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Alpina 212 - Turn it into a trials bike?


robbiesty175
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Looked over for some info about turning a Model 212 into a trials bike.  Judging by catalog photos, the frames look very similar. Are the triples different?  Other than the tank/seat, and guessing the motor, any major differences?  Want to turn this into a slow bike, but if it's too much work, will leave it a trail bike. Thanks for any info/help you can provide!

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2 hours ago, nigel dabster said:

unusual back wheel? ossa?

Looks very much like a Bultaco Pursang hub to me, the one on which the wheel can be turned through 180 then the sprocket moved from the opposite side and bolted around the brake drum which then moves the brake pedal to either the left or right side of the bike.

Gear shaft protrudes each side of the engine so a gear lever can be fitted either side but the lever shape differs so a different one is needed for each side.

Edited by trialsrfun
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3 hours ago, robbiesty175 said:

Looked over for some info about turning a Model 212 into a trials bike.  Judging by catalog photos, the frames look very similar. Are the triples different?  Other than the tank/seat, and guessing the motor, any major differences?  Want to turn this into a slow bike, but if it's too much work, will leave it a trail bike. Thanks for any info/help you can provide!

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Your bike is quite a rare model in the UK, why not keep it as is and get a Sherpa to restore and ride.

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Hi Robiesty. The triple clamps are different. The late Alpinas had the Pursang clamps on them. The gear ratios are different, the brakes are larger and on the rear wheel the brakes are on the opposite side. The Alpinas had a Motoplat ignition on them too, I know the 213s did anyway. I haven`t looked at a 212 for a few years now. There are a few other differences as well. There are a fair few Sherpas for sale in England. The 212s were always a bit underpowered compared to the 213s too. Graham.

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There's no reason why my opinion is particularly important but I do agree with Trialsrfun. Trying to convert one bike into something it's not rarely ends very satisfactorily. If the original bike is a good example, as yours appears to be, what you end up doing is spending money spoiling a nice bike to get one which doesn't really do what you wanted when you started the project in the first place. 

I admit that an argument against this is to cite pre 65 trials bikes, which in the day were largely converted road bikes. However as we all know the best of them these days have had everything replaced except maybe the crankcases, to get them to do what people want.

Edited by cleanorbust
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Love the comments and cool-headed thoughts.  I might just polish this old beauty up and keep it as a nice trail bike for someone to love again.  Just was a little curious about changing things, but I bet with a talented rider (NOT ME!) it could look cool going through a section too! I just couldn't let this bike rot away...

 

Thanks!

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Please do not do it. You would spoil an excellent bike.

I know sombody who tried to do this a few years ago. He ended up spending quite a bit of money and ended up very disapointed. It just would not pull at low rev's like that matching Sherpa.

I am not sure about the 250 but I can confirm that the 350 Alpina engine has different compression ratio, different porting, different bore and stroke and different gear ratio's. The easiest way to modify the engine for Trials use is chuck away the original Alpina engine and fit a sherpa version.

I might be a bit biased as here in the UK Sherpa's are quite common and later model Alpina's still quite rare. So easy of me to state that if you want a Trials bike simply sell the Alpina and buy a Sherpa.

Stuart

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well...  found a bike for my buddy!  A great friend spotted this and soon it will be in the woods again, crashing into trees!!!  Love this community of people helping each other foolishly relive our youth.  It's a M191, so the M212 can stay a trail bike and go fast!

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The rear wheel is a common fitting on the later model Alpina's. The Alpina was a very big seller in the US for Bultaco, I would hazard a guess that it might well have been their biggest seller.

Here in Ireland the Alpina sold very well, but seldom to the general public, as it was sold in volume, principally to a Government agency (Bord na Mona*) which processed Peat for fuel and gardening purposes. Bikes were auctioned off to the public from time to time. However they mostly ended up as "field bikes" and were gradually hacked to death and finally scrapped. 

The Alpina's were gradually phased out and replaced by the Honda XL250 in the mid 80's. Its rumoured that a lot of spares and a quantity bikes were simply buried in a big hole in the ground, rather than going to the bother of selling off the parts and bikes. Nice to see my hard earned tax been put to such good use, the swines! ?

 

*The name is in the Irish language and simply means "The Turf Board" in English.

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Edited by model80
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