I’ve had a love affair with Bultacos since I was about seven years old. My dad’s good friend was Charlie Hockie who owned a Bultaco dealer in So Cal with Bill Thorwaldson. I spent many Saturday afternoons roaming the shop as a kid. This is one of my prized possessions from that time: BORT = Balls Out Race Team! Here is Charlie when he won the #1 plate in (I think), 1959: My first Bul was a 1969 100cc Lobito. The bike that started it all! From the Lobito came a series of my dad's hand-me-downs starting with a '66 250 Matador: Then came my favorite, his 1970 250 4-speed Pursang. This was my first desert H&H with DRA. Long live Ron Burpo! Then District 37: After high school the bikes got sold and my dad and I started riding for fun. My next Bul was bought in 2000 for vintage MX. Something that scared the crap out of me when I was young. I raced this '77 250 Pursang for three years and had a blast. When I look at this next Bul it takes me back to 1966 as a nine-year-old kid looking at the most beautiful bike I'd ever seen sitting in CB Motors showroom. I was lucky enough to find this restored '67 10 years ago and it's the only Bul I currently own. It runs great and gets exercised every now and then. Alright, that's my story, what's yours? SHOW US YOUR BUL!
Mine is a lot to type but, luckily, I started my own thread with my story and pictures! Click the Bultaco link in my signature :)
Fantastic old pics to go with your storyline,thanks for posting this! I have never owned a Bultaco and seen very few.There must not have been much of a dealer network in the North Dallas area when I was growing up.All we saw was mainly Japanese stuff from the early seventies on.
I had a 72 Sherpa-S 200 in 1974,shorttrack racing,half mile,indoor cement track,even some scrambles racing with it. It was a great bike and I never had any problems with it,then I got going with a 77.5 GP 250 KTM and have had about 15 of them since . KTM has really evolved over the years since then. I do have a 68 Greeves 360 Challenger in the ft room,all pearl white,shiny black,polished aluminum and chrome. Old bikes are just great history that looks cool sitting there!
Nice work! I've always looked at the Matadors like a big yellow lab: Even tempered, loyal, and you can do almost anything to them and they won't bite you. I remember if I didn't give the '66 a firm kick the engine would sometimes run backwards. :eek1
Here my first Bultaco, a 175cc Sherpa, model #221. The bike was great very smooth to ride, the engine plant was a little bit underpowered as the frame was nearly the same the model 190 250 and 350cc models used. Bultaco made these to have something matching in the 175cc class that we had in the late 70's to late 80's for youth riders from 14 to 18 years. As there where much lighter bikes available too expecially the 200 Fantic, (156cc). This model wasn't favorated by the youth back then. I felt marked-down too when I compared my Bul to other bikes back then in terms of weight, power delivery and movability. I sold it when I turned 18. Now many years later I would love to get the bike back, Since then I never saw a 175cc Sherpa again. The bike served well, but the quality of the paint to frame and engine was poor, the paint started chipping of here and there very fast. To get the bike sold I had to repaint the frame and engine, at least I got a good price for it ... I now have a model 199b, have to take some new photos it's a real beauty.
"Then came my favorite, his 1970 250 4-speed Pursang." Pursang's and Metralla's 1969 and on were 5 speed. Here's a pic of me taken 1972 of my '70 Mk 4 boxtail short track/half miler (Preston Petty front fenders mounted on the rear lasted longer than the Spanish glass. My '69 Mk 2 Metralla.
I'd love to have a metralla. When i went to get my first street bike I was torn between a Ducati 350 and a Metralla. I went for the Duc.
It depends which model you are searching for, Sherpas, Alpinas do show up frequently, even Fronteras and Purshangs, sometimes Metrallas too: Here not far from your home: http://suchen.mobile.de/motorrad/bu...riant1.modelDescription=bultaco&ambitCountry= And very nice even a Metralla MK2 Kit American, very rare, (the bike is located in Malaga): http://suchen.mobile.de/motorrad-in...ike&segment=Motorbike&negativeFeatures=EXPORT
Love that pic of the Metralla in the corner - Ha ha - amazed at how many people bring theirs inside their homes ( mine goes in the kitchen ) When I was a kid all my friends had Buls as I grew up in the next town over from Hugh's. I couldn't afford one but got to ride their Matadors, Pursangs, and Alpinas. When I was finally able to get one I went for the street model. I now have a Model 137 in the works as well. VIVA !
Pretty much right off the showroom floor. Video at http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=skf5MVRcyO8 (On iPad, can't seem to embed...) .
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/skf5MVRcyO8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> There you go. Brings back some memories. Shame about the sound. Can see you enjoyed that bike! I had what I think was Ossa's equivalent, the SDR. Loved it. Might have been a wee bit later. Lots of talking about the Matador at the time. Very evocative. What was it about these Spanish enduros? Probably more about who we were back in those days.
Is this type considered rare? I just want a streetbike looking like this one, not any racy edition, just a basic Bultaco streetbike.
All the metrallas tend to be the most expensive buls. Over here, a perfect example like that can go for 7-8k. A rough one can be had for 3-4k. The only Bultaco more valuable is the Bandido...you won't find those outside of the states. I have two if you want one :)