Show Us Your Bul!

Hey guys i have a chance to buy this bike. Its a 1971 or 1972 MK5 350 Pursang. It sounds like everything is there and all numbers are matching. Problem is the guy wants 1500 firm on it. Is that a good price?

I think 1000 is a normal price. What's your wealth level? Whats an extra 500 initially when your done dropping 5000 into it to redo everything

Looks like this is the thread to post a recent aquisition: '68 El Bandido 360
Been garaged for the last 30 years. Should be fun to restore, and eventually ride.

Great score! I'm jealous. I would love to find a gear-primary Bul!

I have two of them sitting in my basement. What you have there, is arguably the most valuable Bultaco out there. Even a nice example Metralla can sell less than the Bandidos. Take care with how you restore it. They aren't really worth restoring to ride. It's a track bike, not really a woods bike. If you plan on actually taking it to the track, you'd be better suited with the power band of a Pursang.
They're honestly just collectors bikes or nice little investments. I'm still in the air as to what I'm doing with mine.
The power on that engine is unbelievable. It's the same engine they used in their factory road racers (the TSS), sans the water cooled head.

Thanks for the info. Thought about upgrading to a modern suspension setup, but quickly discarded that idea in favor of a straight restoration. Too close to original stock and all in one piece. I'll go over the upper end closely to ensure no problems in the piston/cylindar/rings area first and possibly get it running. After that I'll reduce it to bare frame and restore from there. Couldn't believe how light it felt loading it into the truck. I'm sure it will be a blast to ride, even if just up and down the back roads and light trails. I think my track days might be a ways back behind me now.

Picked up a Hodaka Combat Wombat at the same time/place, but the "boys" had tinkered some. The head/cylindar/piston had been removed, but all the parts were foiund.

Good luck! Start a thread and take many many pictures! It's not every day that we get to see the old Buls restored. I have a few of them, so I'd certainly enjoy it.

The Bandido is cool, especially made for the U.S. market. The engine was too Bultaco's first big bore. As they had no experience with such a big displacement they changed a lot: primary drive, less gears different kick starter system, ...
Anyway the bike was much more sold in the U.S. the Europeans did not get familiar with the bike. As the demand got down and Bultaco figured out other ways to create big bore bikes the layout of the Bandido did not get any further evolution and was laid down for other designs where improvements where easier to develop.

Early Banditos model 18 1968-69, from 1969 to 1971 the model 51 a 350cc came out. In late 1969 the MK2 a 360cc model 61. In 1971 they upgraded also the 350cc model (nr. 65).
Production went up to 1972.

Production numbers for the Bandido are not given ... You can figure out your model by the first numbers of the frame and engine, both numbers should be the same.

Looking forward to any restoring project to this model, only sold in very very small numbers in Europe.

Yes, I found a Bultaco model/serial number list online. This is a model 18 by the serial number production number 711.

The engine is powerful with 43,5 - 42,5 hp at 7,500 rpm. The ignition is a special Femsa unit with two plugs, one near the exhaust (warmer unit) and one behind (colder unit).

It's said the power and is more on-off like.

l personal prefer more the slow going Sherpas with much torque.

This engine has only a single plug. I've seen a couple of references to 2 plugs. Where on the engine is the serial number? I found the frame number, but didn't bother looking for the engine number.

Had a KDX400 some time back which had similar weight/horsepower numbers and it ran great. Same basic engine as the KX series, but heavier flywheel with more low end torque, but you better be holding tight when the rpms hit the power band.

Starting to clean up the El Bandido. Engine serial matches. Definitely a 1968/9 Mk18. I have tracked down pictures on the Web showing both single and dual plug heads. Not sure what the significance between them.

Piston is free and I am soaking it with WD-40, penetrate, and light oil. I don't think I'll remove the head until I can get hold of a manual of some sorts. Heavy varnish in the carb so that will get a good soaking and cleaning. Suggestions for cleaning the inside of the fiberglass tank? At least I have a local source for ehtanol free gas. Anyting special about the fork seals? What weight oil was recommended for the forks? Any clues to completely disassembling the forks? Recommendation for rear shock rebuild?

Pirelli MT07 tires front and rear in remarkably good shape.

On-off is correct. Damn thing is a rocket. Kicking one over is a chore too.
The ones I bought were short track raced. The guy said it killed every 4 stroke in the 500 class.
Several things are unique on the bike. Double down tube frame, center mount exhaust port, gear driven primary...all unique to the Bandido.
Most reviews or stories I've read of it said that no one would race them because they were "too much to handle" back then. They all preferred the pursang

Well, the Bandido and the El Montadero.

That photo looks good, maybe mine will be back in that condition one day, all though this thread does inspire me to get it done!



I am relatively new to Bultacos, I rode (raced) my first one at Mid-Ohio in 2005. A long travel 250 Pursang that a close friend put me on for the MX... That is only the beginning of the story...

Growing up as a kid of the 80s, all I knew was Honda and Suzuki's, only heard rumors of old twin shock euro bikes. In the late 90s I found and restored an old Honda TL125, played on it in the yard and put it in the corner of the garage as a show piece.

Around 2003 a guy I work with bought a KTM 450 and mentioned trail riding, I had an RM250 at the time and said yeah, lets go. So I lived closer to the riding area than he, so he stopped by to pick me up. I had a few bikes in the garage, the RM, a DRZ, GSXR, and the little Honda. He went straight to the TL and said, you ride vintage trials? I said just in the yard and I used the bike as a pit bike at road atlanta one year.. so not really.

After the trail ride we were having dinner, he started talking about Ossa and Bultacos, racing in AHRMA, etc, etc. I said that sounds kind of cool, tell me more. So the short story is that he invites me over to his house where it is like Bultaco heaven - Sherpas, Matadors, Pursangs (all sizes 125s/250s/360s). Plenty of Ossa's too- Plonkers, MAR's, and a Stiletto. Come to find out he is an expert level trials, MX, and off road, and can make a vintage bike sing!!

So of course I started going to races and having a great time on vintage bikes, I have mostly stayed with my Suzuki roots with a PE and TM, but I ran across this El Montadero a couple of years ago, another friend's father bought it new and it sat for years rusting, but complete. So I need to finish it, they are too cool of brand not to restore and keep.

Here is a video of me riding Mark's Pursang 360 and he on a Pursang 250, a couple of other friends on an PV RM250, and a Elsinore 250. We set up a grass track in Mark's field a few times a year and have a great afternoon of riding.

<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/20016236" width="630" height="354" frameborder="0" webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen></iframe>

https://vimeo.com/20016236

A friend just sold a nice one for 6600.00,it sold quick.

Dude,that is heresy even thinking of putting a ft brake and headlight on an Astro! Please pick another bike to defile.

Its like putting a G-string on that Mona Lisa gal,it just aint right.

I'm with him^^^

IMHO, Bultaco made some of the most beautiful motorcycles ever produced. I especially loved the Alpina, Metralla, and Astros, as well as the Pursangs and the Fronterras.

They were also real heavy,Ive parted two Bandido's and the frame alone weighed a ton,big thick tubes of classic spanish plumbing pipe steel. I had just a Bandido engine turn up in a pile of parts,I had wondered why the kicker was on the right side.

That rusty engine parted for over 1000.00,most all of it went back to Spain.