RIDING A CLASSIC MX The wise heads of Pete Galpin and Tim Gibbes have the details well and truly covered on the Rickman Metisse . So , my job is to try and tell you what it ’ s like to ride . But , first up , it really is a stunning looking old beast ! It is beautifully made ; the frame is a work of art with amazing attention to detail and the quality of the welding is first class . Certainly , it puts to shame some modern-day robot welding I ’ ve seen ... and we are talking about a 60-yearold bike here . The engine , a Triumph 650 parallel twin , has cool-looking straight pipes that run down each side of the bike . I was expecting a seriously loud exhaust note and hoping for somewhat of a symphony when it burst in to life . Happily , Pete kick-started the machine for me ... I can ’ t remember the last time I kicked a bike over – it ’ s just not a thing now-a-days . The old girl started easily , but I did notice he followed a wellpracticed procedure ... I ’ m sure it wouldn ’ t be quite so easy for the uninitiated . It wasn ’ t as loud as I expected . It has somewhat muted and yet glorious tones . It sounds truly wonderful . A deep , pulsating and meaningful growl is your happy companion , not the nasty loud and ear-splitting racket of modern MX race machines . The Metisse is not too tall . The fuel tank is slim and the seat very comfortable . The engine is reasonably wide , which is noticeable and , because the tank is slim , it ’ s not an easy bike to grip with your legs . The foot pegs are welded to the engine cases and mounted quite a way forward , this compromises the standing position too . The bars are nice and comfortable and the controls work well . All is somewhat normal . The brakes are drum and have quite good feel , but are by no means powerful for this heavy machine . Overall , the ergos are a bit odd compared to a modern machine . However , it ’ s still quite business-like and fantastic really when I consider it ’ s older than me . In its day , it was truly cutting edge , so some lesser brands must have been an extraordinary challenge to race ! And ... remember MXGPs back then were THREE
45-minute moto ’ s plus TWO laps ! Tell that to today ’ s nancy boys . I have nothing but complete respect for those early racers . Pete warned me about the left side rear braking pedal and right side shifting . This is a tricky thing all on its own . But then you add in a shift pattern that needs a down shift to go up a gear and everything gets a whole lot more
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