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Something else i have come across is old premix oil in the fuel tank becoming reconstituted with the fresh fuel and gumming up the works. I had to pull the engine , fuel tank and carb and flush it all with solvent and it finally went away over time. This was on a Penton that had been sitting and the gummy stuff looked like cosmolene and really made things sticky. If you keep having peoblems you might want to look into that as it sounds familiar. Depends also on how much the bike has been sitting but just something to look for. Hopefully it is what you are looking into and will be an easy fix... Sam

I think Jimbo is correct about getting the shoes bedded in and centered. I have a 72 247 and a 74 and they both have weak front brakes. You may possibly get a little better feel by going to a heavier front brake cable to reduce the stretch factor of the stock one. Also I noticed that there is a difference in what kind of lever/perch assembly I am using as some have a better feel and leverage than others. I like the Amal levers personally and they are spendy but really work nice and smooth.

What year or engine number is it?

It looks like Bultaco.com can reline the hub with a steel liner. I have the same issue with the rear hub on my 183 but haven't decided to get the job done yet. Sam

Yes it does help Brian and thanks for the reply. I am going to take a closer look at it this next week hopefully and will let you know what I decide. Sam

I am possibly looking at purchasing a 72 MAR from a fellow. The only issue is one of the cross over tubes is loose and leaks fuel. Does anyone know if that is a major issue and a common problem on these? I am not sure if the tube is just loose in the tank or the tank itself has been damaged but if it is just loose it seems like it would be a fairly easy fix. Anyone out there have any experience with this and what steps to take to fix it? Also what other things other than the obvious cables chain sprockets etc are good to check on these bikes. I have limited experience with Ossas but have always liked them. Thanks for any info Sam

I agree with Wayne... However alot of factors enter in to the situation : how much you paid for the bike how much you need to get to break even if selling do you want to take the time to part it out? what is the market value in your area as to how much you can reasonably expect to get for it in the condition it is in?? I know some people look at Ebay and see the prices people are wanting for certain machines and think that is what they are worth. Not always a realistic idea. The bike will only be original once in it's life so to keep it that way as long as possible is important imo. Sam

Thanks for the info. Martin.

Thanks Dave That looks like a good resource to start with and they are semi close! Sam

Hi Martin Yes I realize modern brakes work like magic compared to the older bikes. It just seems like they should work better than they do on my bike. I did try to arch the shoes in and match as best I could when I installed the new shoes but I may have more to do in that area also. They may need more bedding in.. Did you notice an improvement after religning the hubs? Thanks Sam

Well I rode my first trial last week and really had fun and learned alot. If there was one thing I could ask for however is an improvement on the brakes on my 77 model 159. I was constantly mashing both the front brake and rear to get slow enough to make turns after a short steep drop off or down hill and had too much momentum on several occasions. I have new brake shoes on both ends and all the mechanicals are in good shape so I have to wonder if I am doing something wrong. I know the brakes are working against some pretty good flywheel effect in the engine but I would think they should be more effective. The chrome on the hubs is in good shape and not peeling so that is not the issue. I am wondering however if doing the steel insert conversion will help the braking performance or does it just replace the chrome lining without any real noticable improvement in braking. Any one have any experience with that conversion let me know... Thanks Sam

Hi Sunny On the forks .. if you are talking about the allen head screw on the very bottom of the forks , that is the screw that holds the damper rod in place and the forks together basically. What you need to do to tighten it or loosen it for that matter, is if you look down the fork tube from the top of the fork leg (fork cap and spring removed) you will see the top of the damper rod. It has a slot machined at the top of the damper rod and you will need a very long flat blade screw driver to hold the damper rod while you turn the allen head screw in or out at the bottom of the fork leg. That is probably where your oil is leaking from so you may have to remove the screw and reseal or regasket it. There may be a small sheet metal oil deflector that the fork spring sits on so that will have to be removed also before you can see the damper rod. I had to grind the handle down on an old screw driver to modify it enough to fit all the way down in the fork tube far enough to engage the damper rod. I have also heard that you can put a longer bolt thru the drain hole port to jam the damper rod but that didn't work for me on assembly because it pushed the damper rod out of alignment and I couldn't get it tight enough without fear of damaging something. I am not sure what to say on the clutch issue as I have not gotten into mine yet. I hope this helps. Sam

