cleanorbust

Available at www.trialstribulations.net

Also the most reliable way of stopping an over-revving engine.

IRC recommended for muddy conditions. So as you see, it's a confusing decision, but only consider IRC/Michelin/Dunlop. Check on eBay for best deals. BVM Moto were best last time I looked. As a beginner, are you quite sure you're accurately measuring your tyre pressure? It's a common mistake to run the tyre even slightly too inflated, resulting in less grip.

With the age of both bikes, which is best would depend almost entirely on how good an example you are looking at. Both were of course top of the tree as trials bikes in their day. And both, in standard trim and in average condition, would be a bit of a pig to ride in today's sections when stacked up against the well sorted Fantics, Majesty's etc used in modern twinshock trials. If you were thinking of riding open class trials on one of them for nostalgic reasons, do yourself a favour and buy a modern age bike. Having owned a 348 and an earlier Bulto, the Montesa seemed altogether designed to be more directed towards less troubled ownership: well sealed airbox, chain tubes as standard (you'd be lucky to find one with these still intact), excellent indestructable mudguards as standard and somewhat more of a quality feel.

www.inmotiontrials.com should be able to sort you out with bearings, seals, gaskets etc for the Montesa.

Electric Motion are indeed ridden in trials, are absolutely reliable to my knowledge and are as "real" a trials bike as anything else if you look at the videos. They're nothing like two grand secondhand yet, so better stick to a trials bicycle if you fancy honing skills at home without incurring the wrath of the neighbours.

The 247c had tubular loops welded to the front area of the frame to protect the cases, no bash plate as such.

I picked up a suitable spring for my 247 tensioner at an old-school ironmongers. A few bike shops of this type also still exist - you know, the type where they don't deal in part numbers but have an old glass jar behind the counter with a yellowing hand written label marked "springs'.

He rode the Ariel into the 1980s, probably did his last trial on it in fact.

You do realise the manufacturers you mention have no connection with the original companies? The brand names have been purchased by businessmen/entrepreneurs who started new companies with the cachet of the historic marque. It helps to sell bikes but doesn't mean the products bear any relation to the models of yesteryear which happen to have the same name on the tank.

To answer the question at the top of the thread: because people haven't heard of Jotagas. I believe they are excellent bikes, benefitting from steady development since their introduction, and the current British importer provides a good personal service and can supply any part an owner needs. I think the last thing the manufacturer seeks to do is dominate the trials market, they have chosen not to pursue aggressive marketing and make bikes because they have a passion for the sport. Whether people buy them in numbers doesn't matter too much to them as long as their costs are covered.

Agreed. I buy steel ones anyway as the teeth stay sharp for longer. Just got a pair on eBay for 25 quid.

If the bolt you have locks the brake lever in place when you tighten it, surely you need a longer one, ie one which tightens fully in the threads leaving an exposed length of bolt which is slightly greater than the thickness of the brake lever. In this way the lever will be free to operate and the bolt won't come loose as it will be fully tightened (a smear of Loctite would always help as well).

Breagh is correct. Not sure how experienced you are but lack of confidence or knowledge of how the bike will react when you hit an obstacle translates into gripping the bars too tightly. Look at photos of good riders and you'll see their fingers relaxed around the handlebars

If you could post a photo or two that would help in dating the bike, and perhaps sorting out the handlebar mystery. I own a 247 and thought I knew a bit about them, but "two throttles"??? Do please tell more!

As you're near Guisbrough, Andy Metcalfe should be happy to give you a spin on a TRS. Hopefully Baldilocks can give an opinion here, he went from a Gas Gas to TRS a while ago.

You need quite an aggressive twisting motion of the fork leg using a clockwise and anticlockwise motion as you push upwards to get the fork leg started in the yoke. Some WD40 on the surface of the leg might help. If you've got the pinch bolts fully slackened you should not need to prise the yoke open any further.

Sure you've bled the system absolutely thoroughly? Any air at all left in brake line will give a deficient brake.

Decals available on eBay. Search using "Cota 349 decals". These should adhere well if applied using a hair dryer. To avoid them wearing through you could cover with clear Fablon applied in the same way.

Tightwads like me would dispute that.

Please see my pm - hopefully of help.

Gearbox: 75/90w Clutch: automatic transmission fluid

Correct. 50:1 is fine for the old Spanish bikes these days.

A bike worth hanging on to. Do you know if it's the original paintwork? If so it's highly unusual - I can't recall any green Bultos being produced.

There's no reason why my opinion is particularly important but I do agree with Trialsrfun. Trying to convert one bike into something it's not rarely ends very satisfactorily. If the original bike is a good example, as yours appears to be, what you end up doing is spending money spoiling a nice bike to get one which doesn't really do what you wanted when you started the project in the first place. I admit that an argument against this is to cite pre 65 trials bikes, which in the day were largely converted road bikes. However as we all know the best of them these days have had everything replaced except maybe the crankcases, to get them to do what people want.