Two events popped up recently that I wanted to attend, a Vintage Scramble day and also the Chopped festival.
The vintage scramble day allowed me to get the 1969 Rickman Metisse out for a round of racing.
The setting was Gellibrand in rural Victoria.
A grass track event with natural terrain that suited the conditions perfectly.
A field of vintage motorcycles filling the valley with the sounds of the 1960’s and 70’s motocross.
The Triumph 650 engine in the Rickman Metisse frame absolutely hauls and the bike handles amazingly well.
The Rickman Metisse was the first dedicated motocross bike that paved the way for rapid development in the 1960’s and 70’s.
In the early 1970’s many motocross bikes developed into lighter and more nimbler machines capable of impressive speed.
To see all these bikes still racing is a testament to their owners dedication.
Don’t for one second think these bikes are slow and uncompetitive, it was truly impressive the speed that these guys had.
Such a great day out on the bike, as the track roughed up it really gave me a workout. I think a big part of this is getting to feel what the pioneers of this sport went through.