stefano Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 Hello, I have recently bought a Bultaco with SM high boy frame; I did it not because I hope that his frame is much better than the standard one but because I believe that it is a peculiar bike in trials history. The bike I bought is rather a patchwork: engine, forks,hubs are a nice collection coming from several bikes and so the problem is: how was the original bike? Even I'm not totally crazy about each original screw of the bike (especially when prices are rising at stars) I'd like at least to have the right engine, wheels and suspensions. A fast search on the internet (this fantastic source of informations that so often provide us of good informations) didn't give me a single good picture of an high boy Bultaco. So I will be grateful if somebody could provide me of pictures and informations. In particular it would be interesting to point out when Sammy started to build these frames and with which engines (mod. 27? mod. 49? mod. 80?) and which has been the evolution of these frames in the years. The more details, the better for everybody. I will soon publish the pictures of my bike and few others but at the moment I don't know how to do. Thank you very much. Stefano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 How to post photos. I use photobucket.com to host pics then to add them to the post i just hit the little button with a photo on it, second to the right from the smilys. then when the box comes up asking for the URL give it the direct link URL from the photo. this is the direct link URL for this photo:http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk448/ggprotrialer/hotdogs.jpg Courtesy of Redneck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony283 Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 From memory, Sammy started building these frames around the end of 1972 and in those days a lot of the Spanish Trials bikes arrived in kit form from the factory to avoid UK purchase tax. I traded my 250 Bult in to Sam and purchased the 325 in the Hi-Boy frame in early 73. The machine looked fabulous with the bright nickel frame, alloy bash plate and slimline tank seat unit finished in BRG with cream flashes. However the Hi-Boy frame does NOT suit everyone and certainly not ME! The footrests were TOO high and it resulted in too much weight over the front end. By and large my personal opinion was that the stock frame was better and didn't have any real handling problems. Of course as we now know the footrests of nearly all machines of this era were not far enough back and also a little higher than ideal by today's standards. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne_weedon Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 I had a HiBoy (SM452) Bult about 2 1/2 decades ago. Most of it got stolen whilst it was stripped for a rebuild, I only have the crankcases which without looking I seem to recall were M49. Mine had Rickman hubs and wide flange Akront Rims. I still don't know how I can remember the frame number all these years later. Wayne.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 He was making Hi-boy frames from about 1969 but I don't know whether the first years were just for himself or for sale to customers. They were made for a number of years during the seventies but I've no idea what the differences were throughout the range. You really need to find out from Millers which year it is, they should be able to tell you from the SM frame number. Then you may get an idea of what it should look like. Have a look on ebay UK at item number 220347140812 which is an early Hi-boy slimline bike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 So far these two are the only SM bikes I've run into. The bike in the first two pics I rode, it was a blast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano Posted February 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2009 Hello, Thank you very much to everybody, trials central is really a great thing! I wrote to Sammy Miller and hope I will receive an answer. The bike on ebay (item 220347140812) it is the one I bought. Thanks particulary to Swoosdave that sent very interesting pictures: in particular the bike of his pictures has the same hubs as mine (renthal?). Best wishes to everybody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne_weedon Posted February 7, 2009 Report Share Posted February 7, 2009 Quite sure the hubs in Dave's pictures are Stock Bultaco. Yours look to be Rickman Hubs, same as my long lost HiBoy Bultaco had. Wayne... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stefano Posted February 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 Hello Wayne, Thanks for your help. Can you tell me which year was your bike and which engine had? I suppose it was not the 49 engine as your frame number is quite high (SM 452). Mine is SM268 and has a 350cc engine model 92 (1972) but this engine could be fitted at the place of the original one. I know that Sammy Miller made hiboy frames both for 4 and 5 speed and this put things back at the end of the '60. I asked Sammy Miller but no answer till now. The question is:when was sold the first hiboy frame? Thanks Stefano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne_weedon Posted February 10, 2009 Report Share Posted February 10, 2009 It's hard to say what year my own HiBoy was, it was something like a M49 engine and I can verify that when I bother to dig out the crankcases which is the only thing left of that bike. They were not all built up as complete bikes at Millers, some were just sold as frame kits, so any year engine could be fitted within reason. My own had just about all the Miller "Stuff" Alloy silencers etc etc. I seem to recall there were at least two distinct production runs of the Bultaco HiBoy but I'm not totally sure. Wayne... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
branc Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 I have one, its my restoration project for next year, has a model 80 engine, the clubfoot silencer in the pic is off a different bike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy m Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 How did this topic get to the front page when it is old ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 How did this topic get to the front page when it is old ?? I've split Sherco and Bultaco into two seperate Forums. I moved the most recent Bultaco topics in the Sherco Forum to the dedicated Bultaco one so they showed as new topics. Just the way it does things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slapshot 3 Posted March 9, 2009 Report Share Posted March 9, 2009 If any bike deserves it own thread Bultaco does...... nice move bossman..... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinsx3 Posted December 2, 2010 Report Share Posted December 2, 2010 I just bought (have not picked up yet) SM 290. I was happy to see pics of other SM bulls. I have photos on my computer, how do I attach them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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