Sunday 23 March 2014

2 - The First Restoration

 About 20 years ago I had a go at tidying up the Bultaco. I stripped it down and painted the frame and tank, rebuilt the engine and wheels. It was looking better than it ever had in it's life, and running pretty good. At least it was easy to start. I decided to take it out and do a few trials. 

 Well that was a bad thing to do. In a short space of time it was as battered looking as ever. I rode it for a number of years then noticed I'd put a hole in the clutch cover. I'd also banged the sump awful hard against something and pushed the bottom frame rail up against the engine. I decided not to ride it any more.


 Two years ago while on holiday in Barcelona I visited a bike museum. There was a lovely collection of Spanish trials bikes, beautifully restored. When I looked at them I said to myself "that's what mine should look like". Since then I've been thinking just what to do with it.


 I removed the clutch cover to weld the hole and discovered bits of the primary chain tensioner lying inside. It had broken up and a piece of it had got trapped against the clutch and punched out through the cover from the inside. A friend in work done the welding for me so that was the first bit sorted, but how was I going to straighten this bent frame rail ?


 Some scans of old photos of the bike as she was after the first restoration.








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