'"
"
-
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.