Post Sale Update: This Metralla sold for $7,500 after 18 bids on eBay.
When it was released, the Metralla Mk2 was the fastest two-stroke motorcycle you could buy. It held that title for a short time – you should check out Mat Oxley’s book Stealing Speed to learn why two-stroke development was at a fever pitch during this decade – but even as other companies built faster bikes, the Metralla was still fantastically impressive. They were able to put down 32 horsepower at a time when plenty of cars made less.
One of my favorite quotes about the Metralla is from a April 2010 article in Hemmings Sports & Exotic Car: “Riding it is like throwing a smoke bomb into a hornets’ nest, then climbing on. Every time I ride the bike, I think to myself, ‘Really? Guys rode these skinny-tired, drum-braked, springy-suspensioned things in anger?’ Major respect for those brave souls who had no idea what sport bikes would be like a scant 25 years later.” Top speed was 103 miles per hour and the bike weighs just 250 pounds!
This example (VIN: B2300800) is claimed to be “museum quality” though the odometer and horn do not work. The seller’s father owned a Metralla back in 1968, so the seller acquired this 3 years as a surprise present. During his ownership, the motor was rebuilt by Bruce Reynolds – the break-in procedure has just been completed and there are 2 hours on the engine – the carb was rebuilt, the clutch plate and basket have been upgraded, the gas tank was coated, the oil injection plunger was rebuilt (but it’s not hooked up so you’ll have to connect it or keep using pre-mix), and there’s new rubber pieces such as the grips and foot pegs. Though the odometer stopped working this spring, the seller notes that 37 miles have been ridden since the part failure at 2,199 miles. The sale include plenty of spares as well as a new Bultaco Heritage Collection Classic Line MK2 helmet. For more photos of the bike and the work performed to it, check out the seller’s Dropbox album.
Find this Metralla for sale in Saint Paul, Minnesota with bidding up to $3,153 and the reserve not yet met