Derek Rickman , 1933 - 2021 Motorcycle industry icon and AMA ' Hall of Famer ' Derek Rickman passed away on July 3 after a short battle with cancer . He was 88 . Along with his younger brother Don , the Rickmans dominated British motocross in the 1960s and did much to shape the evolution of the sport , both here in Europe and in the United States . They produced thousands of their own high-quality and lightweight motorcycle frames and helped manufacturers with various design improvements for decades . Rickman-framed sport bikes , especially popular in America , were influential to the development of the sport from the late 1960s throughout the ' 70s . The brothers first rode in trials , then scrambles and eventually motocross . Derek represented Britain in the Motocross des Nations in 1959 , 1960 , 1963 , 1964 and 1966 , with Don also on the team in 1963 and 1964 . In the 1950s they modified standard BSAs and the term ' Metisse ' entered the industry lexicon - it was a Gallic expression for a mongrel . The modifications became more and more extensive until , in 1960 , they produced their first frame and christened the complete motorcycle the Mark 3 , which utilised either a Triumph or Matchless engine . Rickman motocross bikes became highly prized , and the bulk of them were shipped to America to supply the burgeoning sport of motocross in the 1960s and 1970s . Rickman machines were 30 to 40 pounds lighter than the standard versions and also looked beautiful and compact with nickelplated , high-quality , large-diameter Reynolds 531 tubing carrying the engine oil inside the frame itself . BSA in America came to the Rickmans and commissioned them to build 125 and 250 cc motocross bikes . They found 250 Montesa and 125 Zündapp engines they could buy and produced prototypes - and BSA America decided to import them . At one point , Rickman was producing nearly 4,000 bikes a year that went mainly to America . When the British motorcycle industry went bust , the Rickmans found themselves standing as the biggest motorcycle producer in England . Following the urging of a major sponsor , the brothers also built road racers and they really took off in the late 1960s and early 1970s when the Japanese companies began producing big , multi-cylinder motorcycles such as the Honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z1 . " The Japanese produced very good engines , but they put much less attention into their chassis ," Derek once explained . " We developed our own frames to accept those new fourcylinder engines . Our kits handled very well as compared to the production models . We also produced kits for Triumph engines as well ." The Rickman Honda and Kawasaki , with nickel-plated frames , powerful disc brakes and Rickman-made fibreglass fairings , were some of the most beautiful and highly desirable motorcycles of the 1970s and found great success in competition . A Rickman Triumph ridden by Alan Barnett finished second at the Isle of Man in 1969 . Rickman developed a loyal following , but eventually the market changed with the Japanese manufacturers improving their motocross machines by adapting many of the concepts the Rickmans pioneered . By the early 1980s , Japanese manufacturers had greatly improved their sport bike chassis designs , and although the Rickmans diversified , the brothers sold their business in the mid-1980s .
INTERNATIONAL DEALER NEWS - AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2021 9