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 kinds of dirt bike riding around the world.
Rickman produced a Mk IV model with a BSA B44 bottom end and a 490cc Weslake barrel and head. ‘The Wessy or Rickman motocross head bears no resemblance to the Weslake speedway head and is actually a ‘one cylinder’ variation of Weslake’s 6-cylinder Ford or 4-cylinder Austin/Morris heads.’ Weslake Engineering was located in the south of England conveniently close to the Rickman ‘s. Their work on the BSA engine was the predecessor to BSA’s launch of the B50 500cc engine in 1971.
The 1969 Rickman Metisse MkIV BSA 490cc Victor-Weslake on offer here was imported from the UK in the condition you see it here. Complete with lighting fore and aft, this nicely presented example has remained on static display since, and was superficially recommissioned to ready it for sale, but will need further fettling to return to dual sport duties.
Frame no. 1618
Engine no. unstamped
Location: Ventura, California
SOLD
