italjetfan

I bought it off Duke a few years ago on video. It was held at Bainbridge.

This is about the best I can do for now. This one has the gear change on the left hand side. It is a very early 1980 pre-production bike.

Steve Goode should be able to help. Google him for contact details. From memory I am using BP5ES in mine. Pretty certain Bulty coil is the same, Dave Renham or Steve Goode might know for certain. All the best!

Watch Bernie tackle "Bloody Hell" at the 82 British World round, and you'll see he really was soemthing special. No tricks, pivots, stops, just total commitment to the clean. Whenever I start to lose heart, I watch that ride and all becomes clear again.

Italjet 350T : The best twinshock in the real world!

Brilliant pictures! Many thanks for posting them up. The early bike does seem to have an Italjet engine, albeit with different side cases. I would say with 100% certainty that it isn't a Bultaco engine with Italjet cases, as the kickstart lever is definatley on the RHS. Also, the hexagonal effect of the crankcase is replicated on the Italjet outer case, suggesting that the engine was modified from the Ducati dies from the outset. The rear exhaust box looks to be a modified Bultaco one. The frame of the earliest bike looks to be Bultaco, as does the swinging arm. The frame downtube by the kickstarter has the Bultaco bend quite clear, whereas the later bike (with the green cases) has the Italjet frame with straight rear downtubes. The first two Bernie photos are what appear to be the earliest bike he had the good run on, with possibly Bultaco rolling chassis, the last two are the "production" bike he disliked, and used from late 1980 to mid 81. My bike is identical to the bike in the last two pictures, with single outlet exhaust, right hand gear change etc.. This differs in many ways to the "over the counter" bike which was available from Mid 1981 on (after Bernie had switched to SWM). The frame and tank are different etc. All good stuff!

This is good info! Is there any way to chase it up? The cases definately look like they have ITALJET wording on them. It still doesn't explain the RHS kick start that can clearly be seen in the photo though! The bottom frame tube where the front engine mount picks up looks more Italjet than Bultaco as well. If he won 6 world rounds on that bike, there must be some more photo's of it surely?

I've just noticed, if that bike is a Bultaco painted green, how does it manage to have a right hand kickstart? There is more to this than meets the eye. Anyone with any info or pics?

We need photos! Surely a run of 6 world rounds on a brand new bike got someone reaching for the camera? Even if it was a Bulty, there must have been some interest in it. This is the only pic I can find of the "green bulty" apart from the brochure shot...

Do you know what engine the "green Bultaco" had? the photo's show Italjet writing on the primary case, but I can't workout what it is. How much of a Bultaco was it? There was a story that it had "Bultaco 1980" on all the bolt-heads... The front brake certainely looks Bultaco. See the picture of him on it on the brochure shot balancing. As far as I can tell, that bike is the "green Bulty".

Could be, but wasn't Bernies run on the Italjet pretty impressive? Something like 4 world rounds one after the other? If the prototype Italjet was only a green painted Bulty it might explain things. The move to the production version in 81 was what caused him to move away from Italjet. The only pics I have of the one he had his run on don't give much detail away. Certainly by '81 he was on a more or less standard bike...

I can see clearly now! Great pics! Anyone have any of Bernie at work? I'd love to see the early "Bulty" version in particular...

I can't see anything. Is it just me? Tantalising...

That hole is for when you have the gear lever on the right hand side (and the brake pedal on the left), which is my prefered set up. The brake pedal interferes with the kick start, and the right hand brake uses a cable, which is not as good as the rod when on the left. Coming from a 350 Enfield, it was much easier too! The only downside is that the gearchange loses some of it's precision. So don't worry, there is nothing missing from your bike. You may need to plug it up if oil is leaking though. You'll notice there is a core plug under the kickstart, which is where the gearlever comes through if using right-hand side change. I don't think any of the Italjet parts are Bultaco, apart from the the common Betor suspension bits. Bernies very first prototype may have been more Bultaco based, but can only find two pics of that one, and they are both poor. Does anyone have any more Kermit pics please? Cheers

ANY side cases will fit ANY 250 or 350, so no problems there. Steve Goode has some new ones, have a look on ebay for betatr250 (I think), or google his name, that should lead you to him. He is a decent bloke, and will sort you out with what you need. I don't think he has any green cases left, just bare ali ones. With Bernie, I think the prototype Italjet was good (hence the initial successes), the production version he was made to ride wasn't as good, so the early rounds in 1981 he struggled with, resulting in him jumping ship to SWM mid-season. I personally prefer riding my Italjet to the equivalent Bultaco (which we also have), but I'll probably be pilloried for this statement. A lot of people who knock them forget that 28 years on, there is little difference in all the bikes, it's now down to what condition and state of preparation each bike is in, and more importantly, how good the individual rider is! These are the views of a GENUINE heretic, so treat them with huge PINCHES of SALT!