Gerry Lisi is planning his retirement after 26 years at running Metisse. Now the acclaimed classic off-road brand is looking for a new owner.
Creating custom motorcycles is a cherished tradition in British motorcycling, and few are as unique as those crafted by the Metisse brand. The Triumph TR6-engined Mark 3 Metisse Desert Racer has gained significant popularity over the years, largely due to film star Steve McQueen, who famously called it “the best handling bike I’ve ever owned!”
However, like all good bikes, some brands evolve over time. Gerry Lisi, the owner of Metisse, is planning to sell the brand and the rights to produce the remaining 150 McQueen Desert Racers, which are currently priced at £15,550+VAT. The sale will also include the trademark and endorsement from the McQueen estate.
In case any interested parties are concerned about the availability of TR6 engines, Lisi says that the 650 twin was produced from 1962 to 1972, with Triumph manufacturing approximately 50,000 bikes annually, including the 500cc version. With 85% of these bikes exported to the United States, there should be more than enough engines to power the remaining Desert Racers.
Lisi has had the Metisse brand for a quarter of a century but has decided that now is the time to pass it on, as he isn’t getting any younger. As some readers will know, Metisse was created by the Rickman brothers, Derek and Don, who were off-road stars in the late 1950s. Being essentially a Tribsa, the Metisse bikes used a BSA rolling chassis housing a Triumph motor. The chassis provided the rigidity, and the twin-cylinder motor was more powerful than the popular singles of the day. Even though it obviously started life as an off-road creation for the Rickmans, it has been used in many different guises over the years – scrambles, grass track, sidecar, road bike – but when you see the McQueen variant, it looks very right: the components, their relationship to each other, you just want to jump on it and swing that kickstart lever.
Later in its development, the frame was improved, and the external oil tank was replaced with an oil-in-frame design. This not only eliminated the vulnerable tank but also allowed the oil to run cooler, helping to keep the motor performing well. Initially, the Rickman brothers considered naming their creation ‘Mongrel’ due to its mixed origins. However, as the story goes, a casual glance through a French dictionary revealed that the female translation was ‘Metisse’ – and so the name was chosen.
Lisi didn’t start his career in the motorcycle industry: “My father retired in 1983, and I continued with the family thatching business. The following year, I bought a 156-acre farm to grow my thatching straw. But after a few years, I developed an allergy to a spore that grew on the straw, so I had to stop the thatching. Instead, I developed and built a golf course and country club.”
Lisi never played golf – it was purely a business venture – but he definitely had a passion for motorcycles. “So in 1999, I joined forces with Pat French, who had the MRD Metisse brand. After three years, he began experiencing breathing difficulties and was diagnosed with asbestosis-related lung cancer, which led to his retirement. In March 2001, I purchased the other half of the business from him, and sadly, he passed away in July 2007.
“In August 2007, Lord Anthony Bamford from JCB sent his agent down to ask me to build a replica of the Desert Racer that Steve McQueen rode in the mid-60s. I built the prototype based on photographs – it was basically a Mk 3 anyway. The McQueen estate sent four lawyers to check me out, and they were very happy with the set-up. Within a couple of weeks, everything was signed and sealed, and I continued with a three-year contract, to be renewed every three years, from 2008 to the present day.”
Detailed information regarding the sale of Metisse can be found on page 28 in this issue. Who can resist a one-off chance to own a classic motorcycle brand?