1968 Bultaco Matador m26

Great story... we all know, now, what a bang-up job you will certainly do with this one, too... Just be sure to take it back to the donor... the karma is good and it should go back 'round...

BRAVO!!!

With all these encouraging words, how could I not make this a great build :)

I found a magneto puller in the box of stuff it came with, so game on!

Also, has anyone seen a baja design light such as this, but in a smaller (maybe 6") size?
https://www.bajadesigns.com/NET/C-166/SINGLE+8-INCH+RACELIGHTS

to stay period correct you'll want to find a preston petty light. something like this.

Thats not the light my Matador came with.....



The cover of the owners manual shows a black bucket conventional light and frame. That's what mine had.

I'm aware of what the stock one is and such. I probably wont be 100% period correct

I was responding to bmwblakes suggestion that you should get one like...

I like the light you are looking at!

i like the baja lights as well. looks like they just have the dual 4 inch or the giant 8.

i'm a sucker for a preston petty light. the baja lights are sure to work better, but the petty sure does look the part. i just wouldn't want to ride at night with one.

Hello,

I would be on the look out for a parts donor bike. The parts missing individually will wipe out your checking account. expect to pay $500 for a complete headlamp assembly with speedometer or $500 for a complete rusty old M26 Matador. A motor rebuild will cost about $1200.oo. I think it would be wise to expect $3500 to get the bike back to original usable condition. Just saying........been there done that.

Dave

Whoa, you're way off the money scale! It's only costing me $136 for a complete engine over haul. That includes bearings, gaskets, and rubber seals. The headlight assembly, and I'm probably wrong, but I see the head light assembly for $130 on Hugh's site. The bars are kind an "if" situation. If some pop up at the right price I'll grab em. The fenders are the pricey thing. I've seen the front, brand new for got $170.
Everything else I can handle, honestly. I'll be blasting the parts and I have the paint set up to do all my own paint. I honestly don't see breaking $1k on this.

A rod kit is almost $200 alone plus maybe $100 for a machine shop to press the crank apart and reassemble and true it all up. This is the heart of the engine. I am not trying to kill your project but just setting expectations having done several of these things before....

Dave

I completly your opinion.

Just having rebuild a Bultaco engine, already all the barings and oil-seals together with the complete seals package are mor then 200 €, and I'am talking about EURO not Doller.

Maybe you get the right parts foor a little less because we have 19% tax on everything.

Then there is the piston, it would be a real miracle to me if the piston is still OK? The problem of the bearings to the rod darmst6829 mentioned did I have too, so I needed also new bearings on both sides as the upper and the lower one where rough. This happen's mostly if the bike / engine is not frequently used.

Beside of the heart of the engine there should also been worn out cluth plates, the Bultaco ones don't last very long and mostly some shims between the gears needs replacement too.

I'am not sure if you have a primary chain drive, if so then you need at least a new chain tensioner, the small wheel mostly have heavy wear marks and is not build for eternity. (The primary chain might also been a little bit streched?).

Look up your cluth operatin mechanism, there you also often have a lot of wear which results in stiff cluth acton.

Anyway the bike is worth the rbuilt, just do it, if it costs more than You thaught in the beginning just remember that later on riding is nearly for free beside the gas, oil and tires.

If You are unsure to spend money, you can also assume that everything that's worth beeing done has to bee done proper.

Proper work does not have any natural enemies beside ourself!

Cylinders already been bored, honed and and new piston/rings by the previous owner
Crank shaft should not need touching. The bike was not abused and not ridden much. Dumping so much money into this just is completely unnecessary but I see where you guys get those figures for a "restoration."
I will never, in my life, do a "restoration." I like to make functional rebuilds. If the crankshaft was bent, off center etc...then sure, I'd probably take the measures to remedy that, however, I do not see that being the case at all.
In addition to all that, the clutch plates were replaced and I even have a back up set included in the hand box o' parts.

So Blaine, what exactly did his ding-a-ling friend do to the Bull? Did he get some sort of work order so you can back track his "progress"? Hoping he didn't muck it up too much. Can't wait to see it in person.!

The friend did all cosmetic, never touched the motor (thankfully.) He trashed the clip on bars, the chrome fenders, rattle canned all over the bloody place and ditched the tank logos.

In other news: The motor is out, pulled the magneto and stator. I pulled the rear wheel to check things as well. It looks like the cog and spur are in great condition with little to no wear, the rubber damper in the rear hub is alright...I could replace it later. The brakes don't even need to be replaced yet
I'm heading the ol' home town (augusta) today to check a /5 for a friend. While I'm there I'll grab some of my dads tools to tear the motor apart. I'm so excited to get it down to the cases, blast em and clean it all up!!

I had the 175cc version (Campera) back in the late 60's and loved it. The Matador was dominant in many of the eastern enduroes until the Japanese started to get serious about dirt bikes.

Wonerful torquey motor, great suspension for the day, and the engine can be modified for crazy power if you're willing to lose the low-end grunt. Main downsides are a very feeble headlight and lovely but fragile aluminum fenders that dented if a mosquito landed on them. Having to run pre-mix is also a downer for street use.

I'd keep the plastic fenders unless you're doing a restoration rather than a rider, and keep the engine stock unless you enjoy keeping the throttle pinned all the time. My Campera was like a trials engine in an enduro frame and suited my riding perfectly at the time.

I'm with you. Get it running, and ride the piss out of it!!

So many people want to restore old bikes to pristine condition...then they can't bring themselves to ride them as they were intended because they have too much "invested" and they look too pretty. I commend you for wanting to build a runner but still with an eye to making it look good.

Yep:

- get it running,
- get it technical in a good working order,
- don't trust any statements from pre owner or any advices which is OK or not OK by just looking to a picture,

As already mentioned when I was in the same position like you I thaught just some paint here and there , some small things, ...

But I was wrong - sadly - it did not bother me a lot beside of that I might have paid just some €€€ or $$$ to much for the bike, but that amount was nothing to the cost of the rebuild in technucal manner. The Bultaco that is now working fine I hope is 13 years younger then yours, haven't been used for around 15 - 20 years, (stood in the garage) and only 1.150 km where ridden with the bike at all, the bike still had first tires, -first plug, ... nothing was missing!!

Here the replaced techn. parts for engine:

Ok....we all get it...sometimes simple bike projects turn into expensive nightmares like yours did....


Now that we have throughly explored how builds can sometimes go bad...can you just let Blaine tell us how his is going....

Oh yes, I'am tensed in suspense of any news about the progress.