stevem75

Hi guys thanks. I've emailed in motion to see if they have any parts or suggestions. Woody you're right about the needle bearings. If I have to go to the 5 speed I'll find a set of 350 cases from an earlier sherpa t The 340 barrel and crank will fit into the earlier cases. Steve

I've recently acquired a 199B sherpa t that has some gear box issues. Namely the shift forks are horribly modified, and butchered. I think I saw on this forum at one point that someone had an exploded diagram with hand written part numbers on it for the shift forks. The diagram itself was likely that of a 214 frontera which physically has the same gear box but with different ratios. So if anyone could post the diagram I'd appreciate it. I won't even comment on how rare six speed shift forks are and how difficult it may be to source some. Worst comes to worst I have a 5 speed cluster from another sherpa that I can likely make work. For those curious the serial number is 14446 Thanks in advance Steve

Working as a professional motorcycle mechanic for twenty years I've seen a lot of damage done to fork tubes due to over tightening of the pinch bolts. Simply put there is no good reason not to use a torque wrench on all critical fasteners. None! and by critcal fastenrs I'm talking head bolts, engine case nuts and bolts, brake stays , fork stanchions, axle nuts. Any experience you think you have with twisting wrenches and using your elbow as a torque wrench is foolish. I prove this fact year in and year out with apprentice mechanics that think they know only to find out they've been torquing bolts to triple the rated spec damaging threads in engines and forks and brake calipers. Know your torque wrench. Have a torque chart available and use it. Steve

Whereabouts on the west coast ? I'm in kelowna. I can help you out if need be. Let me know Steve

Agreed 7.5ft/lbs is correct. 15 and you'd break the bolts. Bondy torque specifications for bultacos are the same as any other model new or old. Proper torque values are derived from the grade of bolt, and the diameter and thread pitch of a bolt. A 6mm bolt on a bultaco will have the same torque as on a modern honda. I will say the torque settings on engine cases and heads are critical. As are fork yolks. Distortion of the fork tubes is very possible if over torqued. Bottom line use a torque wrench on all critical fasteners. Your elbow doesn't know but your torque wrench will. !!!! Steve

This engine does not use a head gasket. The 159 denotes model 159. My parts book shows that the m 159 to 191 models used the same liner. So all is correct with yours. If the engine is being somewhat disassembled now is a good time to do cylinder base gasket , manifold gasket and crank seals. All easy to replace and in doing do will insure a good running engine . Steve

hello all am thinking of having one of my 199A powder coated in wite any idea witch ral code it is Your own post on April 5 2012. The answer The white color is RAL 9016, Verkehrsweiss, (traffic white). The blue color is btw. RAL 5015, Himmelblau, (sky blue). Took me 45 seconds to find the answer!!!

On your piston it says T2+. As others have mentioned if it was an oversized piston you would see .25 or .50 etc etc depending on what oversize it is. Since yours has no oversize markings it is still on the standard bore. The + mark is important. This denotes the finished bore size for that piston. In this case the bore size should be between 71.050- 71.060 mm. Let's say for example that the piston says T2-. This would indicate the finished bore size would have to be 71.040- 71.050mm. Having said this if you decide to get new rings the markings on the piston don't make a difference to ring size. Piston clearance can be a hotly contested debate amongst owners. Bultaco did extensive research and testing with their engines. If you decide to rebuild your top end and use a stock mahle piston I highly advise that you follow their instructions for finished clearance. With modern two cycle oils and proper break in you'll be fine. Steve

Sounds like you've done it right. Point gap first then timing. I'd check how thick the points rubbing block is and compare it to what came out of the bike. It might be part of the issue. I'm always hesitant to make timing adjustments with gap only. The reason the gap is specified .4 mm is to maximize the life of the points and condenser. In any case I'd check the new points very carefully Steve

One of the many reasons an electronic ignition would go bad with Bultaco was because a kill switch was NOT used to stop the engine. Sometimes they would break when the rider fell or someone would take it apart and not reconnect it properly. You could connect the switch two different ways and both would work to kill the engine but one way would damage the electronics. Another thing people did was remove the spark lead to kill the motor and this would instantly damage the system. Sounds ridiculous to say but believe it or not his happened constantly. I saw many ignitions ruined by people removing the plug lead. Mainly though femsa electronics were touch and go at best. The rule of thumb we had was if it worked beyond two weeks from new then it likely would be fine forever. Many times this wasn't the case and they just quit for no reason. Switching to femsa points really does make sense It's cheap and reliable and if done right requires almost no maintenance Steve

