Bultaco Lobito

The Lobito was the smallest Bul imported into the USA in the company's heyday of the late '60's. Sold here from '66-'70, the 100cc, two-stroke single was placed into a tubular frame that emphasized a sporty, off-road look for a tiddler. The 1966 model pictured here was typical of the breed. The fenders were trim, mounted unusually low in the front combined with extra high in the rear. The little Bultaco had Ceriani-type front suspension two years before Yamaha made the look commonplace with its DT-1. Notice how the end of the exhaust pipe is high, but the tank is large and bulbous and the handlebars are somewhat low and without a cross brace. The '67 model sold for $449 (plus setup and taxes) and it had an 18-inch rear wheel and (I think) a 19-incher on the front. The Lobito was not exactly marketed as an off-road machine, but the brand was already more famous for its off-road motorcycles than its road bikes by the time the Lobito was released, so a bit of dual purpose styling shines through. The official nomenclature used by Bultaco was Street/Trail. The 1969 model received a five-speed transmission and the price increased to $595 in 1970.

You can see from the photo that the Lobito has the typical right-side shifter, simple ashcan shaped air filter, and long, black headlamp of larger Bultacos of the period. It should come as no surprise that this smallest Bul is as light, simple, and efficient as the brand's larger models. The 180-pound Lobito produced ten horsepower from its slightly undersquare engine. There is not a turn signal, an electric starter, battery, or extra pound in sight!