Bultaco Matador 250
BULTACO MATADOR 250
CYCLE WORLD ROAD TEST
The Original Ready-To-Run All-Terrain Machine Is Still One Of The Best You Can Buy.
TWENTY INTERNATIONAL Six Days Trial Gold Medals have been won on Bultaco Matadors since 1964. This fact alone would give some indication of the new Mk IV’s potential. There is not an Enduro anywhere in the world that this machine is not capable of finishing right out of the crate.
The reason for this is refinement. Seven years of it. That first Matador in 1964 was a trend setter, but it was not perfect. Like the present model, it was a true dirt bike with street equipment added on, and not a modified street machine. It handled well enough-the weight was right at 232 lb.-but its 200-cc engine only produced 16.5 bhp. Highway performance was rather meager.
In 1966, the Matador got its first power boost. Displacement was enlarged to 246cc. With a heavy flywheel and a small 24-mm IRZ carburetor, it pulled like a tractor. The Cerianilike forks added greatly improved the ride.
Matadors were getting faster, all right, but they were also getting heavier—some 30 lb. heavier, in spite of a new frame design in 1968. Another gear was added that year, as was a new dual stage muffling system. The 24-mm IRZ carb was replaced by a 32-mm Amal unit. Low end torque suffered, but performance and top speed were improved, making the Matador Mk III easier to live with on occasional street rides. Finally, the rear chain was completely enclosed.
Basically, our test MK IV is the same as the 1968 model with engine improvements. It’s still a 250 (actual displacement is now 244cc), with a bore and stroke of 72 by 60mm, but the transfer ports have been altered. Fuel is now delivered through finger ports in the side of the piston, as well as through the normal transfer ports. This, with an increase in compression ratio from 9:1 to 10:1, gives 23.5 bhp at 7000 rpm. That’s a 1.5-bhp and 500-rpm increase over last year. This new port arrangement, as one might expect, produces slightly less torque in spite of a heavier flywheel.
Also new is a capacitive discharge ignition system which reduces the chance of fouling plugs. A flywheel alternator, located on the left side of the engine, contains cast-in magnets. The capacitor discharges through the secondary coil when the stator and rotor are aligned with these magnets. There are no points in the system to burn or get out of adjustment. What’s more, all of the stationary elements are encased in a block of resin that prevents moisture and foreign elements from hindering their operation.
Ease of starting has never been a Bultaco strongpoint, but the electronic ignition has cured this. One or two kicks are all that is required, unless the machine has been sitting for a week or so. If this is the case, bump starting seems to be the easiest method. Left-mounted kick starters have never been popular with American riders, but the one fitted to the Matador is not really objectionable. It is well forward of the rider’s leg and completely out of the way.
Previous Bultaco Matadors were plagued with shifter shaft breakage, but this is no longer a problem. The right-side primary drive cover now follows the contour of the clutch and is slimmer at the rear, allowing a shorter shifter shaft that helps eliminate the problem of breakage. In order to clear the case, the shift lever has a 90-degree dogleg.
The left-side engine case too has been redesigned because of the larger bulk of the heavier flywheel. It now incorporates a hollowed-out area which allows the rear brake pedal to fit closer to the engine.
As before, a duplex primary drive chain transmits power from the crankshaft sprocket to the wet, multi-plate clutch and five-speed, constant-mesh transmission. Clutch lever pressure is light and the clutch plates separate freely when cold. No longer is it necessary to rock the bike back and forth in low gear with the clutch pulled in to free the plates.
The engine is housed in a frame of full cradle design with a single toptube and downtube. Toward the rear of the engine, the downtube divides into two smaller diameter tubes which cradle the engine and pass upward to a point in front of the rear shock absorbers. The frame is further braced by two additional vertical tubes which are welded to the toptube and to the frame cradle at the rear of the swinging arm pivot point. The swinging arm passes inboard of the frame tubes as is common practice.
One area that requires immediate attention on the Bultaco Matador, and all dirt bikes for that matter, is safety wiring, and/or loc-titing, both the swinging arm nuts and the engine mount bolts. Before the machine had logged 30 miles, a strong vibration could be felt. Tightening all three engine mount bolts cured this.
It should be obvious that the Matador is reliable because most of the bugs have been worked out in competition by the factory. But, reliability isn’t enough. An enduro machine must handle well and it must be comfortable. The seat is outstanding. It is soft, very large, and remains comfortable—even after several hours of trailing.
Of equal design excellence are the infinitely adjustable clip-on handlebars that have been a Bultaco trademark for years. They not only can be rotated forward or backward, but can be raised or lowered some 5 in. About the only drawback to these bars is that they are difficult to tighten, due to the location of the 10-mm pinch bolts.
