| Ossa Phantom 250 1974 |
Within a few years Ossa sales were booming with a reputation for building quality machines, known for handling and reliability. By the late 1960’s despite a somewhat spotty dealership and parts network, Ossa was making a name for itself in the United States, with bikes like the Pioneer, Super Pioneer and Stiletto. Ossa had a motorcycle for every type of off-road racing, from observed trials, to short track. The 1974 Ossa phantom was perhaps the best motocrosser Ossa ever produced, and was able to compete with the super fast Japanese mx bikes of the time. The Yankee-Z 500cc twin scrambler and street bikes were produced by Ossa, and are considered collector items since only about 500 were built, close to the end of manufacture for Ossa. I had a 1972 Pioneer that was one of the most reliable motorcycles I ever owned. The only real annoyance was the carburetor, a Spanish made IRZ that had dual everything inside of it, dual slide needles, springs, dual main jets, pilot jets, etc. When the carb was apart, it could fill a small bucket with all the stuff that came out of it. Putting it back together was not something you did after drinking a few beers, as slide needles, springs and clips would shoot all over the garage, and disappear. I guess it beat using an Amal, but not by much. Ossa not only produced some great off-road machines, but road racing bikes as well. In 1974 a monocoque rotary valved 250 road racer designed by the founder’s son Giro Herrera, won four Grand Prix races at the hands of factory rider Santiago Herrero. Sadly, Herrero was killed in the 1970 Isle of Mann Grand Prix, and Ossa withdrew from road racing completely, to concentrate on its domination of observed trials (that some considered a Spanish national sport). Mick Andrews captured the observed trials championships of 1971 and 1972 riding Ossa. Ironically, the motorcycle boom that created such a demand for European off-road motorcycles also led to their demise. Ossa had to invest heavily in new manufacturing facilities to combat the Japanese onslaught, that ultimately left them and other European motorcycle manufacturers deep in red ink. Heavy debt, an unsustainable parts/dealer network and a crippling employee strike in 1977 led Ossa to merge with Bultaco in 1979. By 1982 both Bultaco and Ossa were out of business. Montessa was next, and it was all over for the Spanish off-road motorcycle. |
| By Matt Cuddy MC#1 Vintagemxracer's Historian |
| The OSSA Remember the Ossa, that oddball Spanish motorcycle with the four-leaf clover insignia? Started from humble beginnings as a manufacturer of movie projectors, in 1949 Ossa began producing motorcycles based on the design of a pre-war DKW 125. It seems every major motorcycle company from Harley Davidson to BSA to Yamaha copied the same 125cc two stroke DKW, down to the last bolt. The founder of Ossa, Manuel Giro was a Spanish sidecar champion on a BMW, and together with his copilot (monkey) Francisco Bulto (Founder of Bultaco) the pair racked up wins all across Europe in off-road sidecar competition. Those Spanish motorcycle titans were a tight knit bunch it seems. |
