darmst6829 Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Hello all, I have been riding a 1966 250cc Bultaco Matador in the USA AHRMA trials Classic Class for some time. My Bike handles OK on the milder events but when the going gets tough its a real pig. Any thought on how I can get the bike to behave in the rough? Thanks, Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feetupfun Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Hello all, I have been riding a 1966 250cc Bultaco Matador in the USA AHRMA trials Classic Class for some time. My Bike handles OK on the milder events but when the going gets tough its a real pig. Any thought on how I can get the bike to behave in the rough? Thanks, Dave Is it a 4 speed or 5 speed Matador? Softer springs front and rear Sherpa T triple clamps from M10, M27, M49 or M80 Move footpegs rearwards by about 150mm Bigger rear sprocket Flywheel on primary drive side from Alpina or Sherpa T motor. Sorry don't know if 5 speed motor drive side flywheels fit 4 speed motors. Bring wheelbase down to 52.5 inches using shorter swingarm Regards David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
02-apr Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Surely better to buy a Sherpa than destroy what, over here in Britain, would be regarded as an interesting rarity? Horses for courses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon v8 Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 Surely better to buy a Sherpa than destroy what, over here in Britain, would be regarded as an interesting rarity? Horses for courses. I'm glad you said that,I was reading this post while eating my lunch today,didnt have time to reply - but it made me think exactly the same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ducman Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 I'm glad you said that,I was reading this post while eating my lunch today,didnt have time to reply - but it made me think exactly the same thing. I absolutly agree with jon v8 and 2/4.Please dont destroy that rare bike.Buy a sherpa. Chrs:Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pschrauber Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 (edited) I have heard that name already in an other Forum, ADVRider, olds cool department, there are quite a lot Matadors in the US around, In ADVRider there where just two rebuilds completet, (user: blaine.hale user: tenorjazz). Looking over the pond from the Europeen view it looks like there are more Matadors around then Sherpas from this decade, (my personal view, motorcycle.jaxed.com search engine for US craiglists. I follow the statements of the previous posters + 1 for their opinion! Get a Sherpa, it will be more pleasent to ride in the "rough" or a TY (I know something different but less expensive in the US). The time, effort (and money) you will spend to do all these modifications will not be as noticeable in the outcome compared with a Sherpa. Edited July 15, 2011 by PSchrauber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the observer Posted July 15, 2011 Report Share Posted July 15, 2011 The Matador was not a very good trials mount back in 1966. It stands to reason that the same would be true today. Get a proper vintage trials bike and your enjoyment will increase. The old Sherpas were very good bikes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greeves Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Hi from Spain: Matador was designed in 1964 as Mk1(just a few prototypes) and produced by Bultaco starting in 1965 Mk2 as an enduro bike, not a trials bike. A 1966 Matador is a rare Mk2 enduro bike. To transform it isto a trials bike you need to make very deep transformation in the frame and engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darmst6829 Posted July 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Thank you all for your response. The bike is a 4 speed, this makes it eligible for the AHRMA Classic Class. The bike was set up for trials when I bought it and when new they were sold as Enduro/Trials bikes. Mine has had the foot pegs moved to the exact location of a model 10. Nothing else has been changed as far as chassis goes. The only engine mod is fitting a Mikuni carb and final drive changes which is all perfectly legal in AHRMA competition. I am thinking the bike would steer better without the "tiller" upper triple clamp and think that straight leg forks would also help. I would never butcher up a complete model 4 Matador. In the USA Bultaco sold these bike by the boat full. The problem is everyone (including me and my first model 4 in the 70's) threw all the lights and road gear away. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darmst6829 Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Is it a 4 speed or 5 speed Matador? Softer springs front and rear Sherpa T triple clamps from M10, M27, M49 or M80 Move footpegs rearwards by about 150mm Bigger rear sprocket Flywheel on primary drive side from Alpina or Sherpa T motor. Sorry don't know if 5 speed motor drive side flywheels fit 4 speed motors. Bring wheelbase down to 52.5 inches using shorter swingarm Regards David The shorter swingarm is a real problem. Not much room without big changes to the main frame. I also have not been able to find any other flywheels that fit. I have done everything else on your list. I think that straight leg forks and a triple clamp with the handlebar mounts up top would make a difference. Any idea what model forks to look for? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feetupfun Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Hi Dave If your Matador front end looks like the Mk2 in the brochure photos, you will make the steering worse if you fit forks with an in-line axle. To make it steer better for trials you should be trying to reduce the trail dimension which requires moving the axle forwards relative to the line of the steering axis. If you want to get rid of the handlebars that clamp to the forks as well as improve the steering, an easy way is to use a set of triple clamps from a trials Bultaco and if you get the right ones you can still use your Matador forks. First off, can you confirm that your fork tubes have a taper at the top end where they fit into the top triple clamp? David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darmst6829 Posted July 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2011 Hi Dave If your Matador front end looks like the Mk2 in the brochure photos, you will make the steering worse if you fit forks with an in-line axle. To make it steer better for trials you should be trying to reduce the trail dimension which requires moving the axle forwards relative to the line of the steering axis. If you want to get rid of the handlebars that clamp to the forks as well as improve the steering, an easy way is to use a set of triple clamps from a trials Bultaco and if you get the right ones you can still use your Matador forks. First off, can you confirm that your fork tubes have a taper at the top end where they fit into the top triple clamp? David I have Alpina triple trees installed. The fork tubes are tapered. No one ever rode a Matador with the stock clip on handle bars! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feetupfun Posted July 24, 2011 Report Share Posted July 24, 2011 If you have Alpina triple clamps from an Alpina model that has taper seat fork tubes, they are the triple clamps from one of the very early Alpinas, which shared geometry with the late 1960s and early 1970s Sherpa Ts. So if you also have leading axle sliders, I suspect that you already have the best arrangement available using standard Bultaco parts. Further improvement may be possible by making the sreering head angle steeper, but beware that on some Bultacos, the front tyre OD/mudguard is already very close to the exhaust header and front downtube when the forks are compressed, so a head angle change may not be that simple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darmst6829 Posted February 4, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 4, 2013 (edited) So I have been actively riding my 1966 Matador in trials competition over the last few years. Here is a video or two from the Plastered Purple Penguin trial held the other weekend. It was 25 degrees out and everything was frozen solid. Edited February 5, 2013 by darmst6829 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darmst6829 Posted February 28, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2013 Next up Trial on the Isle. http://www.pugetsoundtrialers.com/ Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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