Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1540349
VOLUME ISSUE OCTOBER , P129 duced a motocross machine that was as beautiful as it was ef- fective. Fiberglass components and polished engine cases were housed in an eye-popping nickel- plated frame, with a bright, baby red fuel tank that didn't need bold, new graphics to let the competition know that this was a serious race machine. The June 29th, 1971, issue of Cycle News included a test of the Rickman 250 MX machine, though the word "test" is some - thing of an understatement here, because CN staffer Tom Culp kept this loaner bike for a whop - ping four months, during which time he ran the Rickman through the gauntlet. "I was able," Culp wrote, "to enter the Rickman in such events as the Elsinore Grand Prix, Chaparral Enduro, Victors Hare & Hound, as well as a couple of motocross events." Just what exactly, might a Bad Bunny fan ask, is a Rickman? Well, motocross has known plenty of brother acts, like Jett and Hunter Lawrence, Gary and DeWayne Jones, Bob and Billy Grossi, Jim and Ron Pomeroy and others. In the 1960s, British brothers Derek and Don Rick - man were two of Great Britain's top motocross riders, even representing the Union Jack in the Motocross des Nations in 1963-64. The Rickman broth- ers understood that lighter was going to be better, so they began modifying BSA singles. The brothers were lopping off as much as 40 pounds from the company's standard machines with their new designs, so the American distributor of the company contracted with them to produce a two- stroke-engined racer for U.S. motocross. In the U.S., it was a sport on the move, and lightweight two-stroke engines were in strong demand. The Rickman brothers focused on the chassis, electing to build around proven powerplants from companies like Zundapp and Montesa. The Cycle News' test model featured the latter and the Montesa engine was competitive in its first outing, the famous Elsinore Grand Prix. Street, dirt and sand, uphills and fire roads—this event tested rider and machine. "The light front end al - lowed easy, fast tracking through deep sand," Culp wrote. "The machine shot up the steep hill with no stress. I found the street sections very fast, and the handling, plus superior brakes, allowed me to go farther into the corners. With the large tank, I went five laps before gassing, although I could've gone at least two more." The Rickman finished the event strong, with a couple of exceptions. Motocross bikes of that era frequently sported down-swept expansion cham - bers, and during the race, the Rickman's pipe "took a beating from rocks." The brakes faded after a few laps, and the tester wished for "a flip-up gas cap to speed up pit stops." Otherwise, the Rickman was a winner, even if "my finish doesn't show the real potential of the machine." Up next was the Chaparral Grand Prix, which seemed to be more like a desert race, though there were also some rocky sec - tions to contend with. The Rick- man's lack of spring-loaded pegs was the only complaint regis- tered here, if you don't count the down pipe, which again endured some abuse. At the Victors Hare & Hound, the Rickman took a rock to the cases, which actually damaged the clutch mechanism. The Brit- ish/Spanish machine would now occasionally slip the clutch, an The Rickman brothers, Derek and Don, focused on the chassis, electing to build around proven powerplants from companies like Zundapp and Montesa.