Bultaco
Bultaco was a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer from Sant Adrià de Besòs in Catalonia from 1958 to 1983 . In 2014, the revival of the brand by Bultaco Motors SL was announced and the intention was announced to want to produce electric motorcycles and light motorcycles from 2015.
The company was originally founded by Don Paco Bultó , grandfather of the Spanish racing driver Sete Gibernau . His products were powered by single-cylinder two-stroke engines and were mainly used in motorsport - especially in trials and road racing. Well-known model series were Sherpa (Trial), Alpina , Frontera (Enduro), Pursang (Moto Cross). By the early 1980s, almost 250 different models were built, of which around 330,000 units were made. Over time, some of these models became valuable and sought-after collectibles. Many machines are still in use today in historic motorsport.
Founded in 1958
In early 1958, Montesa was the leading brand in the Spanish motorcycle market. The company was run by Don Paco Bultó and Pedro Permanyer and has been very successful, both in terms of its products and in terms of its track record. All models were regularly sold before they went into production, and the team won almost every race they took part in. However, in April of this year there was an uproar during a management meeting. Permanyer and José Luis Milá announced to Bultó their intention to withdraw from motorsport and to concentrate only on the marketing of their motorcycles in the future. The background was the decision of the Italian and English brands, which had already withdrawn from the sport, as well as the Spanish government's National Stabilization Plan ( Plan de Estabilización ), which had restrictive effects on the free economy. It was clear to Bultó that the decision had only superficially to do with savings, as the company was in a comfortable economic situation and the activities on the racetrack hardly resulted in excessive costs. He could have vetoed, but the relationship with Montesa was permanently damaged and so he left the company - initially with no intention of founding his own brand. However, his progress had far-reaching consequences and only a few weeks later he was followed by a team of employees who met on May 17, 1958, Don Paco Bultó's birthday, and decided that evening together to found a new brand. Bultaco was launched.
First successes after only ten months
In June 1958, the founding team initially settled in Don Paco Bultó's private residence in San Antonio to work on the construction of the new factory and the design of the first motorcycle. The first prototype was completed after four months and the first series model was completed at the end of February 1959; on March 24, 1959, the Tralla 101 was the first Bultaco to be presented to the public. Just three weeks later, the Tralla 101 took part in the first race on the legendary Montjuïc circuit in Barcelona .
Only one year after the brand was founded, the first records were set. Some people claimed that Bultó had planned the coup before he left and that Tralla 101 was in fact based on stolen drawings from Montesa. This was the beginning of a long-running and legendary rivalry between the two brands that, while unintentional, contributed significantly to the popularity of Spanish motorcycle races.
The market follows the checkered flag
Don Paco Bultó ran his company according to the motto “The market always follows the checkered flag”. He believed that innovation is closely linked to the development of racing machines and the world of motorcycle racing, and that success on the racetrack would be essential to the success of his products. Bultaco won a total of nine world championships, four European championships, eleven Spanish championships, seven times the Six Days of Scotland and five times the world speed record on the long distance. In addition, Bultaco achieved great commercial success with its road, off-road and trial motorcycles . As a result of the labor unrest and the increased pressure on the market, Bultaco had to stop production in 1979. The factory reopened in 1980, but closed for good three years later.
Relaunch of the brand in 2014
The origin of the rebirth of Bultaco lies in a project by the engineering office LGN TECH Design SL, which specialized in mechanical and electronic design and aimed to develop its own patents. José Germán Pérez, Raúl Pérez, Juan Manuel Vinós, Gerald Poellmann and Jorge Bonilla founded this company in 2010 with the support of the Technology Park of the University of Carlos III . After two years of intensive development and research, the company tested its technology in the most demanding environment ever: on the racetrack. LGN, now Bultaco Motors, took part in the first electric motorcycle world championship organized by FIM in 2011 . With a motorcycle that was completed in just three months and now had to compete with some much more experienced and superior models, the team immediately managed to take third place in Magny-Cours and fourth place in the overall standings. Motivated by these results on the racetrack and supported by the Bultó family, the founding team finally created the infrastructure for the resurrection of Bultaco.
On May 17, 2014 - exactly 65 years after the brand was founded by Don Paco Bultó - the Spanish company Bultaco Motors SL announced the reintroduction of the legendary brand in London. At the same time, prototypes of the first Bultaco models of the new era were presented: Rapitán and Rapitán Sport. Both motorcycles are based on a disruptive electric drive developed in -house, an innovative braking energy recovery system to increase the range and the use of ultra-light materials.
In 2015, the first Bultaco moto bike called Brinco should come onto the market - a sporty product that combines a 100% electric drive with independent cycling.
World title
- Road racing
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1976 - 50 cm³ - Angel Nieto
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1977 - 50 cm³ - Ángel Nieto
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1978 - 50 cm³ - Ricardo Tormo
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1981 - 50 cm³ - Ricardo Tormo
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- Trial
- 1976 - Singles - Yrjö Vesterinen
- 1977 - Singles - Yrjö Vesterinen
- 1978 - singles - Yrjö Vesterinen
- 1979 Singles Bernie Schreiber
