jtsdad Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 Can anybody help. I have a Red Ali tank and seat on my Sherpa Slimline. The underside of the tank shows signs of being Blue a one stage. I understand the bike is 1972/73 with matching frame and engine nos ( 92 ). Question. Did the bike start with a Red tank or Blue. Was there a colour change through production or did one of the prevoius owners prefer Red to Blue. Any thoughts would be helpful. Thanks jtsdad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 Firstly if it's a slimline Bultaco it should have a glass fibre one piece tank and seat unit and if my memory serves me right they were all red with a silver stripe. If yours has an alloy tank then that was off a later model and they were mostly blue with silver. Sounds like someone has fitted a later tank and seat. The genuine slimline tank and seat units "kit campione" are like rocking horse poo and fetch a fortune on flea bay on the rare occaision that one crops up which may also explain someone fitting a later tank and seat. then again i thought most slimline Bultacos were 1971 ? I'm sure Big John will be along in a bit and correct me if i'm wrong as he knows Bultacos better than most. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 All the 'slimline' bikes from M80 up to the 1975 M150/1 had the red fibreglass tank seat unit fitted by the factory. Somewhere around 1974 fibreglass tanks were outlawed in the UK, so the UK importers replaced the tanks with the alloy tank/seat unit, like the one on the front of the Haynes manual. These alloy tanks were blue. It's not unusual for this alloy tank to have been fitted to other models over the years. Your 92 would originally have been sold with the red fibreglass tank/seat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted December 3, 2012 Report Share Posted December 3, 2012 The genuine slimline tank and seat units "kit campione" are like rocking horse poo and fetch a fortune on flea bay You can buy a new one from Shedworks Bultaco UK and Millers also did them but not sure if they still do now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 You can buy a new one from Shedworks Bultaco UK and Millers also did them but not sure if they still do now. Have they sorted out the problem with modern fuels melting the gell do you know? I notice they still only do a cover for the TY mono not a full tank and seat so wondering if the problem has been sorted properly yet? Shedworks stuff looks nice sorry i forgot about them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big john Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 (edited) With the release of Bultaco Model 91/92 onwards the UK government outlawed non-metal fuel tanks for road use. This was to create many problems at the Scottish Six Days Trial in 1973. Many trials bikes were at that time used on the public highway. Importers Comerfords of Thames Ditton acted and Homerlite produced two sizes of alloy tank seat unit. Many of the 1973 machines were then fitted as supplied by the importers or aftermarket with the blue and silver alloy tanks with the silver band abbreviated on the baseline. Later model 1974 model 124/125 had the same colour combo but more silver band sweeping up to the filler cap. Earlier conversion had polished tank seat units. I actually have both types of alloy tank/seat and a number of the glassfibre 'Kit Campeon' (Championship kit) originals. Big John Edited December 4, 2012 by big john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted December 4, 2012 Report Share Posted December 4, 2012 (edited) Have they sorted out the problem with modern fuels melting the gell do you know? I notice they still only do a cover for the TY mono not a full tank and seat so wondering if the problem has been sorted properly yet? Shedworks stuff looks nice sorry i forgot about them Fuel isn't a problem as he uses ethanol resistant resin. I've had the 'prototype' tank on my 340 for 12 months now with no problem and I never drain it, it always has fuel in it. I've never actually had a problem with fuel in any of the bikes, both the M49 I used to have and the M92 I've been riding this year used the original Bultaco tanks and neither suffered fuel related problems. The M92 has had fuel in it constantly since I got the bike at the start of the year, I've never drained it. Even the two holes I 'repaired' with araldite have held up. I only use Shell V-power unless I'm away somewhere and can't get it. Edit:- forgot to mention the TY mono cover. The reason for the cover, rather than an actual tank, is purely to tidy up the old weathered plastic tanks. As the tanks are structurally ok they don't need replacing, so the cover is just a way of giving them a new appearance and allows a custom finish as well. Edited December 4, 2012 by woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtsdad Posted December 5, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2012 Thanks Gents, I learn a little more each day. Only another 20 years to go. Regards jtsdad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old trials fanatic Posted December 5, 2012 Report Share Posted December 5, 2012 Thanks Woody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtsdad Posted December 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Thanks for the info Big John, When i bought the bike i was told it was a 1972/73 M92 the numbers confirm that to be correct. Would it follow that it may be a Commerfords bike with Ali tank fitted. My Red and Silver ali tank and seat needs repainting so i am not sure if it would be best to paint it blue and silver to get it back to its original colour. Does anybody have colour pictures of have the blue and silver blend. jtsdad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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