Frankness

Well i'm quite happy to put my hands up and say i have no idea about prototype motorcycles i'm a chippy not an engineer ... but i do know about design models for future manufacturing are fabricated in factories ...more often than not they try to use an existing design as a template as it costs thousands to re tool machinery ...so you pull a few off the production line as templates ( and mark them hence the odd lettering on the head stock) then change what they need to change ... As for design in the factories i've worked in they used cheaper or end of line materials for the models (yes could be heavier or lighter) ....test the model then send it to the next department where it is used as a template So in my mind i think yes its possible ..But i no nothing about motorcycle manufacture ... And nothing about Spanish factories in the early 70s I'm still open minded ...... im going to sell it as its too heavy for me (i'm getting on now 59) i wouldn't usually look into bikes but i know a guy who bought a Beamish for a few hundred quid turned out to be a works model ... he rebuilt it from the ground up and sold it for 20k ...just don't wanna be the guy who sold it to him ...lol

So just by pure chance waiting for a burger at Goodwood a proper old chap standing next to me had a Bultaco T shirt on ... got chatting like you do he said might be a design team prototype as it has the letter G stamped on the head ..or made to look like one he said the best way to tell is by weight prototypes were heavier ...mine is very heavy ........ he could have been pulling my chain though

Yes i've witnessed Spanish workmanship first hand yr right .... do you think they called it an M80 because its the same weight as the yugoslavian M80 tank ? ...hopefully mine is full of gold ...... maybe drug dealers stamped letters on the bikes stuffed with cocaine ...now there is a dealer story ..lol

Ha ha make up a story like a bike dealer you mean ..there were some twin side stand models but they were comerfords but this certainly isn't one of them ..although the guy selling it to me did try it on with a side note in the paperwork ... i might have believed him if he'd spelt it correctly it read cummerferds .... i like the m49 its a sweet looking bike ..mine came with a spare m49 seat and tank but i suspect thats a lobito

Ha ha yes indeed mounting ... and yes a series 1 m80 frame pic would be helpful thanks ...any ideas on the letter G ..i've had a few Bultacos over the years none with any letters on the frame head stock

Ok its had 2 owners on the v5 so i may be able to research through them definitely a uk bike with 2 side stands (left hand on the frame right hand on the swinging arm ) maybe the swing arm is from a different bike ...it has a kit campeon tank which doesn't fit correctly because of the top of frame mountain...i would hate to cut them off if its the wrong tank

Yes thats a possibillity but i have a letter of authenticity from bultaco written in 94 confirming its a 1972 250 sherpa and those lower brackets were factory welds they are too uniform for after market do it yourself ..could be a production line mistake i suppose ..or a design team prototype hence the letter G stamped on the frame ??

Hi Boffins just joined what i hope to be the best forum for info exchange and problem solving So can anyone tell me why my Bultaco sherpa M80 has what seems to be original front lower engine mountings ground off .... ? 2 extra mountings on the upper frame for no apparent reason and finally the letter G stamped on the headstock ?.... have included pics very interested to read yr views chaps Best regards Frank