Almost Perfect: 1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR

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1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR
1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR
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The Mac 4-into-1 exhaust system is sharp and crisp at low rpm, but strong and throaty at high rpm.
The Mac 4-into-1 exhaust system is sharp and crisp at low rpm, but strong and throaty at high rpm.
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The Mac 4-into-1 exhaust system is sharp and crisp at low rpm, but strong and throaty at high rpm.
The Mac 4-into-1 exhaust system is sharp and crisp at low rpm, but strong and throaty at high rpm.
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1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR
1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR
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Mike Vandertie’s Rickman
Mike Vandertie’s Rickman
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1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR
1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR
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A well-loved machine, Mike’s Rickman still gets ridden fairly hard. “That’s what makes the bike fun to ride,” Mike says.
A well-loved machine, Mike’s Rickman still gets ridden fairly hard. “That’s what makes the bike fun to ride,” Mike says.

1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR
Claimed power: 83hp @ 8,000rpm (claimed)
Top speed: 130mph (period test)
Engine: 1,016cc air-cooled DOHC inline four, 70mm x 66mm bore and stroke, 8.7:1 compression ratio
Weight (wet/approx.):479lb (217kg)
Fuel capacity/MPG:4.8gal (18.2ltr)/35-50mpg
Price then/now: $1,335 (kit only)/$8,000-$18,000 (complete bike)

Nothing’s ever perfect, even though it sure might look cool. At least, that’s how Mike Vandertie feels about his 1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR.

Depending on what you read, the CR denotes either Competition Replica or Café Racer. Although most famous for their offroad Metisse scrambler, English duo Derek and Don Rickman of Rickman Bros. Ltd. also built special road-going frames for a series of engines, beginning with powerplants from Triumph and Royal Enfield. As the motorcycle market shifted to embrace inline 4-cylinder Japanese machines, the Rickmans turned to creating frames for Honda’s wildly successful CB750 and Kawasaki’s even bigger Z1 900. Their goal, ostensibly, was to improve the handling of a select few machines of the mid-1970s.

There is no question the Rickmans were successful in their bid to improve the handling characteristics of the big Japanese fours, but, as Mike explains, the end results might have been a little less than ideal. “It’s a motorcycle that’s comfortable to ride at speed on a smooth, twisty highway,” he says, adding, “but it’s a pain in the ass around town or in parking lot traffic. I’d wager anyone over 5-foot 8-inches isn’t going to enjoy a ride more than 100 miles long. The bike is just cramped.” But that doesn’t spoil the thrill for Mike, who’s quick to add: “That said, when the road is good, the machine makes you feel like you’re a café racer — and I’m not!”

It’s in the handling

  • Published on Dec 11, 2014
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