Basket Cases

[Bully fanatic]

Massive difference there David! Nice.

[David Lahey]

Back on page 31 of Basket Cases there are photos of how Greg Harding converted a model 49 Bultaco Sherpa T to right footed braking in preparation for him riding it at the Twinshock Masters.
At the time I didn't care that some old trials bikes had left foot braking but did find that I needed to spend quite a while practicing on a left foot braked bike each time before I was game to ride it in sections.
That was many years ago and over those years I had a couple of scares in tricky situations, caused by me accidentally going for a brake pedal that wasn't there. The worst one was when I had been riding my model 49 Bultaco in a trial and decided to swap bikes to a Yamaha part way through and promptly ran into a tree on the Yamaha on a section of single track.
Being older and increasingly less enthusiastic about crashing, I decided to convert my latest Bultaco trials project to right foot braking.
I fully expect Graham Weiss to give me a hard time about it.
Anyway, I've used a torque tube for the crossover, much like Greg Harding did, but I had to put extra linkages on this one, because on this frame, the torque tube would not fit where it needed to be to achieve what Greg did without linkages with his frame.
There's a guide on the brake pedal tip to keep my boot from hitting the shifter. If I'd used a later model motor in this, it wouldn't need the boot guide because the right side casing on later models does not stick way out like it does on this 1968 model 49 motor.
The conversion isn't quite finished but I thought it would be fun to post up photos of how it looks so far.

[Bully fanatic]

I hope you realise you should be completely ashamed of yourself David! Sacrilege right there. Senor Paco Bulto would be turning over in his grave right now!!!!!!

[Bully fanatic]

I do like the aluminium bash plate though. Thinking about doing that on my M199.

[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

Just for something different, there will be no text in this post!

I hope you realise you should be completely ashamed of yourself David! Sacrilege right there. Senor Paco Bulto would be turning over in his grave right now!!!!!!

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[David Lahey]

I'm still preparing the fuel tank for the Sammy Miller bike and wanted to have a decent ride at a friend's place so I fitted this model 49 Sherpa T tank and a plywood seat. Since this photo I've fitted an even bigger rear sprocket. Gearing is now 11/50.

[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

David, your Sammy Miller bike is shaping up very nicely indeed. It is a far cry from earlier attempts:

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When other manufacturers were fitting Twin Overhead Cams, here we have Twin Underpeg Bashplates:

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Now that the aficionados are warmed up, I need their help. A Mate is chasing a motor and it is something that I have a few spares off. The problem is I am not sure if this one is complete, this is how it came to me. Can anyone please help out?

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[David Lahey]

Thanks Greg
It's really hard to work out what we are looking at on that prototype Sherpa T with those weird curved braces in front of the footpegs. I haven't seen that photo before. I'm going to have a look at other photos of the development Sherpa Ts to see if there any clues there.
As for that late model 5 speed 250 motor, I got pretty dizzy looking at your photos so I'm not really sure of anything else missing apart from the ignition stator and the magneto cover.

[David Lahey]

OK I've worked out that what looks like weird side bashplates on the early model 10 Sherpa T in Greg's photo are actually following the line of the side frame tubes that originate under the motor on models 10, 27 and early 49. They don't actually protrude downwards as they appear to do in that photo. That's an illusion created by the angle of the view. Why they have infilled the space between the outer frame tubes and the pegs with what looks like a gusset I don't know.

[Greg Harding]

Hi Everyone,

Half time change sides!

David, I think we need to swap glasses?

What I am seeing is what you are describing but I think they terminate by wrapping around the fixed footpegs. The sunburst head says to me that it is a M10 and I think as you suggest the frame at the bottom is the same on M27 and first series M49. It is the only photo I have and a different angle might explain some things? Perhaps it is an Englishman riding and here is some similar era English thinking:

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One of these is backwards but I can see similarities.

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