Bultaco Alpina 350

BULTACO ALPINA 350

Cycle World Road Test

Mountain Goat, Woods Wizard, Incredible Fun . . . Senor Bulto’s Compromise Motorcycle.

BULTACO’S ALPINA MODELS are peculiar in a way, peculiar because they are Bultacos. If that sounds like a strange statement, let us explain. Senor Bulto is in the habit of building motorcycles for a very specific purpose: like trials, motocross or enduros. The machines are designed precisely for that use. . .nothing else. This is where the Alpina (affectionately called the “Alp” by the hard-core Bultaco freaks), differs.

The Alp is one of those motorcycles that can be put to several tasks, doing each with varying degrees of splendor. If you can go back a few years and remember the very first Alpinas, you’ll recall how that wasn’t quite the case then. The first models were really nothing more than Sherpa T trials machines with larger tanks, seats and lights installed. They weren’t bad motorcycles, just limited in what they could do and not nearly what the Alps have grown into today.

At one time a buyer had a choice between four different displacements if he or she were looking at an Alp; that choice has now been narrowed to two, the 250 and 350. It’s been more than two years since a 350 Alpina test has appeared on these pages; since that time the bike has grown from 326 to 348cc. Now that it’s a genuine 350, we wanted to see what two years of development has done to one of our favorite off-road motorcycles.

Bultaco has made several frame changes since the bike’s inception and they haven’t waivered from the tradition this time around. The 1975 tubing is now full chrome moly, and the engine’s location in the frame is one inch farther back than last year. They also lengthened the swinging arm-which is also chrome moly-an extra inch behind the lower shock mount, changing the axle location. This, coupled with somewhat revised five-way adjustable Betor rear shocks, adds up to roughly 4.75 in. of rear suspension travel. This isn’t too shabby considering that the Alpina’s rear suspension is considered rather conventional.

The engine position change and longer swinging arm also add much to high-speed stability and straight-line tracking, an area in which the Alpina needed some attention. And yet, the machine has not lost one iota of its exceptional tight trail trickery and sure-footedness; it’s still every bit the mountain goat that it’s always been. That’s because the Sherpa T basics are still here as far as frame geometry goes. Couple these with Pursang steering crowns and upper forks—and the Sherpa T/Alpina lower fork legs with the forward offset axle—and it adds up to quite a combination.

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So what have we here? Is the Alpina an enduro machine, a trials bike, or what? In a sense it’s an enduro motorcycle, equipped with many of the necessary features to compete in an average enduro. But it shines in particular types of enduros in certain portions of the country. Stick it anywhere in the middle of thickly wooded terrain, where tight, twisty trails abound. . .throw in a couple of rocky creek beds, logs across the trail. . .you name it. Make it a place where you’ll never see high gear, even rarely fourth for that matter. What you have then is Alpina territory. Throw in a 24-mph schedule and you’ve got a challenge. . .a challenge the Alpina can handle.

Perhaps the following weekend there is an observed trials event in your area. You want to enter it. But all you have is an Alpina. Fret not. Buy an 11-tooth countershaft sprocket (standard is 13), and twist the steering lock bolts to allow a sharper turning radius and you’re about ready. If you happen to be extra fussy, buy a set of two-ply trials tires. Easy, huh?

Though we often see several Alpinas at the desert enduros that take place often here in Southern California, it’s not really the kind of territory the machine was designed for. A potential Bultaco owner would be advised to look into choosing a machine such as the Frontera or Matador if this type of riding was to be its habitat. But in the tight stuff. . .whoopee!

Our “Alp” was finished off in an interesting blue and orange paint scheme. That combination, along with a lot of polished alloy pieces, drew glances from many. But the alloy fenders will take a beating in any sort of “prang,” though they do provide good water and mud protection while they’re there. We do a lot of bitching about bendable and breakable fenders, but Spanish technology in plastics is not up to a high level as yet. So Bultacos come with either brittle fiberglass or deniable aluminum, both of which require immediate or early > replacement. Miura Products is beginning to offer many accessories for the Bultaco owner, including flexible plastic replacement fenders. Another source is Preston Petty, a brand most off-roaders are familiar with. If you want to keep your Bui looking sano, the accessory fender route is the way to go.

While we’re on the subject of appearance, there are many new changes visible to the eye of the discerning Bul fan. And they’re easily noticed with just a quick walk around the machine.

In the past it was really a hassle to inspect or clean the air filter element on the Alpina. This was because the entire tank/seat combination had to be loosened and lifted up to allow access to the foam element. No more. Now there’s a removable side panel that solves the problem. And there’s even a Twin-Air element inside.

Like the rest of the 1975 Bultacos, the Alpina now comes standard with a left-foot shift and right-side braking, but. . .the design of the rear hub and the continuation of the shifter shaft through both sides of the engine will allow anyone who prefers it the old way the option of making an easy switch back. That’s neat. The hub is new this year to accommodate that feature, and for those of you who don’t already know it, the hub is one of the lightest you can find.

The front hub is also new and features a speedometer drive. Older Alpinas drove the speedo from the rear wheel, which, due mostly to wheelspin, isn’t the most accurate way. These dural hubs feature the sprayed on braking surface, chrome on aluminum. The brakes work beautifully if they are adjusted properly to begin with. We’ve found through our own experience that it is imperative that the brake shoes are making full contact with the inside of the hub. if your Bui isn’t stopping the way you think it should, pull those brakes apart and check out the contact patch made by the shoes. In last month’s “Crossed Up” column we told you how to fix the problem if you have it.

Of course, part of having a really “fun” machine off-road is having a quiet one. Bultaco once again has modified the Alpina’s exhaust system, this time with a large spark arrester/ muffler as the last stage in the muffling system. It works quietly, is approved by the forestry service and can be taken apart for decarbonization. With some changes in the engine, power is improved in spite of the increased muffling.

