The Last Bultaco

[scot taco]

I felt that I should edit my earlier post.I think it was probably a bit too harsh for me to make without a true understanding of what all the causes were to put the blame in one place.

 

I really only come here to read and talk about one thing,trials, so I shouldn,t have jumped into the deep end without a better understanding of the history.

 

My main question is - do you think it will be possible to track down the last one? Seems like it will be a tough nut to crack,but fun.

 

Cheers, Scott

[pschrauber]

I did a quick look about improvements and news about  Bultaco back in the days, but there were very few. It was noted in Trialsport issue 101 from August 1984 that there were made improvements to the Sherpa as for example the longer swing arm with a more forward moved swing axle and that the modification was made by Reg May on behalf of Comerforts and that these improvements were sent to the factory and ones hopes that there will be the development of a new model at the end of 1984.

 

Here a clipping with the short article:

 

 

It did sadly not happen

[nigel dabster]

It did happen both Big john and myself have one of these.

[bulltaco340]

It did happen both Big john and myself have one of these.

 

 

Mildly confused here!.

 

Do you mean that bikes with the Vesty/Reg May mods were subsequently produced in the Barcelona factory as hoped in the pschrauber copy article ?.

 

Everything I've ever read suggests that only around 40 of the bikes with the oval swinging arm, etc., were produced at Comerfords by Reg May.

[big john]

Nigel Dabster is quite correct I have such a machine, a 340 (5-speed), UK registered from new. Reg May modified the frame, but not one of the 40 Comerford Replicas which had modified frames to 'Vesty' specification. Also the swingarm on mine isn't oval section, it is rectangular section tubing and longer than standard 340 with the crankcases machined to take the swingarm pivot/engine mount which is also non-standard.

 

Big John

Edited February 2, 2016 by big john

[bulltaco340]

Thanks for that. I was aware of you guy's bikes.

 

I read pschrauber's post as :-

 

"the modification was made by Reg May on behalf of Comerforts and that these improvements were sent to the factory and ones hopes that there will be the development of a new model at the end of 1984.",comma, "It did sadly not happen". ("It" being the development of a new model, by the Barcelona factory, at the end of 1984, with the Reg May mods.)

 

To which ND replied "It did happen......"

 

Do you guys have Reg May prototypes, details of which were sent to Barcelona but never acted upon, or was there in fact a production run of "Reg May" bikes subsequently made in Barcelona?.

[pschrauber]

To the article as previous mentioned. The improvements done in UK were too sent to Barcelona so that these could be integrated in the production but it did not happen. Also back in summer 1984 were the rumors that there will be an upgraded trials model in the end of 1984 available. But it did sadly not happen. I have to look up in the old issues when the end of bike production was announced.

[bulltaco340]

pschrauber #52

 

Many thanks for your reply, I was sure that was what you meant.

 

I wonder if the 5-speed 340's owned by ND and BJ are 199a engines with the Pursang piston. The 5 speed gearbox would possibly have given more lateral room for machining bits off for the new s/a pivot point?.

 

I'm sure we'll hear !!.

 

Not any help in finding the last Sherpa, I know, but after Dabsters post,I had wondered if there was a previously unknown last factory run of bikes which might have explained the very high serial numbers mentioned by "Greeves".

[woody]

 

 

The 5 speed gearbox would possibly have given more lateral room for machining bits off for the new s/a pivot point?.

 

 

It isn't possible to machine anything off the back of the actual casing as you'd be straight through the case and into the gearbox. Metal can be removed from the big mounting lug that takes the engine bolts but it wouldn't make any difference if it was 5 or 6 speed as it's the same on both. That allows the shortened pivoting mounting bracket to be moved even closer to the engine than if it metal wasn't removed, but it's millimeters at this point. The gearbox plunger bolt head is also machined down. On Vesty's own bike the engine was raised at the back and tilted forwards to get the pivot as close as possible, the sump guard had to be reshaped to do this.

 

The 40 converted bikes had the pivot moved forward and a different swingarm fitted but not all the frame mods of Vesty's last bike, they were based on the first incarnation. There were also two 198B conversions, one of which is still alive and well, don't know about the other.

 

The most radical was JR's bike which had no swingarm spindle so that the pivot could be moved right up to the sprocket and looks as though removing the clutch cover would be a real ordeal....

