bultaco49

I noticed this when I fitted these bearings to my model 221. I slipped an '0' ring over the lower headstock and when the forks were re-assembled I rolled the 'o' ring into contact with the bottom shroud. This shroud faces up anyway diverting anything liquid into the bearing, however, next time I serviced the bearing they were the cleanest and water/muck free I have ever seen them so all my bikes now have an 'o'ring in this position.

The nut holding the villiers flywheel to the crankshaft spline was tightened with a Villiers special tool. A ring spanner with a cast head which was bashed with a hammer until (hammertight) nut was tight! Here is the beast

There was a good series of articles about the history of Villiers in the British Two Stroke Club journal some years ago which gives a brief overview of the convoluted decline and disappearance of the Villiers marque. You can find a reprint of the articles here. The 'Sixties' article covers the decline but its all worth a read. http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pattle/nacc/arc0596.htm

Hi - All my bikes are built with stainless spokes and rims for the older ones. I have had no problems with spokes or heard of any problems with modern parts. Spokes should have nickel plated brass nipples to avoid siezure of thread. When you buy rims check the weld join (the one that closes the circle). This is a difficult weld and one of mine was supplied deformed which narrowed the rim width overly. Run a straight edge across weld to check width is acceptable.

By an odd coincidence, one has turned up for sale on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/sherco-250-not-gasga...=item4a9d1b81da

You can check out the bore specs and anything else you need to know about Amals here - http://www.amalcarb.co.uk/

Hi Felix - contact this ebay seller http://stores.shop.ebay.co.uk/robbossrichdick__W0QQ_armrsZ1 This shop is importing/breaking many old Bultaco's. They probably have a full width hub for your Sherpa. Tim

Hi - Unfortunately there is no easy fix for this. The repair method is to remove mid box then carefully parrallel cut lower part of box off (where the widest part starts to taper to the outlet). Inside may be some packing (normally all gone!) which should all be removed. Running through the centre of the box should be a perforated tube attached at the top end and slid into the taper at the lower end. Don't cut this tube. Slide it out with top part ot box. Repair any damage to inside of box or tube. Clean up the perforations. Re pack the upper box with the correct two stroke wadding. Cut a piece of 2mm steel plate to exactly fit the cut face of box. Drill hole to allow perforated tube to fit through to align with lower box outlet. Place over box, wadding and tube and tack weld in position. Repack the lower piece of the box and slip over the tube and push against the plate and upper part of the box. Weld a seam around the whole original cut site to re-attach the new plate and two parts of the box. Bultaco engines will only run correctly if the centre box is packed and assembled properly. Check the exhast pipe is free of carbon/oil build up. If not burn deposits out. The M80 originally had a triangular rear box/spark arrestor which most people removed as it was a point where mud could build up and rub against the wheel. Your rear box looks like an early Sammy Miller after market replacment. If it is not damaged and not clogged I personally would leave it on. There is available from Sammy Miller products a replacment mid box which is easily repacked by drilling out rivets and removing box end cap. You can see this on my Bultaco in the trials Central 'TC Garage' page (Click on link above). If you look at my Bultaco Alpina there you can see the triangular box. These are available from Spain or occasionally from Ebay. Bultaco UK sometimes have them also. Tim

Sorry not been folowing this recently - If your looking for an M80 frame with a number I know a person selling one including swing arm and side stand. I'll send a pm with phone number tomorrow.

Hi - I think that the Explorer has a similar history to the Bultaco Alpina. The early models were MAR/Sherpa's with a bigger tank and a cumfy seat. The later models had frame, head angle and gearing changes. If you do buy an Explorer be aware that some event organisers regard them as trials bikes -not trail bikes - and will only let them in for no award. I ride an Alpina and have now been told this on two occasions.

Sorry myson, I made a mistake in my original post. I meant a 627 carb. Some were originally supplied with a 625 but most have been upgraded and as you found out, the 625 is unavailable.

Hi - If your going to replace the carb on your m80 I would recommend replacing it with a new carb. Those Amals wear the slide out pretty quick and unless you are lucky a 2nd hand carb will probably never tune properly for slow running. Also the choice as far as I am concerned is for either a concentric Mk 1 625 amal fitted with a 3.5 bronze slide if you wish to remain authentic or a ready jetted Mikuni from Bultaco Uk which will give a better performance. The Mk 2 has no advantages that I have experienced.

put 'registering bike' into the forum search facilty above. There is a lot of good advice there on this subject.

Here is a photo of an m80 frame. Your frame looks to have all the correct parts such as bracket for triangular exhaust tailpiece and lack of indent for swingarm bolts on model 90. The only other frame that I know of that would be similar is the M85 Alpina but the frame number would also be on headstock. The forks & clamps, wheels and side stand location are also M80. If the frame has been shot blasted before the re-paint the number may have been scoured away.

Hi Steve - Here is a photo of the clutch parts from the model 158/9 parts catalogue. Hope its all there!