Both the hand levers and footpegs are sturdy and resist bending. The footpegs are spring-loaded, and of the non-clogging variety. Since the footpegs are mounted to tabs welded to the frame, instead of to the frame itself, frame damage is less likely if a footpeg is ripped off in a crash. Curiously, the footpegs are mounted high and to the rear, a position more suited to trials riding than enduros.
Several other features make the Matador an excellent enduro mount, like the rubber-suspended speedometer with a separate resettable trip odometer. The reset shaft, however, is located on the bottom of the unit and is practically inaccessible to the rider when he is in a seated position. The speedometer worm drive gear set in the front wheel hub is completely sealed.
A toolkit, located under the seat, can be opened without removing the fiberglass side covers. The side covers themselves are easily removed for battery maintenance or other electrical repair. Virtually everything, including the battery, is rubbermounted.
Access to the wet, polyurethane foam aircleaner element is gained by removing the seat. The element is housed in a fiberglass airbox connected to the carburetor by a flexible rubber hose.
One of the Matador’s best features is the totally enclosed drive chain and rear sprocket. The rear sprocket itself is housed in an aluminum casing. A flexible rubber cover completely encases the rest of the chain. Bultaco recommends lubricating the chain with a suitable motorcycle lubricant at 1000-mile intervals. Because of the infrequent lubrication intervals allowed by the enclosure, a new Spanish Joresa chain with a 1-mm clearance between the inboard and outboard link plates for better oil penetration is fitted.
Handling has always been a Bultaco strongpoint and the Matador is no exception, in spite of its weight. The front forks, with 6.5 in. of travel, provide a very soit ride. Fork damping is also quite good, but the same cannot be said ol the five-way adjustable rear shock absorbers. 1 heir spring rate is soft, and the units have plenty of travel, but the rear wheel chatters easily when the brake is applied, indicating inadequate rebound damping. Setting the shocks on a stiller position helped, but did not entirely cure the problem.
Steering geometry is nearly ideal for anything but observed trials. Steering, aided by a 3.00-21 in. front tire, remains light and precise, even when negotiating tight turns on narrow trails. On fireroads, the Matador is a slider. Twenty. Forty. Sixty mph. It's all the same. Keep the power on, and the 4.00-18 rear tire drifts out gently.
The front end is a trille heavy -the Matador does not wheelie easily -but this and the broad powerband make hillclimbing easy. It's almost impossible to bog the engine down completely even though the modest power output necessitates use of the lower gears on long, steep climbs. Once in low, the Matador will claw its way up anything it can get traction on without loading up, as more spirited two-strokes often do.
Surprisingly, the Matador’s geometry is suitable tor casual motocross-type riding as well. Excessive weight is the prime deterrent here: but how many motocross machines can you ride back and forth to work?
This Bultaco is completely legal, except for the lack of a rear view mirror. The front and rear reflectors are there. A six-volt battery has been added which is capable of operating the headlight and taillight when the engine is not running. The stoplight is activated by both the front and rear brakes. The horn is loud. And, a two-position ignition key switch has even been added which provides a little extra parking lot security.
Riding the knobby-tired Matador on the stieet is a novel experience. It looks out of place weaving in and out of traffic and attracts a lot of attention, even though it is quiet.
Because of the knobby tires, the ride at low speed is quite jerky. By the time 50 mph is reached, this jerkiness turns into quite a vibration. At this speed, the speedometer, which is suspended in its mount by a thick rubberband, is oscillating so violently that it’s impossible to read.
Gear spacing, as well, is less than ideal for street use. This, however, is not a criticism, but rather a comment, since the Matador was never intended for extensive highway use. The lower gears are very close together, since this is desirable in the dirt, and the rider must shift very rapidly to keep up with stop-and-go city traffic.
The Matador’s brakes have been greatly improved, but the front one still requires excessive lever pressure during panic stops, both on the street and in the dirt. The brakes are better because they now work when wet. Gone are the woven asbestos brake linings. Waterproofing has also been improved as the tapered surface between the backing plate and the hub, which keeps out both water and dirt, is now wider and is machined to closer tolerances.
Like its performance, the Matador’s appearance is improving. The paint no longer has a rough texture. Welds are getting smoother. Fiberglass components are well proportioned and the engine cases and aluminum fenders are highly polished.
Bultaco Matadors are quality machines. They are, quite possibly, the best 250-cc dual purpose enduro bikes on the market. Only the exhaust system keeps them from being clearly superior. Perhaps Bultaco designers will do away with their power-robbing dual muffler silencing system and fit a more efficient spark arrester/muffler in the near future.
BULTACO
MATADOR 250
List price ..........................$895
