Que Pasa?

[Auto5guy]

I am relatively new to Pentons having purchased my first Penton less than 2 years ago.  I was getting into vintage racing with some family and friends.  I already had a Japanese evolution machine and was looking for a sportsman class bike.  I wanted something different than what the others in my group were running.  That ruled out Husky, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha.  I began reading up on the European brands and narrowed my focus to Penton and Bultaco.   I'll never forget the day I was walking through the pits and spied Big Macs 73 Harescrambler.  I stopped in mid step, mouth open, dumb look on my face and drool dribbling down my chin.  I absolutely had to have a Harescrambler.  I almost couldn't sleep until I finally landed my own 73 a few months later.  I love that bike to death.  It is my all time favorite.  My biggest grins come when someone else walking by stops in mid stride with a familiar dumb look and asks, "WHAT IS THAT!?"
Now for the better part of a year I have been slowly acquiring the parts necessary to build a 74 400 essentially from scratch.  I have been shooting to have it done by spring.  It is truly a labor of love.

I LOVE PENTONS!!!


But still.........

I would find myself casting long sideways glances at some of the Bultacos, as I would pass by in the pits.  The intrigue of the Bultaco never quite let go of me.

So a couple of days ago I checked in on the local scrap yard as I do every once in a while, looking for junk bike parts.  Old Akront rims, bar clamps, expansion chambers for fabbing with etc..  A worker sorting scrap metal asked me. "What are you looking for?"  I told him old dirt bike stuff.  He shocked me when he replied with "Would you be interested in an old Bultaco?"  I asked him what year and he said 72,  I asked what model, Pursang, Fontera, Astro?  He just shrugged and said I think it's an MXer.   I got directions to his home and agreed to meet him when he got off work.

I came home got online and scribbled down some numbers from a Bultaco ID page I found off google.   When I arrived at his home he had 2 bikes sitting in his yard a Bultaco and an evolution Husky.  They both were rusty and covered in pine needles.  They had been sitting outside in the rain under the trees for at least 2 years.  Yikes.  He said that they both ran fine when last rode a couple of years ago. The Husky was locked up from rust in the bore.  But the Bultaco turned over fine with good compression.  I concentrated on the Bultaco.  It had the wrong oversize blue plastic tank and what looked like an XR75 seat covered in duct tape but the rest of it was there and mostly solid.  It definitely was not a 72.  The shocks sat to far forward and the motor was left side shift.  I looked at the numbers on the head tube.  135!!  Good Lord a 75 Pursang 250!  From what I've heard that's one of the ultimate Bultacos to have.  Left side shift, right side brake and a lighter chromolly steel frame.  After a lot of BSing and a little haggling it found its way into the back of my rig.

The good news is my dirt bike stable has grown to include a very cool bike that will be saved from a death of neglect.  It would not have survived another year outside.  Outside of the tank and seat it is very complete.  It has the side panels, airbox, an Amal carb, a Gunnar Gasser throttle, solid triple clamps, rust free forks with a thumbs up logo on the lower leg, good Akront non mud holder rims, working brakes front and rear, new looking sprockets,  the engine has compression and clicks through the gears, the pipe is there and savable,  the frame looks straight.  All in all it looks to be a good solid basis for a project.

The bad news is that I just blew a chunk of the money I had budgeted to finish my Penton 400.  The 400 will remain the priority and the Pursang will have to wait its turn but the finish date on my 400 will definitely be delayed.


I am now full of questions.  Are there any Bultaco fans residing in Pentonia?  Where is the best source of parts and knowledge?  Is there a Bultaco equivalent of this board?  I know the rear swing arm has to be swapped with a 74 to be AHRMA legal but does it have to come from a Pursang or will a Fontera or other model work?

Thanks for reading,

Matthew


WARNING: The Surgeon General has determined that castor smoke can be hazardous to your health.  It is highly addictive and causes delusions of grandeur.

