Rickman Motorcycles Metisse G50
Brothers Derek and Don Rickman, who were successful motocross riders in the 1950s, produced their first Mk1 Métisse motorcycle chassis in 1959.
A Métisse is a girl or woman of mixed racial heritage. In 1962, the innovative Mk 3 achieved Moto Cross des Nations wins in 250 and 500 cc Grand Prix races along with countless national events. In 1966, the Rickmans branched out into road racing by building a Métisse frame for the legendary Matchless G50 engine, the combination providing outstanding handling and speed. The first examples used AMC front forks and front brake, the latter fitted with a large cooling disc. The Rickmans then developed their own forks and, at the Earls Court Motorcycle and Cycle Show in November, 1966, the Rickman Métisse became the first production motorcycle in the world equipped with a disc front brake. The brake unit was supplied by Lockheed.
The Matchless G50 engine is a 496cc four-stroke, single-cylinder with a chain-driven single overhead camshaft in a light-alloy cylinder head and Elektron cambox. Matchless claimed that its peak output was 50bhp at 6,800rpm with maximum safe speed of 7,200rpm although tuning notes accompanying this example claim 52bhp at 7,000rpm. In the Métisse, it was equipped with a five-speed Schaffleitner gearbox modification. A period test at Silverstone achieved a top speed of 129mph (208kph) although the owner’s handbook from Matchless suggests that the G50 was capable of somewhat more than that and the Lockheed press release for the 1966 Earls Court show claimed that the Rickman was capable of 150mph (241kph).
This Métisse G50 was purchased new in England in 1966 by Bob Haldane of New Zealand, who raced it while overseas. It was first registered in New Zealand by Brian Scobie Motors of Hamilton in 1968 and then moved through a further seven New Zealand owners and racers to the most recent vendor, who had owned it since 1981. It was purchased for the NZ Classic Motorcycles collection via an auction in New Zealand in March, 2011. Following a complete rebuild, it has been entered in several classic motorcycle race meetings around New Zealand.