May 10, 20206 yr Hi Guys and girls I have just acquired a model 92 350 Sherpa for restoration/rebuild. bike seems to be mostly original but requires some refurbishment, Any pointers to UK suppliers and tips on what to look out for would be great fully.
May 12, 20206 yr Some photos would be good! As for advice - that really depends on how much experience you have working on bikes
May 13, 20206 yr Author Hi turbofurball I have worked on bikes and cars for a good few years but always handy to get tips and knowledge from others,This is my first Bultaco but raced MX for years,many thanks for the reply.
May 13, 20206 yr Author On 5/11/2020 at 9:43 PM, gasserguy said: https://www.inmotiontrials.com/ Many Thanks gasserguy
May 15, 20206 yr Author Many thanks b40rt I have started the long process of stripping and cleaning the 92 now after getting the engine running after god knows how long,most of the bike looks like original parts and in fairly good condition really. Thanks for all the information guys, I’m sure I will be asking lots of questions and trolling previous forums Edited May 15, 20206 yr by Mickeyg
May 15, 20206 yr looks like a decent bike, wheels look good and tank seat unit looks good apart from seat!
May 15, 20206 yr Author Hi delberto, I think it will be a good restoration project which will be used when finished for fun and the odd trail etc,Always a bit of a gamble until you get the engine running etc and get the feel of internal conditions.
May 15, 20206 yr Check the frame tubes that curve under the engine, these tend to get flattened if the bikes ridden carelessly or over lots of rocky sections. The tubes get pushed up until they touch the engine, then vibration takes over and wears the engine cases. I have had to replace these a few times. Some bikes have near on perfect tubes, lets hope yours are good. Also check the frame around the middle section where the seat covers the frame. The main tube is usually ok but the smaller frame tubes can crack where they meet the main tube, very likely if the bottom tubes are distorted. Whats the inside of the fuel tank like, has it been attacked by the dreaded ethanol? The contact breakers can stick if the engine has not been turned over regularly, causing difficult to no starting. Good luck with your restoration, I like Bultacos and have had a few in my time. As already mentioned In Motion (Bultaco UK) are an excellent source of spares for your bike, they know then inside out. You will need to make allowances for the current world issue but they give good advice on the Bultaco and other makes if needed. If its not on the website don’t be afraid to ask. Feked is another source of parts probably a bit more expensive. There are some French suppliers too, well there were I’m not sure about now, due to Covid-19. There's so much info and advice available on this forum that I doubt you need to get a manual. A parts list with diagrams is more useful and available from In Motion or as a down load. A mod for you to consider, the front brake operating arm is slightly longer than the clutch operating arm. They both look identical except for the length, fitting a brake arm in place of the shorter clutch arm lightens the clutch operation. The brake drums if not lined with a cast iron or steel liner should be chrome plated, this can wear off and leave you with poor brakes. The bakes were never that good any how, but Villiers Services offer (cheaper than most) a brake shoe relining service, about £20.00 for their special trials material. They do oversize linings to compensate for drum wear, you will need to provide the drum i.d. and the metal shoe o.d. from this they can work out the lining thickness to use. The lining material is very coarse but in my opinion quite good when compared to the standard offerings. Edited May 15, 20206 yr by section swept added material
May 16, 20206 yr Author Wow Thanks for all the advice and information Section swept. I have managed to strip the bike down now and clean off all the parts and frame to give it a good check over, frame seems to be in very good condition with very little damage to it,in fact I’d go to say apart from the damage to the seat the front tyre needs replacing.A new head stock bearing,and a few other bits and pieces she’s not that bad.after adjusting and checking points and fitting new pug and replacing fluids she fired up after about half an hour of fiddling. Tank is in good condition apart from surface marks.Internally it looks to be very clean and original with no problems,Thanks for the advice on Mod and brake linings.
May 16, 20206 yr Cool you'll be fine the! General tips: If you plan on getting the frame blasted & powder coated, carefully inspect the frame after blasting - they have nooks and crannies that can hide problems under paint. If you're not going that far then still take the time to pull the swingarm to clean and re-grease the bushings at the minimum, since old dry grease can hide in there. Decent new rear shocks and new progressive fork springs really do make a difference to how pleasant the bike is to ride If it doesn't have an alloy tank, then be careful about what fuel you put in it - regular modern petrol breaks the fibreglass tanks On my Montesa I had a friend make a new swingarm chain guard out of delrin, which is much longer lived than the original rubber, but a bit noisy Lastly, when it's all done up, consider temporarily getting a small capacity (ie. 125/200) modern-ish trials bike to learn the basics on - Sherpas are great, but the old school 350s are monsters and not suitable for starting trials on
May 16, 20206 yr Author Thanks turbofurball, I’m think of taking frame and rear arm into work as we have an aqua blast unit for cleaning auto parts etc.had a good look over frame after degreasing and pressure washing and so far apart from a very small ding in one bottom rail looks ok,my plan is to refer as many old parts as poss and keep as a used restoration.good tip on getting into trials on another unit as only dabbled in trials before. MX was my ball but old age has slowed me down a tad lol.Thanks again for all information and tips,will post some photos of restoration as it progress. Cheers and gone from Cornwall and stay safe everyone,there will be plenty of time to go out and play another day
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