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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126556
IAbovel1.8ne leavitt perform. e floating tum on the new end better Sherpa. Impression: Bultaco 340 Sherpa Worth the wait By len Weed Things looked- good for Bultaco in the fall of 1979. Bernie Schreiber had just won their seventh straight European or World Trials Championship. Then the scenario changed dramatically; A strike hit the factory. Eventually 10 months would pass before production 42 resumed. As the cash flow dwindled, there were cutbacks. The contract of Yrjo Vesterinen, the champion Schrei· ber had unseated, was not renewed. In the next few months Tony Gorgot, Martin Lampkin, and Manuel Soler left to ride for other manufacturers. Schreiber was the last to go, in May of 1980. Finally, the strike was resolved, the company was placed under the direc· tion of a government appointed interim manager, and the workers returned in thefall ofl980. For the 1981 season, Bultaco turned to Vesterinen, the'l'976·77·78 world champion. The Finn, always a key figure in Bultaco development, con· tinued work on the 340cc prototype engine that had been in the works for more than two years. The production 340 reached the European markets last summer. By Labor Day, the first shipment was in the States. In an effort to promote additional interest in the new machine, the Ameri· can distributor, Bultaco International, lured five·time U.S. champion Marland Whaley out of retirement to ride the final five rounds of the AMA/NATC National series. Marland, pUT1iuing a motocross career with Husky, had not been on a trials bike in about 10 months when he took delivery ofa 340 in August to prepare for the Labor Day Nationals in Oregon and Wash· ington. Some thought that Marland, who won almost half of the National events he rode from 1974 through 1980, could pick up where he left off. That didn't quite happen. Ten months is a long layoff for any premier athlete in any sport. Marland rode well, considering his abrupt switch from berms to creek beds, missing a win on a cleans tie· breaker at one trial while finishing four points back in another. Marland felt that his own rustiness rather than his motorcycle prevented even better results. He was totally de· lighted with the new 340, calling it the best trials bike he had ever ridden. A driving accident en route to illinois in October prevented Marland's par· ticipation in the final two Nationals. Bultaco wanted to be sure everyone instantly recognized their new bigger· engine bike. To do this, they decided to go to a two·tone color scheme, adding white to the blue adopted for the 1979 model. The fenders and epoxy· painted frame are both white. White is also used to accent the blue gas tank. The fork sliden, triple clamps, fender stays, and shock bodies are now blue. The engine remained black. The plastic gas tank is now painted, brightening it up noticeably compared to the dull natural look of previous vnsions. A special chmUcal heat treat· ment permits the painting on plastic. To boost the engine displacement from 326cc to 34Occ, Bultaco enlarged the bore from 83.2 to 85mm. The stroke remained' 6Omm. Compression is 9.1: 1. Peak honepower is 19.4 at 6000 rpm. Peak torque is reached at 4500 rpm. The major challenge in the develop· ment of the bigger engine was maintaining or improving bottom end smoothness while increasing power with· out introducing any "jumpiness" in the response. These complex goals explain the lenl{thy prototype period. The dependable flip·a·clip·to·drain· the·float·bowl 28mm Bing carburetor was retained. The bottom end of the engine reo ceived a new six·speed transmission. The bike as delivered to the U.S., shifts from the left side. Accessory kits to restore the bike to right side shifting are available from trials specialty shops. This switch also allows a more direct hook·up of the rear brake arm, mounted on the left side of the hilb, and the accessory left·side brake pedal. , Bultaco retained the same first and top gear ratios, using the old (I: 1 ratio) fifth as the new sixth. Then they in· serted four gears where there were formerly three. The new transmission ratios are: 1st - 4.479, 2nd - 3.473, 3rd - 2.769, 4th - 1.952, 5th 1.353, 6th - 1.000. The new ratios offer the rider more section selection options as well as im· proving the quality of loop riding. The old too-slow·in·fourth·but·it·bogs·up· in·fifth routine is now ancient history. In the sections, the new lower second and third allow a rider to go slower or opt for the traction advantages of taller gearing. The reduction of the spacing between third and fourth is also a big help for hillclimb sections. The new, larger capacity plastic air box breathes from the top rather than the front. It's much more easily ser· viced. Removal of a circular rubber seal lets the rider get to the filter. Over· all, the new unit is a big improvement over past efforts. Bultaco went with a sidepull type throttle, made by Ideal. This setup is virtually standard now for trials bikes. In addition to minimizing the chances of catching the throttle cable on brush, it also reduces the risk of damag· ing the cable when the bike goes up' sidedown. -