The campera came stock from Bultaco with a femsatronic ignition. They are hard to come by in working order now,but you can still buy nos ones from Hugh's Bultaco in New York. Be warned they are expensive and do have a shelf life. Believe it or not a 40 year old electronic ignition can go bad just sitting on a shelf. The phenolic coating on the capacitors inside the components will deteriorate and cause problems. It's easiest and quite inexpensive to retrofit the femsa points system. Having said that..... Femsatronic or motoplat systems in working order will provide better spark and quicker rise time which does result in better throttle response. And an ignition that is in working order that is regularly used should work indefinitely so long as connections are tight and the system has a proper kill button. Steve

As previously noted pre 75 prototype motocrossers and road race bikes did have the serial number starting with 100xxx. Many suggest this may be mistaken for a model 10 or model 100. They aren't mistakes. Bultaco did number their prototype bikes this way. After 1975 the factory likely didn't have a benefit for numbering prototype bikes like that. Hence we have prototypes like the m133 Sherpa ... The m141 montjuich or the m154 metralla. Each of which would have logically been the next evolution of the model. I have the factory production lists with prototype numbers attached that also state where these prototypes were sold to and who they were sold to. I'm happy to send copies if anyone would like to see them. I also have decent color pics of prototype engines and frames as well. To put to rest another question many have ..... All bultacos..... All of them,.....left the factory with matching frame and engine numbers. If you have one with non matching numbers they were changed by the importer or somewhere down the line by a second or third owner. Be it comerfords, or cemoto east or cemoto west or a privateer. Doesn't matter. They left the factory matching. Export tarriffs in the 70's prevented Bultaco from doing it any other way. No doubt many units were bought new with non matching numbers but with great certainty they didn't leave the factory like that. They were changed after leaving Spain. One can speculate that after about early 81 that the factory threw together whatever they had and numbers may not match but I would be very very sceptical of that. As for the Numbered frame in the picture I fear I must agree that the numbers stamped do not look to be genuine but rather stamped as and aftermarket type frame. Hard to tell when not seeing up close. Vesty, lampkin, Rathmell, schrieber... All rode factory prepped bikes or bikes prepped by local importers such as the well known reg may comerfords models. They likely had pre production models or very very low serial number of a given model for riding each year. If engine issues came up then likely they would have a completely new engine installed when required. It's anyone's guess as to how the engine was numbered. If numbered at all. When it comes to Bultaco model numbers remember this..... Always refer to them by the model number. A 1975 Sherpa t means nothing to a parts person. But a m159 vs a m 151 does. If your bike has serial # 6678 of a given model then at least that many were built regardless of what someone tells you. Steve

I was recently contacted by trialscentral with a question from another member . Sadly for whatever reason I was unable to reply through the private message section. In any case JC2 if you are reading I will try to answer your question and if any other forum members have insight please bring them forward. The question was whether or not Bultaco made available a 175cc SherpaT in Sept 68. And in what numbers. Bultaco to my knowledge did not bring out a small bore Sherpa in the 60's. If they did they were one off models built specially for either a factory rider or close aquaintances of the Bulto's. The first model 125 Sherpa was the M156. This was also called a Lobito T depending on where it was sold. I don't have actual production numbers for this bike. The first and only 175 cc model was the M221 of 1978. 361 were built. This number is open to speculation. If any members have a serial number higher then that, well then they made more. Keep in mind Bultaco was a company that was building all sorts of bikes and anything is possible. But from a production standpoint I'm not aware of smaller bore Sherpa before about 1975. Also too.... true factory prototypes and racers had the serial designation M100 and then 3 digits denoting the serial number. All told there were tens of thousands of Sherpa T's produced. Beginning with the M10 and finishing with the 199B. The 199 series bikes alone all told are around 14000 units. They sold a lot !!!! If I've missed anything or anyone has more insight please post . Always neat to hear about the rare stuff. Steve

