The Astro was Bultaco’s factory flat tracker – ready to race from the dealership floor. Exported solely to the US to satisfy the American obsession with flat track back in the day, it was available in either 250cc (Model 163) or 360cc (Model 164) options. The bike was named after Houston’s Astrodome, which often hosted the opening short dirt track race of the AMA season. This example was raced for a year, and then put away in storage.
Because it’s a flat tracker, these bikes did not come with a brake up front – just a disc in the rear. Both models utilized a steel tube frame with telescopic forks and rear shocks.
This example (VIN: M9000281) is from the first year of Astro production. The original owner raced it through part of 1973 and then it was parked in a climate controlled shop until this listing. The motor still has the original piston and rings and the seller says it has excellent compression. It has aftermarket forks and Girling rear shocks, both are lowered from the original units (and the original forks are included). The frame has been powdercoated, there’s an aftermarket silencer, and the original 38mm Amal was replaced with a 34mm Mikuni (originals included).
Find this Astro for sale in Homosassa, Florida with an unmet opening bid of $2,500