Wasp motorcycles have been in production since 1964 by a firm based at Berwick St James, near Salisbury, Wiltshire, founded by Robin Rhind-Tutt, who was originally employed by the Ministry of Defence as a engineering apprentice.
The company built itself up on the request for replicas of a successful competition machine, originally built for sidecar scrambles and grass-track events and known as the 'side-car-cross'.
The early sidecar combinations used Norton twin engines and were sold either complete or in kit form. Initially they used trailing-link forks, but then changed to leading-link.
1971 They were most successful - winning the European Championship and many more.
Mid-1970s. Wasp dominated the sport for some years, using other engines as well as the Norton, a stock of which they had purchased from the factory when Norton-Villiers ceased trading. When those ran out, they had a DOHC 8-valve engine designed and built by Merlin Engineering of Wallows Road, Brierley Hill, West Midlands. A forum post on accessnorton.com reads: "They made it to use in sidecar cross and it led to them making the Wasp engine for Robin Rind Tutt."
Other products came along over the years, both solos and sidecar combinations, all built to a high standard. Thus far some 5000 frames have been built in 47 models for grasstrack, motocross, speedway and roadracing.
Wasp Solos
Wasp also offers frame kits for solos consisting of a nickel-plated from and fibreglass bodywork. These are available for BSA Scrambler models, the RT4 Trials machine of the 1960s and 70s, and the RT3 Scrambler.
Sources: Graces Guide, accessnorton.com, Bonhams, waspmotorcycles.com
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