![1974 bultaco 250 pursang 1974 bultaco 250 pursang](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0b/63/4b/0b634bad0257a66810086cf6b0960f99.jpg)
Though the early Pursangs are not on the top of most vintage racer’s wish lists, they should be on the top of any early motocross collector. (Possibly because the Bultacos were built in a Spanish factory with dirt floors.) Boat Tails were beautiful and fast, but not always reliable. Weirtz was among the contingent of European riders who competed in the early Inter-Am’s starting in 1967 and was always a front runner for Bultaco, finishing as high as second in 1968 at the Pepperell Inter-Am event.
![1974 bultaco 250 pursang 1974 bultaco 250 pursang](https://cdn.justauto.com.au/ad-assets/2021-05/1620513108_9.jpg)
The top Bultaco rider of the Boat Tail era was Belgian rider Marcel Weirtz. The high pipe also overheated the rider’s right leg and would give way the next year to a low pipe. The fiberglass bodywork was absolutely beautiful, but was easily damaged the first time the rider fell down. Out of the crate, the MK II put out 34 horsepower, a good five horsepower more than many of its European competitors. Fortunately, this proved to be just what American scrambles riders wanted for their higher speeds and smoother tracks. Both a motocross model (21-inch front wheel) and a scrambles model (19-inch front wheel) were imported to the United States.įor motocross, it could easily be argued that Bultaco went the wrong direction, as the increased power was rather peaky, and the longer wheelbase made quick changes of directions difficult. The wheelbase had been extended over 2 inches, and the bold red bodywork was distinctively square, leading many riders to call the Pursang the “Boat Tail” for its similarity to a Chris Craft runabout. The MK II frame had a single downtube that split under the front of the engine.
![1974 bultaco 250 pursang 1974 bultaco 250 pursang](https://cdn1.mecum.com/auctions/lj0617/lj0617-283876/images/lj0617-283876_2@2x.jpg)
From the outside, the engine appeared similar, but the polished engine cases were expanded to house an all-new five-speed transmission, and the crankshaft was now supported by three main bearings. The MK II Pursang first appeared in the spring of 1967, and it would be a major change from the Rickman-inspired MK I Pursang.