Post Sale Update: This Rickman did not meet reserve despite 13 bids up to $13,100. When it was relisted, it had the same number of bids up to $14,100…still not enough to make reserve.
The Rickman brothers made a name for themselves by building incredible frames to put (usually) Triumph motors in, but in the 70s they also expanded to building frames for Japanese bikes like the Kawasaki Z1 and the Honda CB750. This is one of the latter, which can be summarized from a quote from the Rickman brothers themselves:
“The Japanese produced very good engines, but they put much less attention into their chassis,” “We developed our own frames to accept those new four-cylinder engines. Our kits handled very well as compared to the production models.”
The engines were left untouched, so you got the usual 736cc inline four that produced 67 horsepower. But instead of a bike that some described as “wobbly” at 90 mph, the Rickman frame (made out of 531 Reynolds manganese-molybdenum) made this bike sure-footed at even three-digit speeds. For more on the Rickman Honda CR750, check out this article from Motorcycle Classics.
This example (VIN: 4148G) has 8,049 miles and it was a “careful build of a complete kit to correct period specifications.” The engine was rebuilt and now displaces 810cc with a Norris cam. The seller says the “goal was to build a Rickman CR motorcycle as it would have appeared to enthusiasts of the day,” which is why it features a NOS HM300 exhaust system, new Dunlop K71 tires, and the Stadium mirrors which were sourced from England. THe tank has been Caswell-lined, the wheels were rebuilt, and all of the bodywork is original. This bike is claimed to run with no issues and it spend the last year as part of a “Beauty of the Beast” exhibit at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, Massachusetts.
Find this CR750 for sale in Mount Kisco, New York with bidding up to $10,657 and the reserve not yet met