2 Strokes Down Under

OzzyElsie wrote:

JonW wrote:Easy fix with a grinder and some steel sheet?

Vandal

BRG1200 wrote:Yer, barbarian! ;-)

Some nice sleuthing there already Ozzy. Well done.

I'm thinking they've offset the motor to clear either the chain run through the swingarm pivot area, or the pipe past the front downtube?

I think Bultacos are all single downtube frames (except the TSS) until the Bandido in the late 60's?

Have you worked out a year for this thing yet? Might be worth remembering that all the Brittish manufacturers were selling 90% of their production to the U.S. in that era, so you might be more likely to find bits over there than in the UK.

Interesting that two of the above bikes have chrome rims rather than ally's too.

Did you get a photo of the sprocket alignment issue?

ged wrote:Some nice sleuthing there already Ozzy. Well done.

All part of the hobby of Resto and custom made isn't it? Yopu find out and remember more about the bike, technically and historically, than been a mear owner.

ged wrote: I think Bultacos are all single down tube frames (except the TSS) until the Bandido in the late 60's?

The Rickman Bully was twin down tube. I think the Rickman Monty is the only single down tube Rickman.

ged wrote: Have you worked out a year for this thing yet? Might be worth remembering that all the Brittish manufacturers were selling 90% of their production to the U.S. in that era, so you might be more likely to find bits over there than in the UK.

I believe this Monty is a 1972.

I came to the same conclusion about the States. I've email a few Pommy retailers for nil return. I'm about to try Sport and Speed, I know they have the tail piece and a few other things I need.

ged wrote:Interesting that two of the above bikes have chrome rims rather than ally's too.

Strange indeed. I've got no idea why not. Rickman went to extraordinary lengths , to the determent of performance, to put ridiculously light brakes and hubs on and then steel rims. I have a front Yammy with 'mudcatchers' and the back will probably end up the same. When I was working on the back wheel this morning I noticed this.......



..... there's another $100+ onto the build.

ged wrote: Did you get a photo of the sprocket alignment issue?

I went to the wrecker this morning with calipers and a steel rule asking for an axle 15mm x 270mm. He pointed me at 3 boxes full of axles and said "knock yourself out". 15 minutes and $15 later I had an axle. Believe it all not it was literally the first I put my hand on (but spent 15 minutes to see if I could do better). Result.......



Petty good methinks - about centre of swing arm.



That side stand tab is looking pretty good as a brake torque arm anchor.

ged wrote: Did you get a photo of the sprocket alignment issue?

A visual from straight above shows the sprocket and chain guide are pretty much aligned.

I'm a happy camper.

Now for the triples.

I'm happy .

You should be happy! Lookin very good.

What sort of nick is the motor in?

ged wrote: What sort of nick is the motor in?

I've got the head bearings order and they should be here early next week - we'll then see how the triples and forks go (fingers crossed - I hope it goes as well as the rear wheel).

And THEN the engine.

I've got two to choice from, the one you can see in the Ebay shoots and a later black wrinkle cut as per....



I would prefer the black (with the left hand gear change). I'll try to sell the original 63M first to see what is what. I don't really know the condition of either in detail so I'll have to delve to find out (I think it is much of a muchness). The 63M is pretty rare but it is about buyer and seller 'meeting up'.

I'll get it up on two wheel and do some of the bodywork and some refurbishing while I test the market before choosing the engine and continuing the build.

That's Plan A.

You don't know anyone into Monty's wanting an 'almost new high performance' 63M do you?

OzzyElsie wrote:
You don't know anyone into Monty's wanting an 'almost new high performance' 63M do you?

Not off the top of my head, but the VMX boys would be all over that sort of stuff wouldn't they?

I can't believe how much you picked this up for.....

This is gonna make you puke but, about 25 years ago i was scrounging at the local bush tip and picked up a set of flanged alloy Akronts off a '70's Montessa King Scorpion. I held onto them for bloody years but I gave them away having a (moving house style) shed clear out about 5 years ago. Sorry bro!

I've got a Rickman......

.....and you haven't

Yankee Doodle came to town,
ridin on a Monty.
Stuck a finger up his... Ahem...

A POTTED HISTORY OF RICKMAN.

