keychange

90 psi sounds low - mine was 135 last time I checked. When you check your rings don't be fooled by the wide ring gap which is around 2mm+ - that is normal. If you need new rings and have trouble finding them the standard size is 72.5mm x 0.75mm - 0.80mm thick (this thickness is very important as there are other Monty rings that are twice that thickness and they will not fit). I got mine from John Haberbosch of Rocky Mountain Montesa USA - john@rmmontesa.com standard rings number 2160.022 were $25.00 a set. Have fun over Xmas - I can't think of a better way to spend a cold winters day ... we will be at the beach

yes sorry for the confusion - I didn't paint the 247 cases I was just using as example of how impossible it is with some bikes to avoid petrol on the cases. It was the Honda TLR that I painted.

I inherited an 1982 TLR200 which was in pretty rough condition and so I went to work on removing the surface corrosion and I purchased VHT ( very high temperature) brand aerosol paint one for the barrel , another for casings and one for the engine pipe. Each paint is specific for their purpose. Now I could never claim to be a perfectionist - but I did my preparation thoroughly bare metal, clean and dry. I dried the paint in our oven (don't tell my wife) about 30 minutes at 120 degrees C. The barrel paint has been fine. The first time I tried to start the engine the carbie flooded spilling fuel onto the casings and the paint just dissolved leaving a hell of a mess. Surely fuel spill on engine casings is common - you can't start my Montesa without tickling fuel from the Amal!

I replaced my fuel line and filter and re-routed as per scooterspal instructions and I'm back to one kick starts. Although I left the fuel line a little long on the carbie side and it kinks and blocks - so just checked the photo again and will shorten that and I should be sweet. And yes Martin our cricket team has certainly started to play. I went to the first two days in Brisbane and despite Siddle's hat trick I felt we were in for a long series - but now with Johnson firing we look the goods. Melbourne should be a cracker.

You've put the kibosh on me - my TLR won't start!!! Hopefully a blocked inline fuel filter.

Great work - the stiff line is a pain in A

Yes it's difficult to measure when I have never ridden a Sherco. My 247 has always had the opposite problem ie: plenty of power down low but quite dead at the top. It pulls steep hills in 3rd gear that my TLR200 needs to use 1st gear for. I have given up worrying about the top end on my Cota. Check your timing you may be too advanced - is it difficult to start? My 247 starts first kick from cold but if I advance say 2 degrees it won't start without a weeks preparation.

no real tricks - I can only use half choke on mine because the inline fuel filter gets in the way - but that's plenty. Of course we don't get very cold where I live so that helps. I start with choke then turn off after about 30 seconds - I sometimes adjust the idle up using the throttle cable adjuster on the throttle just until it warms up fully. Make sure your carbie is clean especially the idle jet as these appear to block easily.

I am a newbie and I am getting the knack of the wheelie on flat and uphill but I seem to run into trouble downhill. eg: I have a log in the paddock only about 500mm high - the paddock has a gentle slope. I can approach the log from the downhill end - stop short or ride slow and pop the wheel to just nicely take me over and still be in control on the landing. But when I come downhill I always hit it way to fast with the rear end bucking as it clears and not much control. I have similar issues getting the front wheel over a ditch when the approach is downhill. Do I have to move further back .... any tips appreciated -- UPDATE - I just watched a video on the 'double blip' looks like that is an option - now I only have to learn how to do it

My standard tip - get a compression release valve and save your kick start gear.

Yes the decompression valve screws into the spare plug and you have a small lever on the bars. As an added advantage you can use this as an engine compression brake going downhill - it reduces the back wheel locking up and produces a very popular loud farting noise

The 247 is a simple two stroke but from my experience can be tricky. Yes it could be the engine seals but do the simple things first. 1. make sure you are using a fresh plug and you have the gap set correctly - too wide and the spark fails under compression. The gap should be 0.40mm or .0157" 2. make certain that the timing is correct ie: 2.5 mm btc or 21 degrees - if you have it too far advanced (and it doesn't take much) it can be a bugger to get it to kick 3. make sure your carbie is clean - real clean. Mainly check the idle jet and make sure you tickle the carbie (there is no choke) - of course make double sure the air cleaner is clean 4. check for air leaks between the carbie and the barrel - these are common on Amal carbies as people tighten the nuts too much and cause the carbie flange to buckle (this can be easily fixed) Finally the 247 can be a brute to kick over which places a lot of stress on the kick start gear especially when you are troubleshooting - replacements are not available so spend $30 and buy yourself a compression release - this will avoid damaging the kick start gear.

Fitted a 150 main and 30 pilot and it was worse - would only run with throttle wide open and fuel spraying everywhere out the back. I refitted the Amal - it may not be perfect but at least I can ride it with Amal. I haven't given up as I know it can run fine with a Mikuni so will keep my eye out for another one and try again one day. Thanks for your suggestions everyone.

Hekto The improved running on fuel off isn't just at the last gasp - it will run for a minute or more - then if I fuel on and off again it will start to splurt as soon as the fuel enters then runs well as the fuel runs down. To me really suggests float level but it is set right - could it be the 10% incline towards the front (engine inlet) putting the level off just enough to muck it up. Only one way to find out ... crikey these things must be finicky about fuel level!!!

