Hello everyone.

I'm trying to confirm what the first two letters stamped on the crankcase before the hyphen and the numbers should be ??????

One I'm looking at doesn't look right, in as much the whole stamping is slightly wonky and the first two letters look like JM.

I already own a 198 and the engine number on that starts RM followed by the numbers which are nice and straight and about 5mm from the clutch housing gasket.

The wonky 199B number is about 10mm above the gasket line, and the stamped numbers and letters are not perfectly in line and a bit bigger than the 198.

The frame number on the 199B looks good, starting JB and numbers and letters look correct. Nicely in line and same size as my 198.

By the by, the 199B engine does have 6 gears.

Thanks.

The letters before the nos on Bultacos correspond with the engine size . Pre 1973 or thereabouts they just had the one letter which was the M for motor , the frame had B for bastidor which is Spanish for frame . After 1973 or thereabouts the M or B was preceded by another letter P = 250CC R =238CC H =360/370 CC J =325/340 CC S = 200CC Z = 50CC (CHISPA) V = 125CC T = 175CC ETC ETC , There are others but I cant remember them

Hello & welcome

We don't see hardly any B models here,so I just looked at my 199.

JM 199xxxxx ,someone with firsthand knowledge will help.

I would think 6 speed would tell the tale.

Larry

Wouldn't worry about the engine numbers being in a straight line, mine aren't either and the number on the 198B is even worse.

Thanks for the the replies..... WOODY can I email you a picture of the number to see what you think.... compare how bad it is to yours ? .... it might cure my nervousness about the bike at the moment.

This is mine from the 198B which is worse than my 199B

This is the 199B, didn't think I had a photo but I have

Trying to attach my photo.... Hope it works.

Any observations about the photo above ?...... The 'M' looks like someones try to redo it... and the 'B' is only half there.... Do you think it's original ?

Yes they're stamped from the factory that way. Quality control wasn't a top priority when it came to stamping. I don't think any models I have are stamped in a straight line.

As Woody said wouldn't worry about it if it's got 6 gears then it's a 199B unless some 1 as put the 6 speed gear box in another crank case but don't think that can be done. iv'e heard about 5 speed gear box being put into a 199B email the engine number and frame number to inmotion bultaco uk and Ask them they will conform model and year off bike. but i wouldn.t worry mate if it runs and gears are ok just ride it.

Edited December 5, 201411 yr by bondy

They appear original Bultaco stamps to me. If you look at mine, the 1 is bigger than the other numbers, as with yours, as is the J bigger than the M, and if you look at the M on the 198B engine, the M is at an angle like yours. It seems they were always neater with the frame number than engine number.

I think to re-stamp the engine number, with the amount of metal that would have to be removed to completely erase the original number, it would appear obvious. If it is a replacement 6 speed engine that someone has fitted and re-stamped to match the frame, they would only have to redo the last four numbers, not the whole number.

If you're thinking it is a 5 speed crankcase converted to 6, proper engineering work is required to do that and you have to ask why would someone do it in the first place, as they'd have to have the six speed parts to begin with. Assuming someone would do it if the original 6 speed cases were badly damaged, I'd have a guess that if they had the facilities to convert a 5 speed crankcase to 6, they would have the means to repair the original cases instead.

I too think the numbers are original, on my Sherpa the numbers are too bouncing a little bit around, even the frame number isn't straight:

Edited December 6, 201411 yr by pschrauber

Whilst we are on 199b numbers does anyone know the last one produced is it about 4500?

Hullo Nigel,I have a book,Sherpa,the story.Page 42 says 6 speed motor from 19912885-B onwards also cylinder increased by 1.8 mm & square section rear fork introduced. Total production is 198B 270 & 199B 1778 . Hope this helps,John.