Kawasaki Sportsbike Riders Club - Australia - Online Forum

Thought I might introduce myself with a photo of my dads rickman

He also rides a z1, and was part of the formation of the zowners club up at bells line rd he tells me
Now I'm riding my first registered bike, a z650 F1
Bought the bike running, but cam chain needed replacing, so thats done and a port an polish, set of rings, hopefully 29mm carbs. I'd like to do a twin disk conversion, new rear shocks, and tidy her up. Like to ride her everyday the suns out.

Few days after I got it, love these bikes

I havent seen a Rickman Z1 for years!!!

I think its dangerously beautiful
has 2 Tingate alloy tanks, 1 for a two up option with different seat and tail

Welcome and sweet rides.

Nice

Hi Zedd welcome aboard mate

Nice Rickman, it looks to be in better nick than the last few I have seen around the place.......bare alloy tanks look the biz !

The 650 seems to be in good nick as well....... looks like a 1980 model - it should have dual discs already, and a drum rear ?

You're right, its a 1980 F1, only has single disk and drum rear though? I bought it off an old dude in Ulladulla who had owned it for 9 years. He was a boiler marker, though no mechanic...

Yeah the Rickman looks better in person (and mine worse), my dad is a perfectionist and likes to fabricate everything. The seat and tail has nifty attachment to the frame for easy removal. I think its a big bore, 1100 or something, not sure. The thing is very quick. Though he doesnt see himself riding it much due to a bad back


some earlier shots

have to click these
http://i38.tinypic.com/29az8dl.jpg
http://i36.tinypic.com/20t31hf.jpg

that Rickman looks great in the other photos.......no chain fitted at the moment ?

1100 kits make these old girls go pretty hard, he must have fitted some 1000cc barrels and had those bored out....and it looks like an oil-cooler has been fitted as well, gotta have one of these when you bore them out....

Easy enough to fix the dual disc front end, those front rotors can be found easily enough, you just need one of these and the caliper, 2 brake lines and the splitter that bolts to the front of the lower triple clamp.....I have an F1 650 as well, picked it up off ebay a few years ago, there is a thread about it here

Rod Tingate's work is always lovely. He showed me the GP bike he made years ago. Now that's an interesting bike.

Had myself a Rickman....... many many moons ago.

was Kwaka Green with a honda 750 four motor.

Motor was worked as, 45mm dual throat carbs. All yoshimura go fast bits

and Fugging Fast it was... But handle ...was brilliant.

When i was young and stupid, basically gave it way

The second pictures I posted were before it was finished. Yeah heard all about Rods work, and life as a gp mechanic. Went to his place many years ago to get these tanks made up.
What were the Rickmans in the 70s, compared to bikes on the market today like? I mean what bike today is like what the rickman and alike were like back then (..too many wines).

I'm thinking I might have to look at the states (ebay.com) for 650 parts, nothing new is popping up here.. Going to go liverpool bike wreckers sometime soon. I'll check out your thread now gos

Hopefully soon Ill get some nice photos of our bikes together. And any detailed photos anyone might want

Seem to hear that story alot Rustyas, GTs and Monaros given away for a case of beer haha
I'd hate to see my dad give this bike up just because he can't ride it all the time. But maybe it will enable him to do/get something else he'll enjoy more..

Zedd wrote:.....What were the Rickmans in the 70s, compared to bikes on the market today like? I mean what bike today is like what the rickman and alike were like back then (..too many wines)......

Its hard to compare really, because back in the 70's, not many Jap bikes handled very well ( RD Yamaha series being an exception to that rule) - so frame builders like Rickman and Egli, and later on Spondon, Harris and Bimota - all made good frame kits for Jap bikes.

These days - every Jap bike handles well, even the cruisers - so there is basically *no* market at all, for banging late-model motors into custom frames - not like they used to do in the 70's anyway.

Back then, if you had a Rickman kwakka or Honda, or an Egli Vincent - well these were the top of the food chain really.

US ebay is your friend for all the bits you need. Also, Penrith Wreckers do a lot of early stuff, so you may find some bits there. Findapart.com is also worth a nudge for local wreckers, but bits for these old bikes are slowly getting harder to find....

The only bike wreckers I know, on coreen ave, has shut down for good.
Liverpool bike wreckers is in emu plains, which is right next to 'the rith'

So did you end up swapping the front end on ur 650?

Here's what they looked like fresh & standard, cast wheels where the big wad release of the day. The alloy tank in your pics Zedd is in fact a Rickman optional extra, on the standard model above the tank is actually a very ugly squarish steel box under that fiberglass cover.



I have one but unfortunately its the "other" flavour". Pic here is on its way to Broadford for a track day. It actually handles pretty well for a 70s bike but unfortunately there is a lot of British engineering when it comes to things like brackets and chain adjustment.