Bultaco switched from the “trials” 326cc engine to the 4mm-longer-stroke 348cc unit in an effort to smoothen up the power impulses a bit. There are now heavier central flywheels in the vertically-split crankcase assembly, though the primary drive end of the crank still carries a 4.5-lb. outer wheel assembly. The crankshaft is virtually the same one that is found in the 360 Pursang motocrosser. The duplex primary chain features a tensioner-as does the final drive chainhelping to aid throttle finesse.

For utmost reliability, Bultaco has fitted a simple flywheel magneto ignition system built by Femsa. It’s a six-volt setup that’ll burn the lights front and rear, but not brightly like Japanese electrics will. Both taillight and headlight are rubber-mounted; the headlight is a bulb-type unit, so it’s easy to carry a replacement along, just in case of a failure, rather than a bulky sealed beam type. New style electrical switches really have it all over the old ones.

As delivered, the Alpina is not street-legal in all 50 states. A few require the presence of a battery in the electrical system. The Alpina has a tool compartment that can be fitted with an optional six-volt battery by adding a small inexpensive

rectifier. The system is already wired for such a setup.

Alpinas are not made to be racers, and the 350 has very mild port timing because of this. A smallish 27mm Amal carb is used, and the heavy flywheels limit revs to about 5500. Smooth power impulses on the low end and plenty of torque will take you up and over some incredible obstacles with nary an effort.

Naturally, tires are often a preference item, and to be quite frank, we had some preconceived notions about the Firestones that come standard with the machine. The knobs are rather flat and slightly odd-shaped, but in spite of this they do an exceptional job on the Alp. Wheel rims are polished and ridgeless; tires are kept from spinning on the rim by six security screws that locate themselves into each tire bead. In case of a flat, they allow for an easier tire change than do conventional rim locks. We never had to touch the heavy-duty spokes, even after a pounding.

Fuel for the 2.8-gal. fiberglass tank must be mixed. We’ve been using Bel-Ray at 60:1 quite successfully in our Buis and saw no reason to change with the Alpina. Besides, that’s what West Coast Bultaco rep Mike Hannon recommends. If your Bui is new, it’s not a bad idea to remove the fuel petcock and flush the tank a bit with some gasoline. With a new bike it’s possible to have fibers and paint chips floating around that can clog things up.

Down underneath the tank you’ll also notice a couple of steel clamps running from the frame to the cylinder head. This is the head steady, which not only holds down engine vibration, but is an important part of the frame. The bike should never be run without these, and if one is ever cracked or broken, replacement should be made as soon as possible or frame breakage could result.

Once the Amal carb is tickled, fold out the left-handmounted kickstarter lever, check that the transmission is in neutral, and give the engine a healthy stab or two. Clutch pull is medium light, helped to a degree by nylon-lined cables that don’t require lubrication. A step down on the aluminum gear shift lever will snick the bike into first. . .and you’re off.

Immediately apparent is an odd seating position; the seat and bars are low, the cleated footpegs are high and narrowly spaced. This, of course, is the trials bike heritage in the “Alp.” One gets used to the sensation quickly, however; but taller riders, five-nine and over, will probably find the low bars awkward in a standing position and will do themselves a favor by switching to something higher. The high pegs and low bars make a tall rider “hunch over” when standing.

As with any new machine, there is stiffness in overall operation until the miles build up. And when things bed in on the Alp, there’s plenty of good riding ahead.

We took ours to a favorite riding area in the Los Padres National Forest, where tight trails and switchbacks are the rule rather than the exception. With a more conventional endurotype machine along for good measure, we were really able to see how the Alpina comes into its own and shines in the territory for which it was designed.

Gearbox ratios are perfectly spaced and the gears come easily with a tap of the rider’s foot. The machine’s narrowness allows plenty of body English with no interference from the tank or other protuberances. And the Alpina responds so beautifully to that body English.

The front end can be lofted at will, forks do a superb job of soaking up the rough stuff and the engine happily grunts along.

We especially enjoyed running up a steep incline in a higher gear than normal for that particular hill. The 350 is a tractor, grinning at low-rpm running. It loves the rough stuff.

As we progressed up the trail to higher altitudes, we began running into snow that had frozen hard on the ground. The only tracks were narrow and deep, but the Alpina remained happy. The high footpeg location and ground clearance were definitely an advantage here, as the companion enduro motorcycle we had taken along was hanging up in spots. And a few of the turns were so tight that the other motorcycle needed two shots at them: first try with the front wheel up the bank, then back up and maneuver around the bend. By then the Alp was well up the hill, several turns ahead.

Were the machine our own, about the only other change we'd make besides the bars would be the fitting of a more adequate skid plate. The chrome moly frame tubing is tender, not to mention the polished engine side cases. And since the “Alp” encourages runs through the rocks, more protection is good insurance. Miura makes one, as do a few other accessory manufacturers.

Another plus with the machine is a toolkit and leather pouch tool belt. There is also a 60-day parts and labor guarantee that covers the entire motorcycle, with the exception of negligence, misuse or neglect. It really makes a perfect motorcycle for many, in spite of the fact that it’s a compromise motorcycle by Señor Bulto’s definition.

A friend of ours owns a ‘73 Alpina, one of the most clapped-out machines we’ve ever laid eyes on. He almost totally neglects it, and rides it often up an incredibly rough and wet rocky creek bed for miles, returning it to its place in his garage when he’s through. It never gets washed, serviced or cared for, but it runs surprisingly well in spite of it all. Like many Alpina owners, he makes a statement that says it all about the machine: “I wouldn’t trade it for anything but another Alpina.” ESI

BULTACO ALPINA 350

$1395