This is a common issue when assembling the crankcases. Sounds like you have assembled correctly with the use of heat etc etc. One thing that is overlooked is not installing the seal retainer in the left case. This sets the depth at which the crank with bearing will sit. When installing the right crankcase make sure that you've heated the case good and hot before assembling. It should just drop right onto the left case half withou the need to tap or draw it together with the crankcase nuts. If you find it isnt just dropping on then heat it again and make sure all your trans shafts and crank are sitting properly in the left case. Once you have the right case installed torque the case nuts to 5 foot pounds as we discussed earlier. At this point check to make sure the trans spins freely. In all likelihood the crank won't turn freely. This is ok because it will be sitting a little proud on the left crank case. Look at where the crank is sitting between the two case halves to determine this. Once you note where it's sitting you can tap the end of the crank with a brass hammer or the like to get it to center in the cases. Bultaco actually had a special tool for this and they pried the crank in the direction it needed to go. You will find with one or two good taps and the crank will free up and spin nicely. All you're doing is centering the crank in the case halves. Once done continue with reassembly. Remember that your brand new crank was pressed and aligned to a very high tolerance. I'm not suggesting to hit the crank so hard as to put it out of alignment but just a few love taps to get it into position. Sounds like you had it right. Just take your time. Make sure everything is aligned and the cases are heated sufficiently and all will come together Steve

Bonly, As per our discussion on another thread related to torque settings I replied and said your Service Manual was 100% correct!!!!!! 5 foot pounds is the torque setting for all the nuts!!! Its the same for all Bultaco engines..... All of them. It's all in the manual. Steve

From your picture that does appear to be correct. However the shaft also needs to be preloaded with spring tension in order for that ratchet to return . So long as the shaft returns or "springs back" and the ratchet locates back to where I see it in your picture then its installed correctly. The 199a case will not fit the 250. the crankcase openings are a different size. Steve

Not surprising the air screw has to be turned in (richened) after replacing the old worn out jets. As the jets wear they allow more fuel to pass, thus richening the mixture. The subsequent adjustment to make up for the rich running is to back out the air screw (leaning) the mix. Now that the new jets are installed and the proper amount (less fuel) is being metered through the carb the air mix needs to be richened to compensate. As far as being too rich or too lean, once these carbs are set to factory specs and maintained that way you really don't need to worry too much about it. 3/4 to a full turn on the air mix in or out won't harm the engine in any way shape or form other than make it run a little uneven until the ultimate setting is found. Bultacos run really well if proper ignition timing, no air leaks , and a properly functioning carb are used. Steve

Bondy your manual is 100% correct. The nuts are torqued to 5ft/lbs. Correct torque specs should always be observed during engine case reassembly. Any of the 6x1mm threaded fasteners should be torqued between 5 to 7 footpounds. Having the correct torque spec insures that thermo expansion of the cases happens at the same rate thus reducing the chance of unwanted air or oil leaks. Steve

Something doesn't look right with the kickstart assembly. Like the ramped piece that is part of the ratchet isn't returning back in all the way. Is that because you've disassembled it before taking the photo? Theoretically it could work as it is but it almost looks like the kickshaft return spring isn't set correctly. The kickstart gear looks too far over on the kickshaft to the point that its rubbing on its neighbour. I'd check it carefully because the engagement ratchet with the ramp on it isn't returning underneath its retaining arm. I agree with Woody also ... don't just put another trans in to try and fix the problem. Take your time and examine everything carefully, and understand how the cluster works and won't work. As to finding where neutral is when its apart...... please please please read your manual, it shows in picture and plain text how and where to locate neutral on the selector drum. Again though, I don't think the kickstart assembly is put together correctly. Hope this helps Steve

The piston is standard size. I can faintly see the arrow pointing towards the exhaust. The T2- marking is there to assist with clearancing the piston when new. Mainly the minus sign is what is important. Some pistons will have a plus sign+. A Bultaco manual will help you with that, should you replace the piston with an original Mahle. There is a fair amount of soot buildup. Nothing to worry about. Thoroughly clean up the piston and bore. Mix up a fresh batch of fuel when you're ready and then go riding!!!

