Wasp Motorcycles

Wasp Motorcycles is a motorcycle and sidecar manufacturer based in Dinton, near Salisbury, England, that specialises in building competition solo and sidecar machines for motocross, trials and sidecar grasstrack,^[2] as well as the Wasp 3 Wheel Freedom for disabled riders.^[3]

Wasp Motorcycles

Company type	Private
Industry	Motorcycle
Founded	1964[1]
Founder	Robin Rhind-Tutt
Headquarters	Dinton, Salisbury, Wiltshire , United Kingdom
Products	Motorcycle sidecars and frames
Website	Wasp Motorcycles

Wasp first saw racing success in 1971, when it won the European Championship.^[1] Wasp sidecars have been the winning chassis eight times in the FIM Sidecarcross European and World Championship.^[4][5] In 1972, all of the top eight places in the European Championship were riding Wasp outfits.^[6]

History

Wasp was founded in 1964 by engineer and off-road motorcyclist Robin 'Robbie' Rhind-Tutt,^[6] who was originally employed by the Ministry of Defence as an engineering apprentice at Boscombe Down.^[6][7] He designed and built a number of off-road motorcycle frames which he used in motocross competitions.^[8] 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,^[9] but continues to trade under the name of Wasp Motorcycles.^[10]

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.^[11]

Products

Wasp manufacture and modify sidecar motocross,^[12] sidecar grasstrack ('side-car-cross'),^[13] and solo motocross motorcycles.^[14] They also produce motorcycle leading link suspension for sidecars^[15] and fork conversion kits for road bikes to improve braking and handling, and they manufacture Métisse frames pioneered by Rickman Motorcycles.^[6][10]

Wasp 3 Wheel Freedom

The 3 Wheel Freedom is designed for use by disabled riders,^[16] 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.^[3]