On the move: Metisse Triumph Steve McQueen Replica

Posted on by admin

Menus

On the move: Metisse Triumph Steve McQueen Replica
Nakamura

Metisse Triumph Steve McQueen Replica

McQueen’s Desert Racer is being built again

Content of

Steve McQueen’s lost Desert Racer is resurrected as a replica in small series. He impresses with a unique character.

Almost 30 years after Steve McQueen’s death, the fascination of his personality is unbroken. Items from the actor’s estate achieved considerable prices in 2008. His Belstaff motorcycle jacket sold for $ 32,000; the blue-tinted Persol sunglasses that he in "Thomas Crown is unbelievable" carried, reached 70,000. His Ferrari Berlinetta Lusso brought it to a proud 2.3 million. In contrast, the new price of $ 19,500 for a replica of his Rickman Metisse Desert Racer looks like pocket money.

The original was bought by motorcycle enthusiast McQueen in 1966 from the Rickman brothers in New Milton, southern England. The actor and committed racing driver is said to have owned around 200 motorcycles during his lifetime. But he was particularly taken with the machine with the Triumph TR6-Twin and the nickel-plated Metisse Mk III frame. The off-road enthusiast used the machine in desert races on the US west coast, for example the Baja California – much to the chagrin of his film producers, who would have liked to forbid him to ride a motorcycle.

In the November 1966 issue of "Popular Science" raved Steve McQueen about his Desert Racer in a comparison test: "The machine is way ahead of its time. You no longer need an oil tank because the engine oil circulates in the frame and is therefore optimally cooled. And the power of the machine – simply gigantic! I love the big four-stroke engines, but with a light and manageable chassis. The fiberglass tank and fenders keep weight down, and the Ceriani fork irones out any bumps. I’ve bent quite a few handlebars when jumping." This is where his famous motto speaks: "Racing is life – the rest is just waiting".


Nakamura

Handy, light and with studded tires, the Desert Racer only shows its true purpose on loose ground. McQueen knew why he preferred them to other motorcycles in desert races.

A few years ago, construction machinery mogul Anthony Bamford asked Gerry Lisi of Metisse Motorcycles to build a replica of McQueen’s Mk III Metisse. Bamford doesn’t ride a motorcycle, but is a fan of the actor he met at car races: Bamford runs a racing team.

This first replica was in a London showroom and generated numerous inquiries. But Bamford didn’t want to sell the machine. Then Lisi got in touch with McQueen’s son Chad and inspired him to produce a replica of the Rickman-Metisse in small series. Chad agreed to use his father’s name for this project. Lisi wants to build 300 Desert Racer replicas, many orders have already been received.

On behalf of Metisse Motorcycles, five scouts collect 300 Triumph TR6 engines from the USA and Canada and obtain the original BSA rear hubs that were installed in McQueen’s machine. The company manufactures all other parts from scratch. Lisi attaches particular importance to attention to detail: only parts that McQueen favored are used, for example the solid chrome-plated footrests. Metisse paints the machine in that striking one "Battleship Gray", that also graced the Desert Racer.

I was able to test drive a machine on the country club site next to the Metisse factory. A 35 mm Ceriani fork with 190 mm of spring travel works at the front and modern Hagon struts at the rear, which are based on the original Girling dampers. A 7-inch Triumph drum brake at the front and a BSA drum of the same size at the rear ensure the deceleration.


Nakamura

Frame and swing arm nickel-plated, engine cover polished, the manifolds gleaming chrome.

The only concession to modernity is an electronic Boyer Bransden CDI ignition, as Triumph only used in the 1970s. It is more reliable than the TR6’s contact ignition.

The starting procedure is archaic, there is no choke. First of all, the Amal Concentric carburettor has to be flooded abundantly in order to elicit a sign of life from the twin. After two or three hearty kicks on the kickstarter, the engine comes to life and shoots unmuffled sound through the manifold. The Desert Racer is reduced to the bare essentials: Who needs a silencer, light or fittings in the desert? For $ 19,500, the buyer gets a crude riot bike to go anywhere that is so politically incorrect that a warning should be on his tank.

The compact motor gives the Metisse a slim figure. It is extremely handy for a row twin; the wide, slightly curved handlebars offer a comfortable upright sitting position.