[peter kane]

Hey Matthew,  I've turned into a bit of a computer geek in the past few years and in doing so I spend a lot of time on the web.  Your best tool is Google.  I'm sure POG members will send you out on some leads, but your best bet is sifting through stuff.  In my research on Pentons I was always coming up with different clubs for different brands - some I would look at, but unless it had something to do with Penton and all of its components I don't bookmark.  Take paint codes for instance, I spent hours last week researching and calling with regard to stock six day colors and came up with some interesting information (See: "Steel tanker green") do the same with the Taco.  Cool find!!! Happy hunting!

Peter Kane
V3442
[email protected]

[mx503]

So you want to know about Bultacos eh? Here is the Bultaco forum website:http://forums.delphiforums.com/bultforum/startThis should be a good start. Also. I have added the website for Hugh's Bultacos here:http://www.hughsbultaco.com/index.htmlAlso Buds Bultacos here:http://www.budsbultaco.com/index.htmland Bultaco west here:http://www.bultacowest.com/Best of luck on your restoration!

Bob Peed

[idiotboy]

Hugh's open house is Feb.25th,well worth the trip if you're in the area.His museum is outstanding.

[Big Mac]

Hey Matt - as you know, I am truly inspired that my Harescrambler project lit a fire in you a few years ago, and remember your first gawk in the Woodland pits. It was the same day Thom Greene first showed up to bring his '76 Penton back to the line, after I pointed him in the VDR direction from his "where to ride?" post on this site.

Like you I have a few brands in the stable, but NO Bultacos. That damned right shift/left brake thing has always been the reason. But a bunch of WA guys know that brand well and make their bikes perform great, as I've lost many a moto to them, especially the Anderburg crew. Lost the Open Age/Open Class Amateur season overall to young Anderburg in 2001 by two measly points.

Try Roger Landberg, who is the fastest sandbagging intermediate last I checked at VDR, and who bought out the Bultaco business of someone here out west. Often at Woodland and H&T, and very good guy. Don't know his contact info or link offhand, but you can find him through the VDR Site links, or GNG site or Superior Sleeve site, I'd bet. Also, there's the SMOG group (Spanish Motorcycle Owners Group) who took their website name from POG, I'm claiming.  

NOW, if I get smoked by Auto5Guy on his new trick left shift '75 Bul, modified to look like a '74, I'm whipping out a copy of this post to closest tech guy I can find and challenging!! Beat me fair shifting with the RIGHT foot, and no debate, but...

By the way, did you know that my '73 Harescrambler came with a shift shaft that went through BOTH sides of the cases, so that a right shift/left brake setup could be arranged for those Limeys or Spaniards that couldn't switch hit?? More evidence that these Penton engineers were thinking ahead...   Mac

[Auto5guy]

Thanks for the replies guys.  

I went google crazy as suggested and have browsed the links posted and have found them helpful.

One thing that I discovered while searching other WebPages and chat boards is how great this place is.  I have found a lot of useful information and helpful people but no place has the vast amount of knowledgeable helpful people all in one easy to access spot that isn't buried under a pile of advertising.

I hope everyone realizes how nice we have it here..


Matthew


WARNING: The Surgeon General has determined that castor smoke can be hazardous to your health.  It is highly addictive and causes delusions of grandeur.

[Auto5guy]

Mac

I had seen Skivers PENDA and some pictures of Pentons on the web but nothing compares to the real thing.  I think part of it was that wild looking KTM engine.  I've never had anything stop me cold quite like that.  

I don't think you ever told me about that though shift shaft on your 73 250.  It's funny that you bring it up now.  Just about a month ago a friend gave me a 73 175 lower end with a locked crank for spare parts.  Its shift shaft goes through both sides.  I thought it was kind of strange.  Looking at the later engines I note that the hole is still bored through the right case half and sealed with a soft plug.

Some of the hard core Bultaco guys convert the later left side shift back to the right side so all their bikes are the same.  On my Bultaco I just picked up the shaft goes through both sides and it has a rubber cap over the stub on the right side.

Roger is one of the first guys that came to mind when I picked up the Bul.  I'm gonna be talking his ear off when I see him at Woodland next month.

I just checked my new 2005 AHRMA rulebook.  I'm in the clear as soon as I come up with a 74 swingarm.

Matthew

WARNING: The Surgeon General has determined that castor smoke can be hazardous to your health.  It is highly addictive and causes delusions of grandeur.