What Chelsea did next
Regular readers may remember my story from November 2018’s issue of The Classic MotorCycle about my Wasp-framed Rickman Metisse-style motorcycle build. This account was, of course, only the beginning. One year on, I can report my motorcycle certainly has lived up to being my ‘Dream Machine.’
Looking back over the last year, I realise building this bike and dedicating myself to nine months of evenings and weekends in the workshop was truly the best decision I ever made. I have begun to understand all those articles in magazines about committed enthusiasts who devote a large part of their lives to reviving wonderful, ageing machines.
The bike project has brought much more than just a fabulous bike into my life. With my dad’s guidance I have learnt lots and met so many like-minded passionate people. Building this bike was just the beginning – since it burst into life (second kick) last June it’s been an unending education and there is surely more to come.
Those who know the Metisse story will appreciate what a revolutionary piece of kit it was as a competition bike. This was because of its lightweight frame compared to the standard offerings from Triumph – something still relevant today. In a world where bikes are getting bigger and heavier – comparing say the current Bonneville to the original, the 1960 Bonneville weighs 178kg, whilst its modern namesake weighs in at a hefty 224kg. By comparison, my Metisse weighs just 135kg. And if you are familiar with the benefits to handling and performance that light
