Revival Build Bio

Derek and Don Rickman founded Rickman Motorcycles in the 1960’s designing frames for scramblers and road racing and eventually street-legal road bikes. The brothers manufactured fiberglass and nickel-plated kits that became known as “Metisse” frames from 1960 through to 1975.

Initially building frame kits to accommodate Triumph, BSA, and Matchless engines, when Royal Enfield folded in 1970, they acquired enough Royal Enfield engines to build 137 Rickman Interceptors. A year later, Rickman started making complete bikes with 100 cc Japanese Hodaka engines, 125 cc German Zundapp, and 250 cc Spanish Montesas.

Rickman was awarded the “Queen’s Award to Industry” in 1974 and continued to build complete bikes with a focus on Japanese motors from Honda, Suzuki, and Kawasaki. By 1975 they ended their motorcycle production and focused on accessories until they sold it off in the 80’s creating the MRD Metisse accessory company.

Derek and Don Rickman were inducted into the A.M.A. Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2007.

Ensuring we paid homage to the Rickman Brothers’ legacy, this build was a Rickman-Metisse road racing frame with a 1960 Velocette Venom 500 cc engine shrouded in hand formed alloy bodywork. Built to be a beautifully finished and competitive road racing bike as they were in the early 60’s. This is really the first bike we’ve ever built that deserves the title “cafe racer."

Build Specs

• Revival Cycles built frame
• Retrofitted Benelli gas tank
• Suzuki GSXR forks/brakes
• Custom SS exhaust
• Yamaha RD400 wheels

Starting Platform

• Manufacturer: Velocette
• Year: 1960
• Model: Venom

Chassis

• Weight (wet): 275 lbs
• Material: 4130 Chrome-moly tubing, nickel plated
• Rickman - Metisse 1960’s road racing frame
• Oil in frame design
• Custom fabricated electrical mounting brackets
• Custom fabricated bodywork mounts
• Recess mounted tail and brake light into rear hoop
• Nickel plated frame and swingarm

Body Work

• Hand formed alloy front fairing
• Custom shaped plexiglass windscreen
• Polished stainless steel fairing support brackets
• Hand formed alloy fuel tank
• Hand formed alloy tail section
• Hand formed alloy front and rear fenders. All pieces built using 3003 sheet aluminum
• Hand formed polished stainless steel fender mounting brackets front and rear

Revival Cycles Designed Parts

• Anti-Gravity 4-cell battery mount
• Revival Cycles wiring kit

Suspension

• Front: Ceriani OT35 EVO R drum racing forks with polished 4-piece stanchion and aluminum top nut
• Tubes guided by low friction DU bushings for the lowest stiction
• Sealed cartridge hydraulics designed
• Adjustable preload and damping settings
• Ceriani GP racing triple clamps
• Ceriani GP racing friction damper
• Rear: Custom built Ikon racing shocks

Wheels

• Front:
• Hub: Fontana Midsize replica in Magnesium, 4LS drum brake, 210mm
• Rim: Excel Shouldered 19” x 2.15”
• Spokes: 36 spoke, stainless steel
• Rear:
• Hub: Triumph Trident conical rear drum
• Sprocket Carrier
• Rim: Excel Shouldered 19” x 2.15”
• Spokes: 36 spoke, stainless steel

Tires

• Front: Avon Roadrunner 90/90/19
• Rear: Avon Roadrunner 4.10 / 19

Electrical

• MotoGadget mo.Unit
• LED Supernova tail light
• Vintage Miller bicycle headlight, retrofitted with H4 bulb
• Mini recess mounted brake light switch front/rear
• MotoGadget push buttons

Ignition System

• Grove Classic electronic ignition kit with coil

Charging System

• Alton alternator conversion to 12V

Engine

• Velocette Venom 500cc engine
• Polished engine cases
• Dual plug cylinder head
• High compression piston
• Ported head
• Amal concentric carburetor
• KTT belt drive primary
• Polished transmission case
• Blueprinted transmission
• Custom made oil lines
• Hand formed breather box in tail section
• Hand formed stainless steel exhaust with megaphone silencer

Controls

Handlebars

• Tommaselli clip-ons

Throttle

• Domino throttle assembly

Front Brake

• Magura radial master cylinder

Clutch

• Magura cable pull clutch lever assembly

Brakes

• Front: Fontana replica midsize 4LS Magnesium drum brake
• Rear: Triumph Trident Conical twin shoe drum, polished

Instrumentation

• Vintage Smith’s tachometer
• Custom made stainless steel mounting bracket
• Vintage mini toggle with LED indicator
• MotoGadget push buttons