The motorcycle racing scene in the 1960s looked a lot different than it does today. Large displacement bikes were still far off on the horizon and walking the paddocks of any popular race, you would likely see small, lightweight single-cylinder motorcycles with displacement pushing 250cc on the high end. One motorcycle manufacturer you would have been highly likely to see when walking the pits, the Spanish manufacturer Bultaco, may no longer be a household name but in the early ’60s, they built a solid reputation for producing racing winning machines, albeit generally in the off-road category. Their initial US offering, the Pursang was a powerful but lightweight 250cc example that was extremely competitive in all forms of off-road motorcycle competition. Naturally, Bultaco attempted to transition their off-road success to on-road use. Their road-going offerings initially sold slow and were received with tepid enthusiasm.  They introduced the Metralla in 1962 as a 200cc two-stroke road bike. It made about 20 horsepower and was a very solid offering that garnered the company a bit more respect in the road racing scene. It wasn’t until they introduced the Metralla MK2 in 1967 that the Bultaco name truly proved its iconic “thumbs up” logo on the road. 

The Metralla MK2 borrowed heavily from the original but upped the engine capacity to 250cc. The single-cylinder 2-stroke engine was now putting out 32 horsepower, which was plenty to push the lightweight 250lb motorcycle over 100mph. In fact, it was “good enough” to make it the fastest 250cc street bike available for a brief period of time. To further the credibility of the little Metralla MK2 even more, in the 1967 Isle of Man TT race, Bill Smith and Tommy Robb finished 1 and 2 on Metrallas while also setting a lap record that would stand until 1976. Some additional changes were made to the MK2 to help improve its rideability of the original version. These included enclosing the rear chain in a case, upgrading the front brakes to a twin-leading shoe setup, adding a battery to the electronics system, and integrating an oil tank and injection pump to allow the rider to avoid premixing their fuel and oil. The Metralla MK2 sold well with around 5000 examples produced by the small Spanish manufacturer from 1967 through 1974. Although their road bikes never gained the same notoriety that their off-road offerings garnered, Bultaco certainly proved their merit with the little Metralla MK2. In 1977 Bultaco was Spain’s leading motorcycle manufacturer, selling its machines in 68 different countries around the world. By the early 1980s though, increasing EPA emissions standards in the US (their largest market still), labor unrest in Spain and the ever-increasing competitive nature of the motorcycle world forced Bultaco to close their doors to production. 

The example on offer here, chassis number B-2300855 and engine number M-2300855 is a 1968 Bultaco Metralla MK2. Not much is known of the early history of this machine but it was purchased out of the west coast and has been in a collection located in the Pacific Northwest by a collector who has owned it for a while. As it sits today it appears to be in fantastic original condition with an excellent amount of factory paint and finishes throughout it. The odometer currently displays 1,607 miles and given the overall fantastic original condition this could be believed, however, we cannot verify the authenticity of this mileage. Based on the consistency of the paint and the scattered patina, we do believe that this is truly an excellent original paint example. The paint is consistent all around the bike and shows very nicely with the kind of scattered patina you would expect to see on an original example. There are some minor paint chips, some scuffing, as well as 2 small, inch-long dents in the tank. Brightwork, including the sweeping exhaust header and cigar-shaped muffler, are all in good condition and present nicely. Badging throughout the motorcycle is bright and legible. Rubber components appear supple and retain good color, even the ever-interesting chain boot, included keeping the riding experience a bit more clean. This Metralla has been sitting for quite some time in a climate-controlled setting without being started so it is likely that it will need some basic servicing before hitting the road again. All components appear to be in relatively tidy shape and it appears the bike was stored properly. The interior of the tank appears clean and easily usable in its current condition. The single Amal 389B30 carburetor appears in good order with newer fuel lines feeding it however we did not test its proper functioning. Overall this Metralla MK2 is a fantastic example full of character and originality and would make for a fantastic addition to any motorcycle collection. With a slight bit of recon, it is our belief that it could easily take to the road again, however, this Bultaco would look just as good sitting in your living room as it would screaming down the road!