SHOWROOM 1978
Time for change
YRJO VESTERINEN
Winning three FIM world titles from 1976–1978 the Finnish rider kept the Bultaco name in the limelight, giving it a superb global sales platform. This picture from 2012 has ‘Vesty’ with his 1978 world championship winning Bultaco.
From the moment Sammy Miller moved to Bultaco in 1965 the wind in the sails of the Spanish Armada meant they just got stronger. It seemed that they had it all their own way from that day on. The Japanese interrupted proceedings in the early eighties but to be honest if you wanted to win in the seventies you had to be on a Bultaco, Montesa or Ossa. With financial problems just around the corner for them, as seen with Ossa, and the Japanese selling off what was a majority of old stock the Italians started to take note of an opening in the trials market place. Bultaco and Montesa were still developing new models but for Ossa it needed an injection of government money to continue with production. The Japanese, as has been well documented, didn’t get the production models quite right to mount an attack to the big three, but in Italy and with strong moped sales they had the finances to develop, manufacture and sell a new breed of trials motorcycles. Article: Yoomee • Pictures: The Beamish Suzuki Owners Club, Beamish Suzuki, Bultaco, Fantic, Gollner Kawasaki, Honda, Montesa, Ossa, SWM and Yamaha.
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BULTACO
Having won the world championship, first with Martin Lampkin in 1975 and then with Finland’s Yrjo Vesterinen, their success continued with Lampkin’s ‘Scottish’ victories. With refined models rather than drastic changes, updates were introduced and the machines actually sold themselves to the expert or clubman rider. Recommended Retail Price RRP: January 1978: 250, £739.83; 350, £839.70 (incl. VAT).
CLASSIC TRIAL MAGAZINE 2018 • ISSUE 26