TEMPTATION

Period log-hoppers going to auction.

£2000-3000 est Kawasakikt250

How good looking is this? Keen to get on terms with European manufacturers, Japanese firms head-hunted big-name riders to help sort out their trials bikes. Yamaha had Mick Andrews (see below), and Kawasaki got hold of three-time European Trials Champion and ex-greeves and Montesa rider Don Smith. His involvement led to Kawasaki’s first production trials bike in 1975, the KT250, powered by a 250cc, 16bhp air-cooled two-stroke. Get this one road registered for some gentle byway grins – or just sling it in the front room and spend the winter fondling it.

£3000-4000 est Bultacosherpat

Right look, right name and right price – if this Spanish delight hasn’t got your palms sweaty I suggest you give up riding. Bultaco went from nothing to world domination overnight. They entered the Spanish GP just two months after launching their first road bike in 1959 and took seven of the first ten places, then revolutionised trials riding in the ’60s. Helped by Sammy Miller, Bultaco’s two-stroke Sherpa T made the heavy four-strokes obsolete and won umpteen ISDT, European and World titles. This one is a 250cc Mk3 model from 1971.

£4000-6000 est Royal Enfield Bullet

Before it became the go-to plodder for those of a steady-away disposition, Royal Enfield’s single-cylinder Bullet was a serious off-road tool. The 350 helped take the British team to victory in the prestigious ISDT at its first bash in 1948, leading to RE dominating for years. Trials and scrambles versions were listed in brochures alongside the Bullet road bikes, with lower compression, smaller-bore carbs and heavier flywheels. This 350 Bullet Trials from 1956 is in glorious pre-used condition and just the ticket for field-based comedy.

£1800-2500 est Yamahaty250b

Riding over obstacles was must-do biking in the 1970s, so Yamaha developed and promoted a new bike with Mick Andrews. He’d won the ISDT three times and back-to-back European Trials titles for the Ossa factory, on a bike he designed and developed himself. At Yamaha he designed the TY250 (and also the TY80 and TY175) on which he won more Scottish Six Day skirmishes. This 246cc air-cooled two-stroke is from circa 1975 and wasn’t ridden by Andrews, but that won’t matter as none of us have his skills anyway. Ideal for twinshock trials events in the local wood.

£2800-3500 est Suzukirl250

Brighton firm Beamish Motors distributed Suzuki’s dirt bikes in the early ’70s. Unhappy with the performance of the 1974 RL250 trials bike, Beamish successfully sold modified versions – this led to them buying all Suzuki’s unsold RLS, making big mods (retuned motor, new frame, shocks, yokes) and shifting literally thousands. Suzuki were so chuffed they gave world-wide rights and allowed use of the name Beamish Suzuki. This bike’s yellow-and-black scheme shows it’s a 1978 model of the 246cc two-stroke with air forks. Perfect for Sunday morning frivolity.

£6000-8000 est Rickman metisse

Brothers Derek and Don Rickman were handy scrambles riders, and at the end of the 1950s started making their own frames. They were ruddy good at it too – usually wrapped around Matchless and BSA singles or Triumph twins, their Metisse was a Gp-winning machine (Rickman’s road racers and street bikes were quite handy, too). The brothers’ firm was taken over by Adrian Moss who continues to offer frame kits, rolling chassis and spares – this bike was built in 2008 around a single-cylinder 498cc Matchless G80CS engine.

£10k-15k est Ariel HT5

You’ll doubtless have noticed the price for this British single. This is because the Ariel is a genuine ex-works bike, ridden in the 1958 ISDT in West Germany by Ron Langston – Britain’s team had machine hassle but Langston and Ariel excelled, losing no marks and achieving a gold medal. The 497cc HT5 was restored at some point to ‘one-day trials’ spec but is now back in full ISDT guise with features including paired cables, dual seat and tyre inflator. Purchase won’t bring you Langston’s skill, but at least you’ll be a works rider (sort of).

£1600-2200 est Montesacota348 º

Montesa were quite good at making small twostrokes. They won motocross championships, endurance races, did well at the TT – and of course were decent at bounding over logs and barrels and rocks. Reigning Euro trials champion Malcolm Rathmell joined them in ’75 to develop a 306cc version of their successful Cota 250. Montesa launched a Cota 348 Rathmell Replica the following year. This one’s c.1977 and just the job for living out those fantasies. º All these are offered at Bonhams’ Winter Sale, Bicester, 5 December – bonhams.com