Motorcycle class question

[F-Head]

Would a Triumph engine in a Rickman chassis be classed as production, prod mod if changes were made OR special construction? Rickman made motorcycles in the 1970s but bought engines in, as did some other manufacturers.
The classification of course affects other considerations.
Maybe someone has tackled this previously but there are certainly no records held by a Rickman.
Thanks in advance.

[manta22]

Back in her Hippie days in Boulder, CO my sister rode a Rickman with a 500cc Triumph engine. It was a low-volume production bike.

[Queeziryder]

Rickman Brothers are still in business today.
If you send them the frame number they will tell you the date of manufacture

[F-Head]

Class designation for production and modified production classes states that the engine and frame must be from the same manufacturer.

So although Rickman manufactured chassis, and later supplied complete machines with several manufacturers engines, my question relates to what class they would run in. Thanks.

[Stan Back]

. . . read your first statement?

[Stainless1]

Stan is not a bike guru... but I think he is right.... special construction...
Your assumption that no Rickman has a record is flawed... most are classed by motor type not frame...  it's not a Rickman, it's a Triumph with a Rickman Frame

[F-Head]

Ok thanks. The bike is registered as a Rickman, hence the question. Appreciate the answer.

[Koncretekid]

You say it is registered as a Rickman, but is it titled as a Rickman?  If so, it might be considered "Production", but only if 500 or more Rickmans were produced available to the public.  The SCTA rulebook doesn't say that "500 or more" of any specific model must have been produced, so if Rickman sold 500 or more bikes available to the public, it would be worth sending the question to SCTA technical people.  After all, I'm not sure Vincent made 500 Black Lightnings, but I would think they are considered to be a qualified Production model. Also, Matchless made models with Rotax motors in the later years, and Indian sold models with Royal Enfield motors (I don't know if these variants are considered Production either).
Tom

[F-Head]

Thanks Tom. Yes titled as Rickman.
They made over 16,000 frame kits and complete bikes. It wasn't just a shed operation. Appreciate your help, it is probably a question for the tech guys.
Cheers, Ian

[edinlr]

As to your question about the class, it would be production pushrod in SCTA P/PP.  Not sure where it would be in the Bonneville Speed group, maybe in a classic class.

[F-Head]

Thanks again.

[desotoman]

Thanks Tom. Yes titled as Rickman.
They made over 16,000 frame kits and complete bikes. It wasn't just a shed operation. Appreciate your help, it is probably a question for the tech guys.
Cheers, Ian

Hello Ian, I know a little about the Rickman brand, but did not follow them much after they started making road frames for the Japanese motorcycle engines with I believe the designation CR in the title. With that said most of the bikes before that were off road and a few road bike kits, which I was told dealers would put motors in to sell them as a complete bike. The only complete road motorcycle that Rickman made to my knowledge was 200 Rickman road frames with Royal Enfield motors. And the only reason those were made was because Royal Enfield went into bankruptcy and Rickman was able to buy 200 motors at a bargain price, which they did and made a frame for those motors and sold them as a complete motorcycle.

Yes they were hoping to be a complete motorcycle manufacturer as they had Westlake making a bottom end for the 8 valve Conversion Kit they had available for the triumph 650 motor, but the money ran out, and Westlake finished the motor and it was called the Westlake Twin and later sold to Dave Nourish and known as the Nourish twin.

Yes I also have a Title that says Rickman, but only because I registered the bike without a motor, and it is an early road frame that can take a Triumph, BSA, Norton or Westlake-Nourish Motor.

Yes this is definitely a question for the tech guys.

All the best,

Tom G.