothers Don and Derek Rickman were motocross champions and innovators. Both began their scrambles careers in the 1950s riding BSA Gold Stars, while the Rickman brothers' first 'special' consisted of a BSA duplex frame, Triumph T100 engine, BSA gearbox and Norton forks. It was given the French name Metisse, translatable as 'mongrel.' In 1959 came a purpose-built Metisse frame and within a decade their company would grow to become possibly the biggest independent frame-maker. An enormous success, the Mk III frame was produced in substantial quantities, proving popular for all kids of dirt bike riding around the world. Adaptable to a wide variety of four-stroke singles and twins, the original MKIII frames seem tailor-made for the Triumph 650 twin, as seen here.

John 'Buck' Smith, National Cross Country Champion and National Enduro Champion, acquired this disc-brake, large-tank Rickman in 1969 and then installed a modified Triumph front fork and a custom fork brace. The disc brakes had been previously installed by Howard Barnes using Hurst Airheart components and Akront and Barnes wheels. Buck and his son Gene were sponsored by Johnson Motors, the West Coast Triumph distributor and were members of the Sunland Shamrocks Motorcycle Club. Gene raced this bike in 1969 in Checker's Hare and Hound/The River Run and 'a few other places.'

The present owner purchased this bike in 2011. In 2012, Arizona British Bikes completed a mechanical and light cosmetic restoration. The bike is equipped with a rare T120C (Competition) motor from an early TT Special, complete with magneto, exhaust sound attenuators and dual air intakes. The bike has not been run since 2012.