Derek Rickman – a life celebrated
Competitor, manufacturer, businessman are all labels applicable to Derek Rickman. We concentrate on the ‘competitor’ bit as Dave Gittins celebrates his life.
Our pictorial tribute to Derek Rickman who lost his battle with cancer recently.
It is with great personal sadness that I have to report the death of Derek Rickman, who passed away on Saturday, July 3, 2021 aged 88. Derek – with brother Don – became a legend in his own lifetime. They were known right across the world as the Rickman brothers, manufacturers of the all-conquering Rickman Metisse motorcycle made initially for off-road, then road-racing, cafe racers, touring and the military.
Derek was the driving force in the very successful business the brothers set up in the early Sixties to make motorcycles their way after their ideas about improving existing models, particularly for offroad, were rejected by the whole British motorcycle industry – then the biggest in the world.
Derek's father, Ernie Rickman, was a professional speedway rider at Southampton, but he died in 1948 when Derek was still at boarding school in Somerset.
Derek readily claimed that while at school, and at home, more time was spent perfecting his off-road skills than academic matters. Soon after, Derek left school and started a four-year apprenticeship at Thornycroft Commercial Vehicles in Basingstoke. Weekends were devoted to riding in local trials aboard a 350 BSA. Then Derek discovered motorcycle scrambles (much more exciting) and the rest is history.
Derek's progress up the Southern Centre competitive ladder was spectacular. The 350 was joined by a 500 Gold Star; expert status soon followed, together with many victories and placings
at trade-supported events in the Southern and adjoining centres.
At the age of 19 he was a member of the British team at the very first British Grand Prix held in Gloucestershire in 1952. Derek finished in third place, ahead of the great Belgian rider, Victor Leloup.
Innovative
In 1959, after their ideas for improving British scrambles motorcycles to match those being made on the Continent, particularly in Sweden, were rejected, the brothers built their own and called it Metisse (the female of the species).
Without any advance publicity it had its debut in March 1959 and was a instant success. Motor Cycle News proclaimed to its 77,000 readers ‘Rickmans Bulbarrow Bombshell' and the die was cast.
Over the next 10 years or so the Metisse, in a variety of forms – either two- or four-stroke – was tremendously successful.
In 1966 the first 501-750cc Coupe d'europe four-stroke series was held: this was an attempt by the UK and Sweden particularly to stem the tide of two-strokes that were taking over the motocross scene at the time.
Derek Rickman was a leading light in its formation and was the first winner ahead of the great Swedish rider, Sten Lundin.
By the end of the decade the British motorcycle industry had virtually disappeared. BSA, once the biggest manufacturer in the world, was on its last legs.
But Rickman Bros (Engineering) Ltd, with Derek Rickman at the helm, was producing and exporting hundreds of machines every week, many of them bound for the American market. The company was honoured with the Queens Award to Industry for Services to Export.
In 1991, after diversifying into accessories, kit cars, Hondastyle accessories etc. during the previous decade, Derek sold the business. He and Don, who survives his elder brother, were retained as consultants.
Enthusiast
Over recent years Derek has been a regular visitor to important classic meetings, particularly at the Bonanza, at Farleigh Castle and at Mortimer. In 2007 he was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in Columbus, Ohio. The citation describes members as “the people who build, race, modify, report on, tune or otherwise tweak motorcycles”. I can't think of a more deserving recipient.
Derek is survived by his wife Eileen, four children, 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren from his extended family. Our condolences go to them.