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

Thanks Steve.

The model 221 from '78 was the only one I was aware of too, until re-reading Morley's book on Spanish Trials Bikes where he says, "the resulting 175cc Sherpa mini-trialer was rushed out during September 1968", but I think he got mixed up with the '78 one. Its a great book, but I've found numerous errors in it.

He probably got mixed up with the Sherpa S 175 which wasn't a trials bike but resembled the Lobito. He's definitely referring to the late 60s as he was suggesting Bultaco were trying to compete against the 175cc and other smaller bikes that were being produced at the time, mainly here in the UK.

The model 221 was created as a holiday resort rental bike for various holiday destinations in Europe, I think 175cc because that was a restriction on engine capacity without a full licence in parts of Europe. Some were released as trials bikes. Basically a sleeved down 250, model 190