Bultaco 340 History Enquiry.

[bulltaco340]

Hello all,

I wonder if any TC forum member can help me with finding out any history of a 340 which was imported on 18 April 1983, converted to a proper Comerfords Vesty modded bike, and sold to Ernie Page Motorcycles in Edinburgh.

From the date it might have been a new bike for someone doing the Scottish, I've bought it from a chap in Preston.

Regards,

Bulltaco.

[woody]

One of John Reynolds' Bultacos? One of those has been up for sale on ebay a few times recently.

Dave Renham will be able to tell you if it was a bike modded by Commerfords for one of their supported riders.

[bulltaco340]

Thanks Woody, yes i've been there!. I've actually had the bike for several years now and was really wondering who it might have gone to from Ernie Page, presumably a Scottish rider.

[breagh]

There's a lad called Davy Mowat who worked as Pages mechanic during this era.

He's still in the trials scene,but stays up about Wick or somewhere.

Don't know how you would get in touch with him,but he might know something,

Try the Inverness Club?

[bulltaco340]

Thanks for that breagh, I know a few folk in the north so will ask around.

If i catch up with BJ he might suss out Scottish riders of 340's in 1983 SSDT in his programme collection.

Davy Mowat seems to ring a bell, maybe also in trials/scrambles of 70's/80/s?.

[b40rt]

Davie Mowat' s on Facebook if you search. Did Mike Bell not have a 340 ?

Edited October 20, 2013 by b40rt

[breagh]

Most of us had moved on to Fantics,SWMs, Italjets in my case by 83.

Really can't picture anyone on a late 340?

[bulltaco340]

Yeah, maybe the Ernie Page connection is a red herring, it could have gone anywhere I suppose.

Some evidence suggests it was the fourth last 340 imported and it's a proper Comerfords one with all the Vesty mods (which they did for an extra £200 if memory is correct).

Thanks for all your replies to date.

[woody]

When you say all the proper Vesty mods, do you mean it was one of the 40 or so bikes that had the swingarm conversion to move the pivot a bit closer to the final drive - based upon the early experiments?

Or a copy of Vesty's last bike. This had some pretty big alterations all round and I didn't know they did any replicas of that - engine mounts moved to tilt engine, bashplate reshaped because of engine position, hybrid exhaust, airbox etc.

[bulltaco340]

Sorry, I meant only the Comerford mods.

[2stroke4stroke]

Well, this is Ernie in very uncharacteristic pose in '82 on the Ben on Monday. By sheer coincidence I found this on Sunday while looking for something else. Ernie didn't do the Scottish very often (and rode a Bultaco even less often to my recollection) so I doubt whether he'd have been on a Bultaco again in '83 - are you sure about the date? He can still be seen on the occasional vintage run or at a jumble so you might get the chance to ask him.

[2stroke4stroke]

I might as well throw this one in too at this juncture - again the Ben on Monday. I always was one for squeezing that 37th shot out of a film And with reference to another thread on the quality of trials clothing, that jacket's still in use, but then Brema was always the best. Sorry about that Ross.

Edited October 22, 2013 by 2stroke4stroke

[bulltaco340]

That photo is coincidence indeed.

Dating by Legs as usual, I'll have to ask him to do a doublecheck on it.

Edit:- Pity we can't see the back of the bike!.

Edited October 22, 2013 by bulltaco340

[gizza5]

From the date it might have been a new bike for someone doing the Scottish,

SSDT 1983

There were c13/14 Bultaco 340's I have the numbers and names? but 3 that might shed some light:

No. 211 M Bell Edinburgh Southern

No. 279 G McDonnell Seaton Delaval (Northumberland so a possibility)

No. 240 A Macpherson Lochabar & District (Bike listed as a 350, but that is what the rider would have put on the form might have been a 340?)

[b40rt]

Thanks Pete, and its 82.