Interested in seeing my list from CEMOTO of works bikes and which riders got which numbers?. I don't keep guessing because I don't need to. However I won't debate the fact that the 133 was a model that only factory riders used just as with the M96. Clarify with me if Vesty has his factory bikes do they in fact have the serial numbers on the engine and frame and if so are they production numbers such as the 151 , 159, 199 , 199A ? Thats more what I'm getting at. Yes the riders had factory prepped bikes that were different than stock. Cylinder enlargement, reed valves, exhaust etc etc all would have been changed. Point being the factory bikes were usually a run of bikes pulled off the line and prepped specifically for the riders by the factory. This I won't debate. But to say they are true one off bikes ...... I don't buy it. Vesty's last incarnation of the 199B , that was a one off. Steve

The M133 could have been called a works bike. It can be seen in some of bultacos bruchures. I think rathmell rode one if not mistaken. It was a sort of bridge model between the 124 125 and 150 151 sherpas. Please re read my post I said that works models began with M100xxx. I'm well aware the M100 was a pursang. But a Pursang serial number would look like this M1000134. Note the extra serial digit. I have photos showing the M100 designation. I realize vesty's bikes were not "stock" but did the factory change them ? or Comerfords? . And when competeing if they needed common parts then more than likely the local distributor was supplying parts as they could. The true works Bultacos came from the factory not the distributor. Having said all this the M100 factory works designation that I have seen applied mostly to TSS and Pursang models. Not sure they would have done that with the Sherpas. There was also a M96 matador which was a pre production bike that factory riders had for 1973 . Apparently 25 were built and only one exists to this day. My research on serial numbers is extensive. I've spoken with many that worked for the factory and at the distributor level. True one off factory race bikes were given the M100 serial designation. Steve

The M133 was a sort of pre production Sherpa T . In actual fact any "works" bikes were M100xxx. I'm relatively sure no Sherpas were ever given this designation. Any of the factory Sherpa riders were riding bone stock bikes that were modified to suit. If they had issues they were able to get additional parts or motors from the factory or local distributor. It'd be hard to say how many pro's bikes are still out there. If vesty, rathmell, bulto, schreiber, coultard, etc etc all got one or two bikes for the season over lets say 5 years that would be 50 sherpa t's. Of those how many are still in existence and which ones had their engines swapped out for whatever reason?. Likely a handfull. Motors and frames always matched leaving the factory. What happened after the fact is hard to say. The M199B is sort of rare. To my knowledge there was around 2000 to 2200 built. In north america it is almost nonexistent. I know of half a dozen in canada and perhaps twice that in the states. The m198B is kind of the holy grail as very few were made. My production list says 500 M27 sherpa t's were built. I know this not to be true as I have personally seen serial 801 and 865 . As I've mentioned before if your bike for example says it has serial number M15904703 then there were at least that many made. Steve

In the UK Bultacos are referred to by year. Compared to say the States or Canada this is how they registered their bikes in that country. When a bike was brought to the UK it was documented on which day and which year it was brought in; I'm guessing this was done at comerfords but could be wrong. Effectively the "country" designated the year of the bike. While its accurate that bondy's bike is an 81 model according to when it was imported, this is a very inaccurate way to identify a bultaco. To say a 199A is a 1979 model year is misleading. They built the 199A in 79 and 80 possibly even 81. When ordering parts for a bultaco you can't just say " I need a piston for my 1975 350 sherpa t"........ Ok which sherpa t would that be ?. The Model 151 or possibly the 159. Both were made in 1975. Model numbers are the most accurate and only way to correctly identify which bike it is. While it may be of some importance or value when registering a bike it is of no consequence when proper identification is required. My M199B had the serial 13456. I know factually that the 199B serial numbers went right up past 14200 or so. To try and determine the year it was built would be difficult. Unless someone from the uk has a serial number in the same range as mine was and can tell me when theirs was registered . And Bondy.... if you have a 198B that is a very rare bike. Steve

I still believe all bikes that left the factory were matching numbers. There were exceptions of course. I know works riders would have had access to whatever they needed to keep them going. The bikes in the uk came in through comerfords. In north america they came through the bultaco importer in new york. From there I think they were shipped throughout the states. There was another warehouse in california that distributed bikes also. If you have a bike with non matching numbers I'd bet it was changed at the importer or dealer level for some unknown reason. Remember Franco era spain was a tough economy to get around in. Bultaco sublet out alot of their parts manufacture etc etc to get around tax laws and duties and such. The government of the time kept strict control of the economy and they knew what was coming in and going out of the country. Bultaco would have been under the microscope when it came to having matching numbers. Steve