Rickman pictures
Below is an excerpt from the Enfield club site:
| Most of the stories about Rickman Interceptors seem to start by describing Enfield's demise, resulting in left-over engines needing a new home - even a Classic Bike article in 1992 can be quoted: " ...it began, to cut a long story short, as one of those accidents of history. When Enfield stopped making motorcycles and left 200- odd Series II Interceptor engines stranded at the dock en route to Indian in the States..." |
An interesting theory, I can't but wonder what Indian USA were going to do with Series II engines in 1970? The last genuine Indian Enfield went through the Indian doors in 1959! The truth, and longer story, is far more interesting. The demise was literally of Floyd Clymer in January 1970, thus ending the first Indian revival, begun in 1967. The Series II Interceptor engines were destined for the Clymer Indian Enfield 750, and going to Italy for assembly. They never left Mitchell's of Birmingham, who were an import/export agents acting on Floyd's behalf. They had ordered and received these engines from the Enfield factory, and after Floyd's death became vitally interested in disposing of them without enduring a loss. They approached the Rickman brothers for a chassis, and the Rickman-Interceptor was born - necessity is truly the mother of invention.
My bike was purchased from the first owner and has only 1700 miles on it. He had it parked for 20 years next to a Vincent Rapide (which I certainly would have hocked my truck) to buy had I shown up one week before ($9500.....) This fellow was a true enthusiast/ entrepaneur and we had a great time talking about bikes. As he was retiring, he wanted to thin the garage out. Notice all the funny brackets on the bike. He was in the business of making luggage carriers for bikes and ATV's and had mounted a genuine Rickman fairing on the bike. I have the fairing, but am returning the bike to its original non-fairing bugs in the teeth status.
Rickman Enfield detail shots:
Rt side Rt engine Lt front Rt rear low shot Rt front high shot Lt steering head
Rickman Zundapp 125cc 6-day trials
RedRock Rally pictures of Rickman Enfield. Bike detailed by Lee Robertson and Jim Schnettler.
