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Rickman
(Guy 'Guido' Allen, February 2025)
Random brochure for the
day: the 1975 Rickman Brothers CR Kawasaki Z1 rolling
chassis for the discerning nutter.
The UK company supplied
one of its famous frames, complete with wheels,
suspension and Lockheed disc brakes at both ends, plus
the bodywork.
This brochure says you
use the original Kawasaki sidecovers, however the
company soon changed that and went with its own.
You of course supplied
the rest, including engine, wiring and lights. Many
self-respecting modifiers would have ditched the epic
four-into-four exhaust system for a more rorty
four-into-one.
The end result was that
racy look with a shorter wheelbase promising more
nimble and better-sorted handling. Those wheelbase
numbers: 1435mm/56.5in versus 1499mm/59in stock.
A little fuel capacity
was also lost with the switch to the long and low
'Grand Prix' fibreglass tank: 19lt/4.2 UK gallons/5.0
US gallons versus 21/4.7/5.6
You had to be committed to go the
full kit, which was a pricey exercise that
could double the cost of the original
machine by the time you got help to sort it.
Plenty of folk were content with the more
economical approach of just sourcing cafe racer
fairings and seats from folks like Rickman and
Dunstall.
A very faithful example, albeit in
a lighter colour than stock, turned up at auction
in the USA earlier this year via Mecum. It sold
for Au$29,400 (US$18,700, GB£14,800). Part
of a much bigger collection, it was easily the
best example we've seen and we reckon was a great
buy.
See the Motorcycle
Classics review of a similar machine.
See the Classic
Two Wheels period Z1 test
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