Sometimes in life you’ll encounter something that will befuddle you, that you’ll look at and think: “What was the starting point for this? Surely this wasn’t the original idea.” An example of this phenomenon is the seat on this 1967 Bultaco Metralla MKII. Surely what they ended up with is not what they initially had in mind. How did this happen? Was it the case that the person responsible had a deep emotional connection to the cushions on their grandmother’s couch? Was it that they really needed a new seat right as their grandmother was announcing plans to get rid of said couch cushions? Did they do this on a dare? I can’t imagine.
Outside of that, though, you’ve got in this motorcycle a unique bit of history that’s in reasonably good condition.
The Metralla 250 MKII was a 250cc single-cylinder two-stroke manufactured in Spain from 1967-1974. It reportedly had a peak power output of 32 horsepower, which is impressive for such a small engine. That power, combined with the bike’s equally impressive lightness (just 250 lbs) was apparently enough that it could achieve speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Imagine hitting that kind of speed on this thing. Thrilling. Although, you’d want to have a good relationship with the deity of your choice before attempting it. The bike won a lot of hearts and hardware in the racing community, starting at the 1967 Isle of Man TT, where first and second place were taken by riders on a Metralla 250 MK II. It also played a major role in earning Bultaco a solid reputation among riders of all stripes through the 1960s and 1970s.
In addition to suffering the ignominy of its seat, this particular example also fell victim at some point to a “Kit America cafe racer package,” according to the seller. [Editor’s Note: funny how tastes can differ – the regular bike is prettier but I’d rather have the Kit America with proper bars if I owned one of these!] The good news is they held on to many of the old parts, so it shouldn’t be too challenging to restore dignity to this iconic machine. You will need to source a new seat, though.
For the love of all that’s good, please source a new seat.
With just 500 miles on the clock, this Metralla 250 MK II is for sale for $8,900 in Concord, North Carolina, here on Facebook Marketplace.