chris_

I know what you mean. My wife just thinks I have got maybe two "red motorbikes". Luckily where I have stashed the others is full of spiders so no one else has found them yet

Quoting Jared from SW Montesa, on another forum "The front is #6003, rear #6203". As above though, inmotion should have them, and are very helpful.

There are lots of early (mk 1 & 2) bits on eBay at the moment, (including a tank) from a bike that has been broken for parts. http://www.ebay.co.u...sid=p4340.l2562

It looks to be a very nice original bike, and I have never seen the speedo/rev counter set before. Go for it!

It doesn't sound like a lot of money, but is there much love for this era? My observation, as a newcomer to trials, is that if someone wants a modern Montesa then the 315r is the place to start, and where you get recommended to look. Those that want something older/classic, then it's twin shocks like the 123/247/349 which have a big following. These mid 80's to mid 90's Montesas seem to be in no man's land, and I suspect, hard to get parts for.

Hi Jon From what I have seen, the early 247 models (mk 1 & 2) had yokes like the ones on Greeves' bike, with the bolts on the side. Later yokes (mk 3 onwards) have the fixing bolts recessed on the front. I also think that the first part of the exhaust would originally have been chrome Could you post a picture of the yokes on your bike to have a look at?

Apart from the "comfort" seat and the air filter it looks to be all there, and very original. You might find this link useful. It is a blog of a complete restoration of a 123 http://montesacotare...0&by-date=false Good luck with it, and please update with your progress.

Congratulations, the bike looks great! I have a couple of questions if you don't mind; -Which electronic ignition system do you have? Is it a significant improvement? -The foot pegs look like they will be much more effective than the original ones. Are they a straight swap? Do you have a web-link for them? -Did you do anything to the inside of the fuel tank to protect it? Thanks

This is another good reference site for pictures of the various models http://www.trialmc.com/montesa/montesa_html/montesa-modelos/ It includes some nice, detailed mk.1 images http://www.trialmc.com/montesa/montesa_html/montesa-modelos/247-1/247-1-html/247-1-galeria.html

Hi Martin This is the rather sorry looking mk1 exhaust that I have got. As you can see, the tail pipe has been bent and the inlet cut to angle it outwards. The inlet side is 48mm in diameter (outside edge to outside edge). I have tried to show what the inside looks like as well. After the inlet, there is a chamber before the tube that runs down the middle. Hope this helps.

The silver bike must be either an earlier bike that has had a Trail seat fitted, or been repainted. I think that we can safely sat that all Trail frames were originally black.

Andrew Having spent more time on this, and remembering the rule of don't believe everything you see on the internet, I think that these Trails went in the following order, confirming what you said. 1) 1974-1975 21M13830> 2) 1975 21M19779> 3) 1976 21M21482> Same shape tank and seat. New graphics 4) 1978 onwards. New style seat, shares the same rear silencer (two mounting holes) as the 247c Oddball graphic

Martin and Martin, It is interesting that you mention the IRZ carb for the first 500. My mk 1 motor (#313) has an Amal 626 I have not seen this particular carb mentioned anywhere in relation to the 247 so I can only assume that it was a period alternative to the IRZ. My understanding is that apart from the first IRZ, all 247s had the Amal 627 As to the exhaust with this engine, it is as per Martin B's post, being the squarer shape. I don't know what it looks like inside though.

The only white 247 frames were the very early ones (mk 1 & 2) up to 1971. I think that the guide that I linked to, has got the two photos for the Trails the wrong way round. The silver one would have been first before changing to black. www.vallmoto.com have got your Trail decals. I have bought bits from these guys and happy to recommend them. Martin, I believe that your silencer should look like this one The early silencers don't fit later frames and vice versa, which you have found out. I had the reverse problem, where someone had (badly) fitted a mk 1 silencer to a later frame by cutting and moving the fixing mounts.

I have just called MCE who have said that they do offer "laid-up" cover for fire and theft for unregistered bikes. They don't cover parts or anything else, just the bike itself. Unfortunately their system was down so couldn't do a quote at the time. Looking at the FJ website, their laid up cover requires the bike to have a SORN, so no use if it is not road registered.

I found this site which, although in Spanish, gives the most comprehensive explanation of the evolution and development of the 247 that I have seen. Google translate may help! http://nacho247.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/evolucion-de-la-cota-247.html

Congratulations. Could you post some photos? Cheers Chris

I ordered on the 1st and they were apparently dispatched on 13th. Not the fastest service, but hopefully they should be with me soon. I have ordered a mixture of small bits (nuts, bolts, springs etc.) as well as a couple of shiny repro parts, and a pair of NOS fork legs that were expensive, but that I have not seen anywhere else. I will report back once they turn up. ETA All the parts turned up and I am very happy with what I got. Personally, I now have no hesitation in using Vallmoto again.

In my experience with 247 parts, Inmotiontrials have been the best UK supplier so far. I have also ordered bits through Vallmoto in Spain, who don't charge postage above a certain value. Having said that, the parts that I ordered from them haven't arrived yet, so best I reserve praise for now. Other than that I end up checking eBay every day

Looking at the two frames that I now have, they are both different in the area of the exhaust and the mounting for the exhaust. They are both later types. The red frame (#4751) has the exhaust mount on the bend of the frame upright. The black frame (#12511) has the mount higher up, but the end has been "modified" at some point (you can still see a bit of welding wire attached!) The silencer fitted was a mk1/early silencer that had been adapted (with a saw and a hammer) to fit the frame, and to exit on the left (if looking from the rear)

Hi, for the photos, I use Photobucket which is as simple as it can be for posting forum pictures. I find it much easier to link to there, rather than uploading to a forum. I also have an earlier frame (# 4751) which is in really good condition and requires no work other than blasting and powder coating. This earlier frame is also the right year for the tank and wheels that I have. It should be a fairly straightforward job to rebuild into this earlier frame. In the UK there is also the bonus that if you register pre 1973 vehicle, you pay no road tax as it is classed as a "historic vehicle". It is interesting to see that there are several differences between these frames even though they are only a couple of years apart. They also have different swing arm pivots with the early one having two bolts into a shaft and the later one, two nuts on a long shaft within a tube. Either way, they are a pig to remove.

The next oddity is the front hub There are three bearings plus a spacer. The inside of the hub is not symmetrical, with a 14 mm recess on one side, and 17 mm on the other. My manual with the exploded diagram shows four bearings. Can anyone tell me which bearing number(s) I need to replace these? ETA Many thanks to Pete at Inmotion for his help with this. It should have one bearing and one oil seal on each side.

These guys appear to do a complete sticker set http://www.vallmoto.com/venta/es/cota-348/1752-anagrama-cota-348-trail-1977-1979-kit-ref-1121.html

I appreciate the offer Martin. I have got a rough, later one coming via eBay in the next few days to see whether I can get everything to match up and fit. If a later air filter will fit my carb, then a trade for a later one in good nick sounds like a good idea. The filter that I have got now wasn't attached when I collected the bike, and judging by the holes drilled into the mount, I am not sure how successful a fit (bodge) it was in the first place.

Next mystery for me..... This sorry looking thing is what came with the bike as an air filter. I have looked at my parts lists and manuals and can't see anything similar. Bearing in mind that I have a mk 1 engine with an Amal 626 carb, is this the correct type of assembly? Has it been bashed about to try to get it to fit into a later frame do you think? All the air box/filter assemblies that I have seen so far look more like this (or with two intake pipes) (image from www.vallmoto.com)