I made a small rubber seal to block the choke and can now count that out of the equation. I think this is important - once fuel is switched off and the bowl starts to empty everything runs better - is the problem is float level however there are some issues confounding me: the fuel isn't coming out the overflow - could this be affected by the 10 degree incline - or is too high but not high enough to flood I know how to measure the level and it is set spot on according to what I have read ie: 15-17mm from gasket indent to tang touching needle I guess not being certain of the model number doesn't help..

Hekto This is spraying out a lot of fuel - onto rear fender which then drips to the floor and it is doing it at say 2000 rpm + - as it won't idle. But you could be on the money I hadn't considered the choke system being faulty - I will have a look and see if I can see any problem there .... not sure how it works. I did pull it apart and cleaned it - just a small piston as you say. It is certainly loading up the crank with fuel but I think that is the result not the cause of the problem - I can leave the plug out overnight to let it dry out and the problems still exists from cold start. One other maybe important point ... when I turn the fuel tap off and let it run the spraying stops and for that short period the engine runs much better.. this would appear to confirm that its not the o-ring and very likely could be choke .,... I'll let you know. Thanks

I got a fuel grade o-ring from town that fitted very well. I decided to enlarge the main jet OK I know you aren't supposed to but I figured I had nothing to lose and I've done it many times in the past (including my Moto Guzzi) so I took it up to the same size hole as an Amal 150 main jet. Fitted the carb and she started first kick and soon idling nicely. I fitted the air filter and still all good so I went to take it for a run and as soon as I opened the throttle it bogged down and never recovered absolutely loaded up. After 20 minutes checking everything discovered that the slide retainer pin had slid out of position and so the slide was rotating in the barrel. However when I had cleaned and reassembled I was back to the original fuel blowing back out the air inlet and loading up. I have to conclude that the o-ring has failed - I had double checked it and it appeared to be a good snug fit - is the Mikuni o-ring a special design or am I barking up the wrong tree. Is it a single use o-ring ? I did get a spare should I try it? I did replace the o-ring and no better - I have also lowered float level with no improvement... so I think it must be the o-ring

Dell Orto's cop a lot of flack but I have always found them reliable and straight forward - I bought my Guzzi 750 Nevada in 2002 and sold it a year ago - it was really nice little bike and so easy to tune and jet - thanks for advice, my problem has been with carb first identifying what it is then finding out what standard means... not easy with Mikunis

Yes Hekto but in this set up doesn't the fuel have to negotiate the main jet in order to get to the needle jet... I am only guessing - to be honest I originally thought the setter was the main jet. With the o-ring around the setter how else does the needle jet get fuel - but through the main jet. Although I agree this wouldn't appear to address the air filter issue. I also admit I am confused that the air filter is causing the engine to die (its clean) to me it means the mixture is still very rich - so I have to assume my o-ring isn't providing a suitable seal on the setter. This would allow the engine to suck fuel direct from the float bowl through the setter. Eveything I have read about Mikunis on Montesa mentions main jets much bigger than the #90 I have at the moment and so I have tried to order a range of larger - foolishly tried some crowd in New Zealand ( SME ) cheap but hopeless communications. I will try and pick up an o-ring tomorrow in Dorrigo - but I am not holding my breath

aha - there is no o-ring - well that explains everything .... I'll see what I have in my o-ring box. Thanks again Ross for the offer and I may take you up - I just couldn't figure out how this carb could be so far off as to not even run badly and now I know why. I fitted an o-ring and away she goes. It dies if I put the air filter on so my o-ring may not be sealing correctly - No amount of air screw adjustment affects it with air filter fitted but it works a treat without it. Anyway I have ordered some larger main jets - I guess that having the main jet on the feed side of the system means it affects the fuel flow for all stages but idle. I guess I also need the larger idle jet as well.

Now appears the carbie is from a something like a DT1E 1971 and that what I thought was a strange shaped main jet is a "setter needle jet" - the main jet is actually down in the float bowl screwed into the Banjo bolt (drainer) it is marked R - 90 How does a main jet at the bottom of the float bowl work???

I am hopeless with details !! The cutaway is marked 1.5 The main jet has no identifying number I measured it as close as I can at 2.4mm or .095" does that sound right? - idle jet is 25

Honda manual ( TL125 -TLR200) states Main 98 Slow 40 - Needle secondand float level 24mm

I have gone back and rechecked and it has the number 286 then 03 on inlet side -I hadn't noticed before) I can't find much info this - it has the independent floats as per VM26 ???

Gidday Ross good to hear from you, Was yours a VM26? I have been having so much fun on the TLR I have been ignoring the Cota which apart from improving the lean, hot running by returning everything back to how I got it - also means I have massive dead spot in the high end. Better than the erratic behavior I had before but still not an enjoyable ride. I know the cutaway on my VM26 is only a 10 (I will check the other jets etc later) would the cutaway make that much difference. The Cota is much more reliable with the old carbie stuff installed but it's frustrating to know that it can be so much better - if only it was reliable. You should come over for a ride one weekend ... I have improved a little