 

As with the Bultaco UK importer taking ideas to the factory, there was a similar story with Ossa and the UK importer doing development and making improvements to the bike. With Keith Horsman they did cantlever as well as reed valve conversions in several capacities, one of which was a short stroke 310 engine which gave 285cc. I had one and they were good. As with Bultaco, the Ossa factory ignored the UK development work and went their own path. More of what might have been...

[b40rt]

Off topic, but some Montesa engine work was done at Napier in Edinburgh by Bill Stewart.

[pschrauber]

Didn't knew that Montesa were too machined in Scotland. But found two additional articel about Bultaco.

 

One article showing the cringled exhasut manifold on a Bultaco Sherpa and stating that there are 280 workes but just 100 are really working and the wish there might come new models.

Additional an articel about the Italian Montesa model 242 that got a separate gas tank which is lighter and more resistant, both published 1984 in July Issue 100.

 

 

 

May be a hint for research of the last Bultaco Sherpas a longer articel about the recent past and futur to Bultaco and the other two Spanish brands,

published in December 1984.

 

In short:

The introduction refers to a law in Spain set up by Franco that workers in a factory from a given size can't be dismissed and that the former social

democratic goverment don' t wanted to change this law for political reasons.

 

The previous owner and his family had partly under pressure from the workers partly voluntarily left the factory.

 

That Cemoto is still existing is due to the tremdous suppoert of some employees and foreign importers.

 

The production numbers are to low to employ 280 workers, thus there are only working around 50% of the workers while the rest were paid by the goverment. ...

 

The monthly output were recently (1984) around 100 bikes per month, which equals to 30 to 40 workers, with 140 workers the output shuold be 500 to 600 bikes.

 

At the Moment (Dezember 1984) work is done by orders.

 

The following orders are:

100 bikes model Sherpa T250 and T350 of which 80 bikes are for UK, France, Venezuela, Tahiti, Guatemala and Japan.

 

100 bikes model Metrallas for the Spanish army,

 

200 bikes model .... for Sudan.

 

More long-term contracts are missing. On average 50% of the motorcycles were built for export.

For better sales the bikes have to be revised thus Bultaco want to concentrate on the most successful model, the Sherpa T.
 

Changes to the Sherpa T:
- new color,
- altered and improved gastank seat design,
- improved engine protection plate,
- primary kickstarter,
- progressive clutch action,
- shorter and revised wheelbase,

A competitive support with own riders, weill not happen due to the cost.

There are high hopes in the new MK 15 engine, this engine shall be used mainly in the Pursang and Frontera models.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nigel dabster]

pschrauber #52

 

Many thanks for your reply, I was sure that was what you meant.

 

I wonder if the 5-speed 340's owned by ND and BJ are 199a engines with the Pursang piston. The 5 speed gearbox would possibly have given more lateral room for machining bits off for the new s/a pivot point?.

 

I'm sure we'll hear !!.

 

Not any help in finding the last Sherpa, I know, but after Dabsters post,I had wondered if there was a previously unknown last factory run of bikes which might have explained the very high serial numbers mentioned by "Greeves".

 

Yep sorry to be 100% accurate they of course were not factory produced. (but you could argue as vesty was the only top line rider?)

Also the "40" is an underestimate as mine was done by reg in semi retirement and he was doing these as a private. Also I think i have an intermediate model to the one JR had.

 

Julian wigg has in production as one of his projects a standard framed bike with seperate swinging arm spindle which allows moving the pivot further forward still.

Will post a photo later.

 

NOW! Back on topic ive just bought 4815 so not later than already stated above - but closing in!

Edited February 3, 2016 by nigel dabster

[greeves]

NOW! Back on topic ive just bought 4815 so not later than already stated above - but closing in!

 

Funny we have 14812, 14813 and 14815 !!!

 

Still 14920 the last we have at the moment.

 

PsChrauber, do you have any clue about what kind of bikes were the 200 sent to Sudan?

[pschrauber]

Not really you can read the sentence as 100 Metrallas for Spain and additional 200 Metrallas for Sudan, but too 100 Metrallas for Spain and 200 bikes of a different model (not named) to Sudan???

I'am still a bit astonished about the Sherpa's sent to Tahiti and Guatemala.

[ducman]

Sometimes smal countrys used the bikes for their Police or army.The Army of Swaziland orderd in the late 70's early 80's a bunch of 125 Ducati Six Days Models.As i was looking for parts a few years ago my mate Bruce from Johannisburg said that parts for this Ducati are no Problem.It was like haven,new Barrels,pistons,ignitons,snail cams etc.