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The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever
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I got a pack of evidence ready to take to the DVLA presenting my case. I had seen photos of 669NHO in Don Morley's Spanish Trials book.I noticed that these photos were from the same set used on the Rickman brothers Bultaco broacher. The Rickman brothers were one of the main Bultaco importers at the time. I saw that the name of the photographer was Cecil Bailey. Cecil has actually passed away so I contacted Mortons media, but they didn’t have them. These were some of the same photos used in the Rickman brother's brochure.
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Having fun
The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com
Someone then suggested that I contact Nick Haskell. I wrote Nick an email and he sent me the photos digitally. I got them printed out and I took my bike and the photos down to DVLA .They were compared to my bike against the original photos and the guy said to me that I've not seen a vehicle with this much evidence before that it purports to be the bike in question.
A photo of the DVLA examiner inspecting 669NHO.
A photo of the DVLA examiner inspecting 669NHO.
Ive ridden a number of one day trials on her and she rides very well.
The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com
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The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com
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He then told me that he was satisfied that my bike was in fact the bike in question and that it was 669NHO , the bike that Sammy Miller is photographed with.
I'm obviously very pleased that all the work paid off and that I have the actual bike.
Are you there fore pretty certain that your very bike is that actual bike that was created at San Antonio by Sammy Miller ?
I can only say for sure that my motorcycle is firstly the bike in the 1965 photos with Sammy and secondly 669NHO.
Was this the bike that he was happy with at the end of the week in Spain and the the bike that beat the Ariel through the sections or is it an exact copy of that ?.
I don't know. I do know that Sammy brought the bike back to England that week though, so that suggests they smartened it and titivated it and just cleaned it up a bit and then sent it on its way up the UK and copied it for the sister bike of course. I don't think the factory would have had time to create yet another bike from scratch.
I'm obviously very pleased that all the work paid off and that I have the actual bike.
Are you there fore pretty certain that your very bike is that actual bike that was created at San Antonio by Sammy Miller ?
I can only say for sure that my motorcycle is firstly the bike in the 1965 photos with Sammy and secondly 669NHO.
Was this the bike that he was happy with at the end of the week in Spain and the the bike that beat the Ariel through the sections or is it an exact copy of that ?.
I don't know. I do know that Sammy brought the bike back to England that week though, so that suggests they smartened it and titivated it and just cleaned it up a bit and then sent it on its way up the UK and copied it for the sister bike of course. I don't think the factory would have had time to create yet another bike from scratch.
The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com
I do recall looking through a 1965 calendar and seeing a picture of Oriel Puig Bulto riding a Bultaco trial prototype that looked very similar to what I have here. I really don't think that Sammy started with just a welder and a lump of pipe. There was a fair amount of it already. He really worked on the gear ratios and the counter weight as well as the head stock. At the time of the model 10 being produced Bultaco had an off road motorcycle called the Sherpa N. It was 200cc and Miller persuaded them to bore it out to 250 and they created a radial cylinder head. The initial gears that they made in the factory kept shearing teeth. Apparently this was because the grain in the metal was facing the wrong way, but they soon sorted that out.
In fact, Sammy's own book says he had in 1963 visited the Bultaco owner, Paco Bulto's farm named San Antonio. It is located in Cunit, south of Barcelona. Sammy had visited at this time to evaluate an existing 200cc Bultaco model. He had advised the factory that the capacity needed increasing to 250cc and that he would return to test once complete. In May 1964, shortly after the Welsh 3 day trial the 250cc bike was ready for Sammy to test and he head south. Sammy spent 12 days testing the existing Bultaco 250cc model, which he continually modified and compared back to back with his Ariel that he had brought with him. This is partly recorded in Sammy's book and other accounts i have been told by the Bulto's , other Bultaco workers or read . Sammy was accompanied by a team of 4 mechanics and Don Paco at the Bulto family home San Antonio. Sammy stayed in the large farmhouse next to the vineyards . This house was often the place of rest and retreat for Spain's royalty. The sections behind the house on the rocky bank were the test ....and the Ariel the measure.
Sammy found the bike in front of him a rehashed enduro type ISDT mount, possibly the Sherpa , possibly a Matador. He cut and altered the head stock angle numerous times, shortened the spine under the petrol tank. He altered the angle and length of the rear dampers, changed springs, handlebars, seat height and foot peg height. Gears were changed along with all manner of things. No demand of Sammy's was too much and i'm sure there were plenty, such was his enthusiasm for perfection . This was all completed under the balcony and in the garage in the photos I took below, when i visited San Antonio. I will post a link to some great photos of the Bulto family home at the end of this report.
After 12 days the bike was ready. It bared no resemblance to the bike he had started with. The new bike was to be called the Sherpa T. Sammy then rode the rocky section behind the house using his trusted Ariel. This time the section had a sharp left turn uphill and exit over 3 lines of rocks staggered at bike wheel lengths and at a height to catch the engine bottom. Sammy's best attempt was 3 every time. On the Bultaco Sammy cleared the rocks every time, time after time. He was convinced and signed with Bultaco, however he had it written into his contract that if he didn't win 50% of the competitions he entered, he had the ability to withdraw and leave Bultaco.
Sammy then went home to Barton on Sea, England a few days later taking the Bultaco and an identical sister bike both made presentable for the public by the factory.
Sammy found the bike in front of him a rehashed enduro type ISDT mount, possibly the Sherpa , possibly a Matador. He cut and altered the head stock angle numerous times, shortened the spine under the petrol tank. He altered the angle and length of the rear dampers, changed springs, handlebars, seat height and foot peg height. Gears were changed along with all manner of things. No demand of Sammy's was too much and i'm sure there were plenty, such was his enthusiasm for perfection . This was all completed under the balcony and in the garage in the photos I took below, when i visited San Antonio. I will post a link to some great photos of the Bulto family home at the end of this report.
After 12 days the bike was ready. It bared no resemblance to the bike he had started with. The new bike was to be called the Sherpa T. Sammy then rode the rocky section behind the house using his trusted Ariel. This time the section had a sharp left turn uphill and exit over 3 lines of rocks staggered at bike wheel lengths and at a height to catch the engine bottom. Sammy's best attempt was 3 every time. On the Bultaco Sammy cleared the rocks every time, time after time. He was convinced and signed with Bultaco, however he had it written into his contract that if he didn't win 50% of the competitions he entered, he had the ability to withdraw and leave Bultaco.
Sammy then went home to Barton on Sea, England a few days later taking the Bultaco and an identical sister bike both made presentable for the public by the factory.
The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com
I was told by Ignacio Bulto that the marks along the edge of this wall were made by Sammy Miller during the 12 test days. In the below photo you can see the palm. Using this as reference you can get a good feel of the location of the photo beneath it.
The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com
You can see the same Palm here. The garage is on the left.The Bultaco mechanics and Sammy worked under the balcony encouraged by the ever enthusiastic Paco.
The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com
This is the inside of the garage where much of the cutting and hacking took place. Mechanics were regularly sent back to the factory to produce new parts over night . It is also where Don Paco Bulto kept his 3 litre Bentley. He also had 2 Porsche's and an Alfa Romeo Spider.
Ignacio Bulto and my friend Josep admiring Eddy Lejeune's Merlin.
The actual first Sammy Miller Bultaco that changed the sport forever www.retrotrials.com