Beautiful Bike, Check It Out

[socalhodaka 104]

At one time I owned these two Rickman Hodaka's. This first one here is all original but the front rim and I hope to restore the bike some day. Now these Rickman's are special because they only made 100.

This on I picked up from someone at the old Carlsbad Raceway and as you can see is a little rough. But still a Rickman and 1 of 100. I ended up trading this one for my KTM 520

Now look at this thing, the guy sent these to me today.

[ARGMISTER 0]

Geez, does that make you sad that he now has those gorgeous, rare rides or happy they are what they used to be or better once again? i would cry a bit.

[socalhodaka 104]

Geez, does that make you sad that he now has those gorgeous, rare rides or happy they are what they used to be or better once again? i would cry a bit.

No, I only traded the ratty looking one for the KTM. I still have the other, now it just makes me want to get started on restoring the one I kept. This one.

[Strega 0]

That's awesome

[kellymac530 0]

absolutely gorgeous, a bike i guaranty i WILL own before i die is a rickman matiesse with the triumph and a penton

[dirt dame 559]

Tee hee....Curnutts.

[ARGMISTER 0]

o so i guess seeing those is just motivation now. get to it, chop chop.

[650hucker 0]

Curnutts? Those are curnutt shocks?

[dirt dame 559]

Curnutts? Those are curnutt shocks?

They sure look like the "red squeakers" in that picture.

[650hucker 0]

Interesting. Curnnutt is now one of the BEST MTB suspension makers around...

But man, that bike is beautiful...

My dad wasn't aware that the Rickman's were so rare, he's seen alot of them, or so he says. Is this particular model that's rare?

[dirt dame 559]

Back in the day, if you rode a desert bike, you called Charlie Curnutt up and ordered yourself a set of his shocks. They were not the best for motocross, but were very plush for cross country riding and racing. The shocks were distinctive for the red springs that came on them and the squeaking noise they made when said springs rubbed on the shock bodies when the suspension went up and down.

[650hucker 0]

Can someone educate me here, Why is there so much rake on the older trail bikes, like this hodaka? Seems like it puts a lot of un-needed stress on the headtube.

But then again, back then, not to many people jumped these bikes, so the extra rake probably helped to soak up bumps...right?

And now, the axle is in front of the wheel, so the trail is probably still close to the same?

[socalhodaka 104]

I think it an maybe it looks like alot because the older style forks with non leading axle, right with the leading axle of the fork now the offset of the triples are back so the trail and rake may still be close to what works best.

[kevinsinvegas 0]

Very sweet bikes!!!

Will they ride the fully restored Rickman? SoCal Do you still ride yours?

Quick thread Jack...

When I was a kid, Charlie Curnutt built a Closed course off-road buggy, it had a 1200cc Kawi motor, with rear shocks that were about 3' long. He raced it here in Las Vegas at what was then called the Speedrome (near the new speedway). They were killing everyone, but every race he would break before the finish.

I think it was HDRA or a SNORE race. In Class 10, at the time, all you had to do was maintain 1200cc, and you could do anything else you check book would allow.

That Kawi would rev so much faster than the VW's it wasn't even a race, but he couldn't keep it together for the whole race. Charlie was the talk of the track that weekend. I don't remember ever seeing that car again.

Thread Jack over.

[kellymac530 0]

Can someone educate me here, Why is there so much rake on the older trail bikes, like this hodaka? Seems like it puts a lot of un-needed stress on the headtube.

But then again, back then, not to many people jumped these bikes, so the extra rake probably helped to soak up bumps...right?

And now, the axle is in front of the wheel, so the trail is probably still close to the same?

part of the rake is because that bike was built more as a desert racing bike not a mx bike so the extra rake really made the bike stable at high speeds.

in the old days you rode a little farther back in the saddle than you do now in mx so the extra rake helped the cornering, plus the center of gravity was lower on old bikes so the steering geometry was way different than now

[socalhodaka 104]

Very sweet bikes!!!

Will they ride the fully restored Rickman? SoCal Do you still ride yours?

I would only ride a restore Rickman Hodaka in a parade. Before the economy went bad a Rickman Hodaka sold for a bit over TEN grand on ebay.

[lemieuxmc@yahoo.com 0]

Who are you and what is your quest?

I seek the grail, and a Rickman Hodaka, a Rickman Sachs, a Rickman Montesa round case, a Rickman B50, a 650 Metisse(BSA and Triumph), a Rickman kitted CB750, and a Z1.

Pass on brave knight, and God bless you in your quest!

Got a Cheney or a Clews?

No... go fish!

Seen a Vincati?

[Zenosan 2]

Back in the day, if you rode a desert bike, you called Charlie Curnutt up and ordered yourself a set of his shocks. They were not the best for motocross, but were very plush for cross country riding and racing. The shocks were distinctive for the red springs that came on them and the squeaking noise they made when said springs rubbed on the shock bodies when the suspension went up and down.

I have Curnutts on two of my desert Vintage Huskys. Yes they are plush, yes they have red springs and yes they squeak.