Chuck78
Been Around the Block
I just hauled home 600 miles one way an abandoned old Rickman CR900 (1000?) project from Georgia, that was being built I believe by the late John Cordona of Fours 'N More fame (they built many custom bikes featured in old vintage motorcycle magazines in the 80's). The owner passed away before finising the frame repairs and modifications according to the shop that has had this in storage since then for many many years, and due to repairing the typical pre-Predator frame cracks at the headstock lower cradle tube braze joints, the serial number tag was removed to braze on several reinforcing gussets in this area, the Kawasaki engine mounts were modified, deleted, and/or relocated to add Suzuki GS1100E engine mounts. I got this with the original swingarm, a custom cromoly swingarm, a Morris rear mag, sprocket, and rotor, the original AP Lockheed (AP Racing) rear brake setup, a nicely reupholstered seat done by Corbin with "John Cordona, job #______, Fours n More" on sticker tags on the underside. Also most of the rearsets and extra parts, a solo (long stretched version 1975+) steel fuel tank missing it's fiberglass cover, and a misc box of old motor mount brackets and new custom made brackets.
I have found a few places that offer most fiberglass body parts and fiberglass tanks for them, the guy in India that makes the repro polished aluminum stretched solo seat gas tanks, and sources of decals. I have not found anyone who makes the reproduction stretched solo seat gas tank covers for the 1975+ models that have the steel fuel cell with the fiberglass cover. The no longer maintained Rickman.be website has a photo of a reproduction for sale for 200 Euro, but the email bounces and the site seems to have been defunct for some time. Airtech and one or two places in England/Australia/etc seem to sell the stuff as well. Just looking for that cover though...
AP Racing (formerly AP Lockheed) still manufacture basically the same brakes, and have parts for the identical looking originals.
Rickman Motorcycles lists the chain adjusting swingarm pivot mounting washers on their website parts list still, but I have yet to recieve an email reply from them to buy some, and Tom from Rice Paddy said he heard back from them but they told him to try and get them from some place in the US that never returned his calls...
I really want to find one of these so my original fuel tank doesn't go to waste, and so that I don't have to buy a used or new fiberglass tank and worry about Ethanol eating it, or worry about crashing and cracking it, leading to fuel on hot exhaust or ignited by sparks! The reason the all glass tanks were outlawed in England in 1975...
Anyone know where this repro came from, and if they are still available?
Also looking for tips on who manufactured the wire spoke wheel hubs, PARTICULARLY THE REAR. I have read many times that they are Borrani alloy shouldered rims, but never a mention of the hubs other than "Borrani wheels." Were they aluminum, or magnesium hubs? The photos I have seen up close show a straight spoke type hub, no 90 degree elbow bend to wrap through the hub flange and cause a weak spot for the spoke to break. This is all I have:
There are several sources of tank decals, so that is plus. I believe it is sonrier that makes the custom speedo/tach face decals from here that makes the decals.
I have found a few places that offer most fiberglass body parts and fiberglass tanks for them, the guy in India that makes the repro polished aluminum stretched solo seat gas tanks, and sources of decals. I have not found anyone who makes the reproduction stretched solo seat gas tank covers for the 1975+ models that have the steel fuel cell with the fiberglass cover. The no longer maintained Rickman.be website has a photo of a reproduction for sale for 200 Euro, but the email bounces and the site seems to have been defunct for some time. Airtech and one or two places in England/Australia/etc seem to sell the stuff as well. Just looking for that cover though...
AP Racing (formerly AP Lockheed) still manufacture basically the same brakes, and have parts for the identical looking originals.
Rickman Motorcycles lists the chain adjusting swingarm pivot mounting washers on their website parts list still, but I have yet to recieve an email reply from them to buy some, and Tom from Rice Paddy said he heard back from them but they told him to try and get them from some place in the US that never returned his calls...
I really want to find one of these so my original fuel tank doesn't go to waste, and so that I don't have to buy a used or new fiberglass tank and worry about Ethanol eating it, or worry about crashing and cracking it, leading to fuel on hot exhaust or ignited by sparks! The reason the all glass tanks were outlawed in England in 1975...
Anyone know where this repro came from, and if they are still available?
Also looking for tips on who manufactured the wire spoke wheel hubs, PARTICULARLY THE REAR. I have read many times that they are Borrani alloy shouldered rims, but never a mention of the hubs other than "Borrani wheels." Were they aluminum, or magnesium hubs? The photos I have seen up close show a straight spoke type hub, no 90 degree elbow bend to wrap through the hub flange and cause a weak spot for the spoke to break. This is all I have:
There are several sources of tank decals, so that is plus. I believe it is sonrier that makes the custom speedo/tach face decals from here that makes the decals.