Miller’s victory, carrying number 156 on the development Sherpa finally signalled the end of the heavyweight four-stroke trials machine, consigning them to museums and raised the bar for all two-stroke trial machine manufacturers. The SSDT was rated as the toughest test of a trials machine in the world and the win would generate volume sales for the Spanish concern. Miller’s first big win on his 1964 prototype/development Sherpa (registered as 669NHO in November 1964, in Hampshire) which would later be produced as the Sherpa T was unquestionably the 1965 Scottish Six Days Trial in the May that year. The early Sherpa motor was a four-speeder with a distinctive ‘radial’ finned cylinder head. Sammy Miller with one of the development Bultaco Sherpa T machines – Photo: Bultaco Motorcycles Sammy Miller insisted that the motor used be enlarged to that of a two-fifty from 196cc for trials use and the original development Sherpa was close enough at 244cc using a 72 mm bore and 60 mm stroke with a wheelbase of 51.5 inches. At this point, the forks are devoid of the forward mounted spindle and Miller would request the capacity increased to 244 from 196cc – Photo copyright: Manuel Soler, Spain Here he is testing the modified Sherpa N Prototype which would evolve into the Sherpa T. Sammy Miller captured during the secret test sessions in 1964 at San Antonio, the farm of F.X. Bultó was made by Harry Lindsay, the Dublin motorcycle dealer and entrepreneur who imported the Bultaco brand to Ireland. The initial introduction of Sammy Miller to F.X. Miller was contracted to develop and ride for Bultaco, this was announced in the motorcycle press in the October of 1964, but secret testing and improvements made to the prototype Bultaco had taken place several months earlier, in company with his friend Roy Peplow, when Miller was still contracted to Ariels. It was this model that became the basis for the Sherpa T, developed first by the founder’s nephew, Juan Soler Bultó and then taken to new heights by the engagement of Sammy Miller as a development rider. The Sherpa N (model 4) was a dual purpose ‘trail’ machine powered by the firm’s 155cc then later their 196cc single cylinder two-stroke motor.
The firm produced the Sherpa models for off-road use. Grenoble, 1964 – Oriol Puig Bultó on a Bultaco Sherpa with ‘Bambi’ Valera watching. Paco Bultó being a fan of the TT Races had always been keen to develop the TSS models for road racing. The initial launch model 1, the Bultaco Tralla 101 was made in 1959 at the Bultó farm called San Antonio before moving to the factory at Sant Adrià de Besòs, sometime later.īultaco produced small capacity two-stroke machines for road use, but it’s heart lay in competition. Bultó was a sporting motorcyclist, he was a former competitor and had ridden in events such as the International Six Days Trial, he attended the Isle of Man TT races, racing was in his blood. However this eventually led to a fierce rivalry between the two organisations as the years progressed. This was to signal Bulto’s departure from the board of ‘Permanyer and Bultó’. It appeared that they had reported Bultó as wasting money with the company’s racing enterprises, this annoyed Bultó as the board had taken decisions behind his back when he had been on a business trip to the USA to secure supplies of piston rings. Bultó had secured employment for at the Montesa factory. He had been persuaded by the support of the Montesa racing department staff who helped set up the new enterprise.īultó’s son, Ignacio explained to Trials Guru’s John Moffat in June 2017 that it was a long story but it involved nephew’s of his mother who F.X. This was staffed by ex-Montesa employees who had great respect for Bulto.
After a disagreement, which resulted in the withdrawal of Montesa from racing, and therefore change the direction of the business, Bultó dissolved the partnership with Permanyer and eventually set up his own company in 1958. A sea of Bultacos – Photo courtesy: Merce Gou/Motocat, Barcelonaīultaco Sherpa N – The forerunner and baseline model from which the Sherpa T was developed – Image: Bultaco Motorcycles The ‘Sherpa T’ is born: ‘Paco’ Bultó as he was known, had been in partnership with Pere Permanyer in the company Permanyer and Bultó which manufactured the rival Montesa brand. The trade mark CEMOTO was an acronym of the company name Compañia Española de Motores. The founder being the forward thinking and passionate motorcycle competitor Francesco Xavier Bultó, from where the Bultaco name was coined. A dedication to Bultaco Trial Motorcycles: This Trials Guru special section is dedicated to the Bultaco brand created by the founder of the limited company called: Compañia Española De Motores in the town of Sant Adrià de Besòs, a municipality of the city of Barcelona, Spain.
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