Thanks Sunny for the photos... My airbox stays or clips are nonexistant so I will have to fabricate something. It looks like the brackets are not molded into the airbox? Thanks Again! Sam

I have a 28mm round slide Mikuni on my 77 Sherpa 350 and it runs real well. It looks like it has a sleve that was pressed on the engine side of the carb to match the intake manifold on the engine so you won't have to find some kind of rubber step adapter. I didn't ask the previous owner where he got the carb but it appears to be all set up for this application. You might want to contact bultaco.com as they do sell Mikuni conversions for some models. Hope this helps Sam

Thanks Sunny .... no hurry on that as I thought you might already have a pic. Don't go to too much trouble please. Been cold here too with lots of ice so I am trying to catch up on some shop time to do a few things to make the old beast correct. Have a merry Christmas Sam

Nice bike Sunny... Mine is missing the brackets that hold the airbox in place. Do you have any close-up pics of what is suppose to be there?

Good points guys but for me the most important thing is proper fit. I have had a hard time getting a helmet to fit my melon properly because of the shape of my head. I have tried everything from expensive to inexpensive and when I finally find something that fits I stay with it. I can put something on and in the store it feels fine for the trial fit session but later on a long ride it will create painful pressure points on my temple that becomes a real distraction. I have gone so far as to put extra foam pads in to adjust the position which is not suppose to be done but ..... Thanks for the ideas.. Sam

Thanks guys for all the valuable input and ideas. I don't have a shop close so next trip to town I will hit some bike shops and try some stuff out. Thanks Sam

I know this is a loaded question but I am trying to make a decision on what to go with for a good protection helment. I currently have an older MX style full face but the visor gets in the way of looking down the trail or section so I can only see about 10 or 15 feet in front of me. Taking the visor off helps but it is heavier that the half helments and open face that I see guys using. I tried an older style Bell RT but the design inteferes with the back of my neck and pushes the helment forward into my field of vision when standing and looking down the trail even without the visor. The other option I am considering is the half helment with the soft sides and back like a police style. I am not opposed however to the full face style for more protection. I guess my biggest criteria is to have good protection with the best possible forward visibility when up on the pegs. Sam

Well I have been having a hard time getting pics to load on this post so I loaded one in the tc garage section on this forum. It seems to have worked so until I get things more familiar that is where I will post my pics. Sam

Not that I have seen but I haven't looked that hard yet. Yes we have some nice country here but it is kinda remote. Kind of a trade off and not typical for what alot of folks picture as being Calif. Probably one of the best kept secrets in Calif. Lots of public land for potential riding on either USFS or BLM.

Yea I see that .... Well I guess I will try to work through and try to get it resolved Sam

Here is my new (to me) bike. It is a 77 350 model 159. It is not pretty but it runs well and will be a good practice bike while I work on it to get it safe and reliable. Since I took this pic it has new fenders and throttle. I had to clean the mag and replace the points because of rust but it now has good spark. I am really enjoying it and am looking forward to doing some vintage trials next season. I hope the pic loads Sam

Hey KTT the Bul is coming along just fine. I have to do the fork seals and look for the brackets that hold the airbox to the frame but it runs real well. A bit banged up and not very pretty but I don't care about that right now anyhow. Good to hear from you. I will try to post a pic of a before pic over in the Bultaco section. Sam

Hi guys and thanks for the welcome. I live in Cedarville up in Modoc County. We have alot of good riding for either the desert or the Warner Mts on the Modoc NF but not much in the way of organized events. I have looked at the Sacto Pits web site and would like to engage but it is quite far from me. I may just have to contact them and get involved. I did however check at the AHRMA event that was held at the Bushey ranch in Nov. and that got me hooked. My wife wants to ride also.... Too cold to ride right now so I am doing some maintenance on the old Bul.. Thanks Sam