Wasp Motorcycles is a motorcycle and sidecar manufacturer based in Berwick St James, near Salisbury, England.
It specialises in building competition solo and sidecar machines for motocross, trials and sidecar grasstrack, as well as the Wasp 3 Wheel Freedom for disabled riders.
Wasp first saw racing success in 1971, when it won the European Championship. Wasp sidecars have been the winning chassis eight times in the FIM Sidecarcross European and World Championship. In 1972, all of the top eight places in the European Championship were riding Wasp outfits.
|
Type |
Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motorcycle |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Founder | Robin Rhind-Tutt |
| Headquarters | Berwick St James, Salisbury,Wiltshire, United Kingdom |
| Products | Motorcycle sidecars and frames |
| Website | Wasp Motorcycles |
History
Wasp Motorcycles began its story in the early 1960’s. During the day, Rob (Charles)Rhind-tutt was serving his apprenticeship making aircraft instruments at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. In his spare time, Rob raced a sidecar outfit in the Southern Centre grasstrack club with his passenger Philip Coles. At that time the bikes raced were mainly modified road machines. Around 1962, Rob made his own frame and sidecar, specifically designed for grasstrack racing. And so it began.
50 years on and around 5000 frames made, including solo’s, sidecar’s and quads across the range of motorcycle sport. There have been a total of 41 models of Wasp machines for Grasstrack, motorcross, speedway and roadrace, plus numerous bespoke and replica frames made . Wasp continue making frames to order, using the same methods, the same jigs making eligibility for period racing class easy.
A Wasp/BSA motocross sidecar outfit ridden by former world motocross champion Dave Bickers was used in the 1979 World War II film Escape to Athena, disguised to look like a German military BMW R75.
Products
Wasp manufacture and modify sidecar motocross, sidecar grasstrack ('side-car-cross'), and solo motocross motorcycles. They also produce motorcycle leading link suspension for sidecars and fork conversion kits for road bikes, which improve braking and handling; and manufacture Métisse frames pioneered by Rickman Motorcycles.
Wasp 3 Wheel Freedom
The 3 Wheel Freedom is designed for use by disabled riders, including paraplegic motorcyclists, and has an electrically operated ramp to help access. With a tubular space frame bonded tofibreglass body it has independent suspension and a twin-piston brake connected to the motorcycle brakes. The design of the sidecar enables it to carry a wheelchair and it can be attached to any motorcycle of over 500 cc.
