The Alpina weighed in at a very modest 217 curbside pounds (claimed), as opposed to an equivalent English 250 four-stroke single, which could run almost 300 pounds. This was a steel affair, pretty unbreakable, with a single downtube (in an effort to keep the frame as light as possible) splitting into a full cradle going under the engine. The new model was essentially using the same frame as the Sherpa, with slightly different geometry. To make the Alpina more useful and friendly, the gas tank was enlarged to 2.6 gallons, with a longer saddle and rear footpegs so that a passenger could be carried along. It was reliable, and capable of giving even a novice a pleasurable day of bashing the boonies. The Alpina was advertised as a trials bike, but in truth was more of a trail-riding machine, great for plunking along dirt tracks. The new Sherpa received a major do-over around 1970, and the projected Alpina was intended as the successor to the old Sherpa, being made a bit more manageable and rider friendly.
Bulto loved racing, having been a successful competitor in his younger years, and what he liked to do was build a bike that could win races, and then turn out detuned versions for civilian use.īulto was constantly upgrading his machines, making them even more competitive. Over the 25 years of Bultaco’s existence, 1958 to 1983, probably a hundred models appeared, ranging in size from the 50cc Chispa (Spark) to the 370cc Frontera (Frontier). And then the Alpina, honoring Europe’s largest mountain range, and the model we will talk about here. The Sherpa celebrated the conquering of Mount Everest. The Matador was self-explanatory, denoting bull-fighting glory. Then there was the Metralla, or Shrapnel, and the Pursang-Pure Blood. The first Bultaco was the Tralla, or Whip. The bikes were strong, light and dependable, and this was when most of the racing was done by individuals, rather than factory-supported riders. In the 1960s his two-stroke singles took the checkered flag in everything from motocross to trials to roadracing. Señor Bulto had a simple plan when he started up the Bultaco brand in 1958: build great competition motorcycles.
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