Industry Motorcycle Founder Robin Rhind-Tutt Type of business Private | Website Wasp Motorcycles Founded 1964 | |
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Products Motorcycle sidecars and frames Headquarters Berwick St James, United Kingdom, Salisbury, United Kingdom | ||
Wasp Motorcycles is a motorcycle and sidecar manufacturer based in Berwick St James, near Salisbury, England, that specialises in building competition solo and sidecar machines for motocross, trials and sidecar grasstrack , as well as the Wasp 3 Wheel Freedom for disabled riders.
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Wasp first saw racing success in 1971, when it won the European Championship. Wasp sidecars have been the winning chassis eight times in the FIM Sidecarcross European and World Championship. In 1972, all of the top eight places in the European Championship were riding Wasp outfits.
History
Wasp was founded in 1964 by engineer and off-road motorcyclist Robin 'Robbie' Rhind-Tutt, who was originally employed by the Ministry of Defence as an engineering apprentice at Boscombe Down. He designed and built a number of off-road motorcycle frames which he used in motocross competitions. Other competitors were interested in Rhind-Tutt's frames and commissioned him to build specialist frames, so he decided to form Wasp Motorcycles Ltd. The company changed its name to Wasp Engineering Ltd in 1997, but continues to trade under the name of Wasp Motorcycles.
A Wasp/BSA motocross sidecar outfit ridden by former world motocross champion Dave Bickers was used in the 1979 World War II film Escape to Athena, disguised to look like a German military BMW R75.
Products
Wasp manufacture and modify sidecar motocross, sidecar grasstrack ('side-car-cross'), and solo motocross motorcycles. They also produce motorcycle leading link suspension for sidecars and fork conversion kits for road bikes, which improve braking and handling; and manufacture Métisse frames pioneered by Rickman Motorcycles.
Wasp 3 Wheel Freedom
The 3 Wheel Freedom is designed for use by disabled riders, including paraplegic motorcyclists, and has an electrically operated ramp to help access. With a tubular space frame bonded to fibreglass body it has independent suspension and a twin-piston brake connected to the motorcycle brakes. The design of the sidecar enables it to carry a wheelchair and it can be attached to any motorcycle of over 500 cc.