WORLD MOTOCROSS................................... 52
ROAD TEST: MATCHLESS G85CS 56
INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS TRIAL 60
BONNEVILLE SPEED WEEK 67
ROAD TESTS: BULTACO TSS ROAD RACERS 70
ISLE OF MAN TT PRACTICE........................... 76
ROAD IMPRESSION: GARELLI REX.......................78
ISLE OF MAN RACES................................. 80
ROAD IMPRESSION: CIMATTI.......................... 84
PEORIA NATIONAL TT................................ 87
SPRINGFIELD ...................................... 88
TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY FIVE MPH.....................90
A BAD DAY AT FRUMPVILLE........................... 92
ULSTER GP......................................... 94
JACK PINE ENDURO.................................. 96
FINNISH GP........................................ 98
NATIONAL SHORT TRACK .............................100
CONNECTICUT TASK FORCE............................103
ROUND UP........................................... 8
THE SCENE......................................... 24
SERVICE DEPARTMENT................................ 34
LETTERS........................................... 42
RACE REVIEW...................................... 105
NEW MODELSAND PRODUCTS . . 108
CONTINENTAL REPORT............................... 115
REPORT FROM ITALY................................ 120
REPORT FROM JAPAN . 122
CLASSIFIED....................................... 126
The outstanding 1-2-3 Bultaco victory in the 250cc
class of the 1966 Ulster Grand Prix will go down in
motorcycle racing history as one of the most decisive wins
by a small factory. Even more startling than the 250 vic-
tory, was Tommy Robb’s ride to third place in the 350
race, behind Hailwood and Agostini. Riding a 251cc
Bultaco and giving away almost lOOccs, he beat some
full-sized factory machines and all of the British pro-
duction racers.
True, the mighty Japanese factories were not on
hand in full strength, but they were there. And it will be
some time before people forget the David and Goliath
battle that took place on the wet roads of Dundrod, for,
in this day of rotary valves, four and six-cylinders and
the like, who would suspect that an almost embarrassingly
simple, piston port, two-stroke single could pull off
a GP win?
This story is even more fantastic when one considers
that there is no such thing as a “works” Bultaco. There
are a few riders who are “helped” by the factory; these
include, Ulster winner, New Zealander Ginger Malloy,
Ireland s Tommy Robb and even our own Jess Thomas,
when he did his stint in Europe. This help is usually a
pair of loaned machines and a few parts, but the machines
are the same as any private owner may buy for himself.
Ulster winner Malloy was forced to pass up the Isle
of Man races two weeks later because the TT does not
pay sufficient start money to make it worthwhile for a
private owner. Although it may seem unjust in some re-
spects, Sr. Bulto prefers to help many riders with his
limited racing budget, rather than blow a bundle on one
or two selected riders. This would seem to be a wise
decision, unless a firm has a few exotic, prestige ma-
chines which are totally different from anything available
to the public.
Sr. Bulto left “the other” Spanish firm when they
decided to adopt a “no race” policy, because he felt that
racing was an important part of motorcycling, and if a
customer someday wanted to race, there should be ma-
chines available for him. This policy has continued
throughout the Btiltaco firm's existence. Anyone desiring
a roadracing Bultaco has only to place an order before
December 1st to have a machine in April for the next
racing year.
Since the first TSS 125s were produced, a few select,
experienced riders have ridden machines incorporating
the latest design innovations, but as soon as these changes
proved to be a benefit without sacrificing safety, they
have been passed on to the private owner. Generally, they
were things of a bolt-on nature, and an individual any-
where in the world could simply add a part to his machine
and have performance equal to that of the very latest
racers from the factory. It is understandable then that
one reads about a private owner with an old machine
beating riders with factory “connections.”