Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Cycle News 1973 08 06

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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'" " - U ~ust plain exploded. All concerned (some long time Rickman riders) commen ted that they had never seen one do that before. We'll take it on experience and say' that it was 'the severity of the stress that caused the failure. Just don't drop your Rickman that way. True, the Rickman is a very forgiving motorcycle and you will be able to slide it with abandon. At the same time it steers quickly. It is in many ways most suitable for an Expert. No subtle movements will disappear into a mushy chassis. It will respond to your whim. Those who hadn't really decided what it was they wanted occasionally ended up down. For the amateur rider, the power will easily be> competitive, and it is a bike which will teach you to be a better rider. Ma.;:ically enough, the Woodruff key on the magneto didn't even break on our test bike. We had another Rickman along and its did, so you can expect the key on your Rickman to break unless you set it correctly. Correctly is setting the magneto onto the crank with· a fair-to-middlin' persuader. That may sound crude to some, but is a method proven by experience and performance. Wallop it a good oJ.le and then tighten things down and it won't break loose. The Rickman VR has comp~itive handling and power: In fact, it may deliver a surplus of the latter. If you want a winning 250 it will do the job. At the same time it might petty break you to death. One thing for certain, it will require maintenance. At the same time, it is a bike upon which you will have to perform virtually no after-purchase set-up. The notable exception to all that good detailing is of course the fork seals. Eventually it will get you for a front fender, too. The price tag is reasonable at abou t S1,15 0, bu t more importan tly, dealers are wheeling and dealing them like crazy. The fact that they are marketed by Trumphnor means that you've got those distributorships to get service from. Parts and service will no doub t be superior to all but the Japanese. What you> get is a machine made small-time by caring hands, that is marketed on a big time level. Photos by Howie Fowler & Dave Schoonmaker> LEFT: New VR Montesa engine with low pipe. Also Betor forks. ABOVE: The eng>ine cases are much narrower, and it shifts on the left. RIGHT: Straight cable braking, exposed counter shaft, snail cam chain adjusting.. and electronic ignition make Rickman living easier.

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