Hi - Try Bultaco UK but I think they only available 2nd hand now - but are very easy to make. Make two patterns from cardboard then buy a sheet of expanded (the zig-zag pattern) aluminium (from B&Q) and cut them out with tin snips. A whole sheet of twin-air foam filter can be bought from http://www.trialsbits.co.uk/ from which you can make as many as you like! The spring is a bit more of a problem. I made mine from piano wire available from good hobby/model engineering stores.

Frame number is on headstock. Turn bars to full lock and exposed letters and numbers are embossed vertically. May need to scratch paint if resprayed or powder coated. The filter is sandwiched between two perforated plates and located by spring which runs around inside of top of filter box.

Hi - There is no problem at all with using a good standard (as opposed to racing) fully synthetic oil such as Castrol TTS as a pre mix for running in or general use in your Bultaco. Even though there is only a marginal benefit over using a good part synthetic oil, fully synthetics are designed oils as opposed to adapted mineral oils and at moments of stress for your engine will provide the most effective protection. I'm happy to pay the extra few quid for that benefit. You can read up on all aspects of oils at http://www.opieoils.co.uk/ or if you phone them they are very helpful and will dispel any doubts you may have or oily myths in general. One interesting fact that they did pass on is that most over the counter synthetics are designed for minimum mix of 50:1. Since the introduction of Castrol TTS I have been using it in my Bultaco at 50:1 with premium unleaded with 30ml Millers octane plus per 5lts. The octane booster solved a detonation problem on my 175 Bultaco so I now use it regulaly on all the others. Never had any mechanical problems and carbon in the combustion chamber is minimal. Sludge & carbon buildup in the exhaust is much less now than in bikes I had in the eighties.

Sorry black flash - What I should have said was, why not buy a Bultaco Sherpa workshop service manual from Bultaco UK which has the correct wiring diagrams for Sherpa with or without lights, horn ect. If you follow them carefully you will have a perfectly running Sherpa, just like mine. Best of luck with your restoration.

Hi - here is a wiring diagram for the Sherpa. Just follow the ingition wires and ignore the lighting. Ignition is same with or without lights. Many people move the capacitor from the stator plate to under the fuel tank for ease of access. Scrape paint from all earth connections and check with meter. On the stator plate itself the wiring should be- from the flywheel magneto base plate there should be a green, black, red and yellow wires. Connect yellow to number 1 on the connector block, red to 2, black to 3 and green to 4. From 3 on connector block a black wire should run to HT coil live. From 4 on connector block a white wire should run and be earthed by a HT coil retaning screw. If you want to connect a cut out switch run a wire to live (unearthed) side of switch from number 3 on connector block. When depressed the cutout should earth this connection. If wires from magneto have been changed black wire should connect to terminal on points (along with condensor). Green to tightly wound coil on stator plate (next to condensor) red to other end of this coil. Yellow connects to other coil on base plate. The most important wire not to be snagged to earth is the black wire from points to connector block and on to coil. Hope this helps

Hi - You also have Bath Classics and Cheltenham Hawks locally who have twinshock classes. http://www.hawksmc.org.uk/ http://www.railuk.info/bcmcc/index.php Which particular twinshock are you rebuilding/riding?

Hi - just in case you need some other theories there is a US based Bultaco forum which has a very similar thred in the index. Its here - http://forums.delphiforums.com/bultforum/m...ges/?msg=4280.1 I'm with Wayne on this one. Change the crank seals! Its an easy job (as they are in holders on the outside of the crank case) and as the bike has sat around they probably could do with changing anyhow.

Hi - For my Bultaco I always use 600ml Castrol ep 90 in the gearbox. Older manuals recommend sae 140 but its hard to get and probably ep90 has superceeded it anyway. For the forks I use 180ml Castrol synthetic sae 10. Other people I have come across use atf and some heavier oils - depends how you like your forks to feel I guess. If they are not fitted already, a set of top nuts with valves are a good modification over standard. Tim

A good gentle run out would be the AMCA Mortimer Classics Club 'fun' trials which are held each month. The sections are marked out in such a way (entry sign, go more or less where you like and an exit sign) that you can make them as easy or hard as you like. Groups tend to go around together and set a course and compete against eachother. Trials are at Amys Copse which is close to Reading and thus close to the M4. Parking is easy and trial sections are around perimeter of Classic Scramble track. Lots of steep hills in woods, a stream section and muddy slopes and traverses at south end. Enter on day. Amys Copse is Bennets Hill, Sheffield Bottom, near Theale/Reading lots of twinshocks, pre65 and rigids turn up. Look on AMCA page of TMX for next August date.

Hi The RAL code for a James red is - 3005 wine red - and he nearest aerosol match is - Rover Damask Red- . These are the codes and paints recommended at http://www.simplywizard.co.uk/index.htm and can be seen on photos of my James which can be seen in the TC Garage. Tim