Some motorcycle brands die. Others simply refuse to stay dead. Bultaco belongs firmly in the latter camp. The legendary Spanish marque disappeared from the motorcycle scene decades ago, leaving behind a trail of lightweight two-strokes, racing trophies and enough cult following to keep its name alive long after the factory doors had closed.
Now, after years of fits, false starts and attempts to resurrect the badge, Bultaco is back in the motorcycle conversation once again. Only this time, the comeback looks a little more serious.
The historic Barcelona-born brand is staging a return to the market, bringing with it a name that still carries plenty of weight among enthusiasts who remember Bultaco's glory days. And here’s a bit of a throwback to some of the younger readers.
Bultaco's story began in 1958, when Francisco “Paco” Bultó walked away from Montesa after its management decided to pull back from racing. Bultó gathered a group of like-minded engineers, and thus Bultaco was born. The first bike, the Tralla 101, arrived in 1959, and within weeks Bultaco was racing at Barcelona's Montjuïc circuit, taking seven of the first 10 places.
That pretty much established the company's philosophy: build motorcycles, race the hell out of them, and let the results do the marketing. And race it did. Bultaco eventually became synonymous with lightweight two-stroke competition machines, particularly the Sherpa T trials bike, Pursang motocrosser, and Matador enduro, while going on to collect multiple World Trials titles, including the 1973 World Motocross Championship Grand Prix.
And now, the company’s staging its comeback with a very gutsy motorcycle: the Rally GT 300, a small-bore adventure bike.
Co-developed with Catalan-based brand Leonart Motors, the bike comes powered by a liquid-cooled 292cc single-cylinder motor that puts out 28 hp at 9,500 rpm and 18.4 lb-ft (25 Nm) of torque. That motor is paired with a six‑speed gearbox and a multidisc oil‑bath clutch.
It sits in a perimeter frame that’s suspended on an inverted front fork and a rear monoshock, with the whole thing tipping the scales at 331 lb (150 kg). It rolls on a 19-inch front wheel and a 17-inch rear, a setup that makes the Rally GT 300 equally at home in the city as it would be off-road, as opposed to prioritizing backcountry roads solely.
It comes with disc brakes front and back, and ABS as well. It offers a seat height of 34.8 inches (883 mm), a ground clearance of 10.2 inches (260 mm), and a fuel tank capacity of 4.2 gallons (16 liters).
The ADV comes standard with an integrated DashCam, which automatically records for documentation and safety purposes in five-minute loops. But it also doubles up as an actioncam, considering you can store recordings from your rides directly to your phone as well.
There’s a 5-inch TFT display that clearly shows speed, RPM, gear position, fuel level, and other important data. You get full-LED lighting, a rally-style bench seat, and an upswept exhaust to round off the stock features.
The Rally GT 300 has been announced for the Spanish market by Leonart and Bultaco, with prices starting at €3,999. That’s roughly US$4,700, depending on exchange rates.
And there’s a big reason why Bultaco has managed to pull off this pricing. The big red dragon. Yup, the bike will be manufactured in China even though it's designed and engineered in its home country, Spain.
Though not everything is as straightforward as it seems. The Rally GT 300 might not exactly be a brand-new bike. Take a look at Leonart Motors’ own 300 Rally. That bike has existed for a while, and it traces its origin back to Chongqing Andes Motorcycle Manufacturing in China.
But here’s the truth: reviving a motorcycle brand the old-fashioned way would require things like engineering, materials, suppliers, factories, homologation, electronics, and distribution to be straightened out. And that’s before you’d even think of the money you’d need. Now, compare that to the infrastructure that already exists in China thanks to its sophisticated supply chains and massive motorcycle production capacity.
Suddenly, the choice becomes obvious, does it not?
But the Rally GT 300 is not the only motorcycle Bultaco is coming back with. The Spanish brand has also announced the revival of one of its most cherished race bikes, the TSS350.
Originally from the 60s, the cafe-racer-styled bike is set to be revived as a limited-edition track-only model. It will come with a single-cylinder, 350cc two-stroke motor producing an impressive 60 hp. It will host a few modern upgrades, including an electronic ignition and a six-speed, cassette-type gearbox.
Of course, details on this model are still scant, but we know it’s currently undergoing testing at Jerez, with only 29 units being planned to be built.
Whether Bultaco’s latest revival can turn nostalgia into a genuinely sustainable motorcycle business remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: Bultaco has once again managed to crawl out of the grave.
Source: Bultaco