British brothers Don and Derek Rickman, as both Bultaco importers and top Grand Prix riders, helped forge the Spanish company’s growth in the early ’60s. In early 1963, Don Rickman became the only British finisher at the British 250 Grand Prix (he was third). Don’s triumph was achieved with a 196cc Bultaco engine tucked into a Rickman frame.

Don’s 1963 GP bike would evolve into the 1965 250cc Petite Metisse. Unlike their popular frame kits for Triumph and BSA engines, the Petite Metisses were complete bikes.

In order to get Bultaco to supply engines, the brothers had to agree to allow Bultaco to copy their frame design for production in 1966. That machine was called the Bultaco Pursang Metisse Mk1, a crude copy of the Rickman’s beautiful Petite Metisse. (I got that right )

Demand was strong for the Rickmans’ new Bultaco-powered motorcycle. Though the Rickmans had promised Bultaco not to export the machine outside of England, a “black market” quickly developed for this machine. American champion Bud Ekins and motorcycle dealer Charlie Hockie imported 24 Petite Metisses (by having the bikes shipped to the USA unassembled). The America-bound Petite Metisses, which translates from French as Small Mongrels, were unique in that they were painted British racing green instead of the Petite Metisses’ OEM yellow.

The Rickman brothers’ relationship with Bultaco came to an end soon after the Multaco Pursang Metisse was introduced. To fill the engine void, the Rickmans forged new relationships with Zundapp and Montesa. Though there was no limit on how many Zundapp 125 and Montesa 250 bikes the companies could sell, the Japanese entry into the sport in the early ’70s limited the demand for the expensive Metisses.

1965 RICKMAN BULTACO 250 FACTS
WHAT THEY COST
Only five of the Petite Metisses that were imported into America are known to exist today. Expect to pay in excess of $20,000.

MODELS
The approximately 70 English examples in yellow, and the 24 United States examples in British racing green, were all called Rickman Bultaco Petite Metisse.

By Tom White

http://motocrossactionmag.com/more-stuf ... ultaco-250

I'm a wanker.

I sit on my own for long periods, hand as a fist wrapped around a tube, stroking furiously seeking satisfaction, lots of lubrication increases the satisfaction and allows me to do it longer.........





I'm a wanker. My wife doesn't understand and I'm exhausted .

Yeah, nah.... She won't understand.

Is that the plating showing there or bare metal?

There is a Macc Lads song that involves the word plating, not like this tho...

ged wrote:
Is that the plating showing there or bare metal?

The phot was taken at night and either me or the camera ain't good enough - but it is OEM nickle plating, and looking goood

I am a wanker - I get suckered in every time.

Same this time - I saw the frame an concluded "the nickle is stuffed - I won't stuff around with that". But then.........

I saw all this hardened years old chain lube on the frame and thought "Yeah, I'll squirt that with some degreaser and hose it off"

Left overnight the degreaser didn't even dent the crud.



"okay tough guy, I'll squirt you with some WD and use a screw driver" - Yeah take that; that worked.



"I wonder what it will do if I used WD and nylon scrubber" - "hey, that's looking pretty good".

"I wonder what these tubes will clean easily" - "hey, that's looking pretty good".

...........and so I got suckered in, again.

But I have come to the conclusion the frame can be made to look pretty good - a lot damn better than it is now. Even acceptable - I think the worst (and the best) will end up behind fibreglass bodywork.

And I think the finish can be improved (more effort). I haven't used metal polish of any type yet, just WD, Nylon scrubber and elbow grease.



The good and the bad can be seen here.





The welds come up good hey, I wonder why .

The swing arm and side stand are the big issues. So I thought "okay, I'll take the swing arm and show BluChrome and ask them "how much?".

Now another job I hadn't intended to muck with - if it ain't broke......

And the pivot bolt is stuck ::).

Swingarm pivot is stuck? That shouldn't hold up a man of your skill and determination for too long Ozzy!

Rickman obviously left all those welds very prominent deliberately to show off the neatness and artisan quality of their work. Beautiful and very much testament to the era.


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I always thought those frames were 'bronze welded', which to me is actually a form of brazing, but some of those welds certainly look like steel welds. A beautiful thing indeed!

It would be a real shame to have to paint it...... like really. If you can keep the nickel plate it would certainly look right and no doubt be worth a lot more as well. If it has lasted this long, it will no doubt last another lifetime if you keep it out of the rain and store it someplace really dry.



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