Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

By Dave Lewis. with John Huetter Mo torcycle competition, even amateur competition, has become so fierce in the last few y<:ars that there is hardly such a thing as a "stock" machine in any even t. First, it was the engines that got all the attention in the effort to get more out of the motorcycle. Just about when everybody was tuning to the poin t that they were holding their breath to see if the heavily breathed-on mills would blow up before they finished an event, some clever devil discovered that you can make a bike go faster if it handles better. Then suspension was the big thing. Stock forks were reworked or replaced with specialized, heavy-duty competition models. The search for the perfect shock absorber began and still goes on. Shocks and forks were built and raced for very special competition use. Then somebody figured ou t that the core of a good handling motorcycle was the frame that holds the engine, shocks and forks together. Nowadays, if you don't have a special trick frame for your moto.cross machine, another onc for your flat tracker, and still another one for your road racer, forget it. You aren't going to be finishing among the fron t runners because you can't make that machine corner as fast, stop as fast, accelerate as fast or track as true as the guys that do have the hot frame set-ups. Even the days of cutting and welding the stock units are definitely numbered so faT as the serious or would-be serious racer is concerned. A whole new item is what you need and, as soon as you can afford it, what you get to go racing. The Cycle Factory in Sacramento, Cal. has been hep to this for some time and one of their best current outputs is a frame for the 250 Bultaco, specifically designed for smooth track competition. It is not a compromise frame for an all-purpose bike. The b"'lis for its construction and design is to come up with the best frame for getting a Bultaco to turn left on flat surfaces. It's proven itself about the best in doing this. Joe Henry's win of the Silver Cup Indoor Short Track in Phoenix is part testimony to this. He has also been one of the top contenders at Fremont Raceway. The frame works well for scrambles also, bilt was not designed specifically for this. It's a flat track frame and that's what it does well. The prototype frames have been tested in competition for nearly a year as of this writing and there have been zero frame failures. They are sturdy. The testing was conducted on tracks from 1/8 mile to 5/8 mile in length. Short trackers and half-milers have both used it successfully. lD FRAME 'UP! U Joe Henry. aboard a Cycle Factory-framed Bultaco, demonstra~es how the mutha works - he's smokin'. (Glenn Artiman Photo) Perhaps the most interesting thing about it is that it doesn't compare with the' stock Pursang frame in geometry or general appearance. However, the stock Pursanf forks, tank, pipe and seat fit righ t on. The wheelbase is adjustable from' ~2 to 54.5 inches with large eccentnc cams at the rear axle. It's an "at the track" job to make the adjustment, if you.need to. Overall bike stability is enhanced by relocating the engine 3-Y, inches Lower in the C de Factory frame than on the stock Bultaco. The frame. and 'swing arm weigh in at 20 pounds. This saves abou t 16 pounds over the stock frame. It is not all that ligh t but remember that there have been no failures, either. Most riders have noted the same general categories of improvements over the stock Bul taco and commen ted accordingly: They get better starts due to lessened wheelspin. The frame geometry is designed to promote rear wheel transfer under hard acceleration. This also helps in getting better drives coming out of turn, another feature most of the prototype riders liked. There is more control of the bikes' direction going in to the torn wi th less tendency to "push" the front wheel. This lets a rider come into a turn faster with the same, or better, control. Finally, and as should be expected from a trick frame, it increases rider ability to pick a line through a turn, steer onto it and stay on it. Of course, the rider still has to find the fastest line, but a good-handling machine sure helps. The construction material is 4130 alloy tubing and when it's nickel plated, the frame and swing arm will cost you $385. That's in the ballpark with other quality racing frames. No dealer discounts, no special deals. You pay for what you geL Straight and simple. It helps Buls go faster, and that's pretty fast

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