Even without a balancer shaft, the engine revised by Triumph specialist Bill Thompson shines with smooth running. Even by today’s standards, it seems quite powerful: Free of any exertion, it pulls out of deep sand holes without having to strain the four-speed transmission unduly. The drum brake in the front wheel is sufficient for the terrain; the rear one is also suitable on asphalt. I can’t say anything about the top speed, the motorcycle doesn’t have a speedometer. At least the top of the machine develops respectable performance, safe enough for a quick ride from Bastow to Vegas, like back in the 1960s.

Technical details of the Metisse Triumph Steve McQueen Replica


Nakamura

Beautiful TR6 twin with graceful manifold routing.

 Technical data Metisse Triumph Steve McQueen Replica
 
 engine
 design type

 Air-cooled two-cylinder parallel twin, two valves per

 Cylinders operated by push rods

 drilling  71 mm  Hub  82 mm  Displacement  649 cc  compression  9: 1  power  48 hp at 6700 rpm  Mixture preparation  Amal R 930/23 carburettor, Ø 23 mm      Electrical system  ignition  CDI, Boyer Bransden      Power transmission   coupling  Multi-disc oil bath  transmission  Four-speed transmission      landing gear  Frame type  Double loop frame with integrated oil tank  Front wheel guide  Telescopic fork, Ceriani, standpipe Ø 35 mm  Rear wheel guide  Two-sided swing arm made of steel, Hagon struts      mass and weight  Weight  135 kg      Manufacturer  www.metisse-motorcycles.com


The Rickman Brothers


Nakamura

The Rickman brothers, here with Gerry Lisi in the middle.

Derek (left) and Don Rickman (right) became famous in the 50s and 60s not only because of their sporting successes. They did pioneering work in motocross, especially with the development of lightweight off-road machines. The brothers have always optimized their motorcycles themselves and tried out technical modifications directly in the races. Her first self-made construction was a mix of a BSA Goldstar frame with a tuned Triumph T 100 engine, Norton fork and self-made parts made of fiberglass-reinforced plastic. They gave him the name Metisse – the French word for bastard. With this 1959 Rickman Metisse Mk I developed Derek won the Motocross of Nations in the same year. And shortly afterwards, the brothers were considered unbeatable on their uncompromising self-construction. In 1960 they put the Metisse Mk II on its wheels and worked in parallel on a lighter frame construction, which they presented in 1962 as the Metisse Mk III.

The main feature of the nickel-plated frame made of 531 Reynolds tubes was the oil tank integrated into the frame tubes. Up until the mid-1960s, the Rickman Metisse motorcycles were considered to be the lightest and fastest off-road machines. As the competition grew, Derek and Don switched to street racing. The brothers’ second great era began with their first Metisse racing machine, presented in 1966. In 1983 Pat French’s MRD Concern took over the rights to produce the Metisse frames. In 1999 he teamed up with Gerry Lisi and founded Metisse Motorcycles. Don and Derek received a late honor in 2007 when they were accepted into the "Hall of Fame" the AMA.

Short biography of Steve McQueen


archive

Steve McQueen, racing driver and actor, here with his desert racer.

Steve McQueen was born on March 24, 1930 in Beeche Grove, Indiana / USA. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was considered one of the most sought-after actors. His most famous films include "The glory seven" (1960), "Broken laces" (1963), "Bullitt" (1968) and "Thomas Crown is unbelievable" (1968). The motorcycle and car fan owned an extensive vehicle collection and drove himself races. In a Porsche 908, he finished second in the Sebring 12-hour race in 1970.

However, he was particularly fond of the desert races on the west coast of the United States, such as the 1000-mile spectacle of Baja California. In 1964 McQueen was a member of the US national team at the international six-day race in Erfurt. The eccentric actor was known for doing auto and motorcycle stunts in his films himself. The minute-long chase through the streets of San Francisco in the film is legendary "Bullitt". And in "Broken laces" he flees from the Nazis on a Triumph TR6, only the famous jump on the motorcycle over the barbed wire fence was done by a stuntman. Steve McQueen died of a heart attack in 1980 after cancer surgery.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *