Decades after British riders dominated the sport of trials riding while riding British bikes, and about a decade before Honda entered the growing market for Japanese motorcycles, a Spanish company called Bultaco was making its mark in this specialized sport. This 1969 Bultaco Sherpa T250 can be found listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Fairmont, Nebraska, and they’re asking $2,450. Here is the original listing, and thanks to NW Iowa Kevin for the tip!
Here’s another one I found here on eBay, actually located in Spain, for $5,450, plus shipping. I’ll take the one in Nebraska, please.
We’ve seen a couple of trials motorcycles here on Barn Finds, and they’re a bit different from a trail bike, even if they use the same letters, just jumbled in a different way. Can a trials bike be used for trail riding? It can. Can a trail bike be used for a trials competition? It can. Can you daily drive a Peterbilt? You bet. Can you haul an 80,000-pound load with a Subaru 360? You… er.. wait a minute. Ok, some things have their limitations.
Trials riding involves navigating a prescribed course without touching the ground with your feet for as long as you can. The more times you put a foot down, the more points are added. The rider with the fewest points at the end wins, the opposite of what most of us are used to in competitions. “Hey, I hit the bullseye the fewest times, I win!” Bultaco is a Spanish company founded by a director of the Montesa company, a motorcycle company founded in 1944. Francesc “Paco” Bultó didn’t agree with everything the senior director wanted, including pulling out of racing.
Señor Bultó, whose nickname was Paco, pulled out of Montesa in early 1958 and started Bultaco, an amalgamation of his first name and nickname. The company’s first motorcycle came out in 1958, and he was able to keep making racing bikes, something that was clearly in his DNA, until 1979. It opened again in 1980 but then closed in 1983. The late 1960s and early 1970s were the sweet spot for trials riding, as well as powersports in general.
Kilts, haggis, and trials riding came from Scotland, with the latter coming on in the early 1900s. British companies ruled the trials circuit until Bultaco hit the scene, which then moved aside once Japanese manufacturers got into the sport in the early 1970s. Yamaha’s TY series is considered among the best, but how can you go wrong with this beautiful Bultaco Sherpa T250?
This beautiful bike appears to have been restored, but we don’t know; the seller doesn’t give much information in their listing, other than it has 345 miles. I’m not sure how they know the mileage, however. It’s powered by a 244-cc two-stroke single with around 19 horsepower. You can see the radially-finned head, which gives it good cooling for trials riding, which can be slow going at times, so cooling can be an issue. Backed by a five-speed transmission, this 220-pound bike looks like a gem. It runs and rides well for a vintage bike, and it would be at home in your living room and on a course. Have any of you done trials riding events?
Forward kick Left side kickstarter, right side kickstand, cantankerous engine when cold (especially it seems with my ‘63 200), everything that had to be relearned when transitioning from almost any other bike-but what a sweetie in its time when you finally did get it sorted.
Trials competition is best appreciated by those that have been up on two wheels in any precarious predicament as that’s what these guys and girls do-deliberately and repeatedly! Ballet on a bike, with and without motors. Amazing athletes in their own right as was very well illustrated by Malcolm Smith in the International Six Days Trials-IIRC he took gold almost every year between 1966 and 1976.
Found a good video showing and explaining it
https://youtu.be/D2svmLY8_fE?si=iCZGMM0bZwANpCk8
Awesome pick Scotty.
Pretty creepy, it is. Late 70s, I had a friend with a Triumph TT500, and I had my TS 400 Suzuki, and we did a lot of on/off road riding. Then we decided to take it up a notch and go MX. He got a Honda CR250M, and I got a Bultaco 200 Pursang, that looked a lot like this bike. Everybody laughed at me in the H-Y-S-K camps, but I tell you what, that little 200 had a lot of steam and kept right up with them. There was an outfit called “Competition Cycle” in Milwaukee, and he dealt with all these oddballs. Always had what I needed. The left kick start takes a bit of getting used to, as does the left foot brake and right side shift, and was skimpy on suspension, I took a beating. I also had a Yam TY250 many years later, and trials bikes are oddly geared. 1,2,3, were real close, for slow going as the author mentioned, then 4&5 were like “road gears” and parts of some courses are full throttle stretches. It’s incredibly demanding, and not for these old bones. The motors on these are very reliable, I never had an issue, and got fun written all over it. Great find.
You guys are the best, great stories and information, thanks!
The Spanish had the trials bike market cornered with the Ossa, Montesa and Bultaco ….. then Japan come along.
Ahhh…the bikes of a bygone era! The ones today look like “mountain bikes” you buy at a bicycle shop! Today the marriage of Honda/Montesa with its 4stroke reliability rule the roost but this bike was definitely ahead of its time. A great find! Surprised that someone hasn’t snatched it up and sent it back “home” although I assume shipping and fees would render it an expensive proposition.
These Bultaco motorcycles were popular when I was in junior high and high school in California in the 70’s. A couple of my friends dads had the the Pursang 360s and were very good in the races they were in.
Sounds like a cool bike. Never heard of one… What worries me is getting parts.
No problem I have three including a 75 sherpa t 350
Beside the gearing the steering has greatly releived steering stops. My biggest challenge was riding up the side of a hill and having to do a U turn mid hill and come back down keeping your feet on the pegs!
The large cooling fins remind me of the Indian engines.
Bultaco was at the time, say 60’s and early 70’s a very respected off road bike in Greece, along with Montesa and Ducati. Then the Japanesse made a strong presence and a lot of European bikes didn’t survive. Italian state was forced reluctantly to supply money, which was against the rules of the free market but by doing so some excellent bike makers survived. In retrospect the controversial state involvement is now considered a smart move.
Trials was always my favorite bike sport, to watch that is. I marveled at the skills those riders mastered and just when I thought they couldn’t do anymore, I saw them literally step over fences.
I was really disappointed to see these old guards pushed aside by the forces from across the Pacific. The European designers built them then the Japanese sliced the bottom out of the prices and took over. They took the fun out of it all with their lookalikes.
I remember Motocross, with Bultaco, CZ, Maico, Greeves, Husqvarna, and Montessa, just to mention a few. They were fun to watch, the competition was keen, and the riders were mostly friendly. Nowadays, it seems that the factory team with the most money buys the best riders and it becomes an arcade game.
Well, there’s still Speedway Racing…
And we are off to the Scottish days this weekend
These are great bikes and obviously this bike has been restored, but at this price this is a bargain ,but by todays standards this bike is outdated- motor and suspension but for light and normal use should be fine good deals like this won’t last….