Montesa 349 frame geometry

[spawtydawg]

HI, I've just restored a Montesa cota 349 (White wonder model). Now I know they weren't the best handling

bike but the MH349 was much better. Does any one know if the steering head angle was changed on the MH or

was it just down to the banana swingarm? I know the MH had welded stuts on the frame as apposed to bolt

on ones but I can't see why this would make any difference unless the engine had been moved to a different

position.

Thanks in advance.

Edited January 5, 2012 by spawtydawg

[woody]

The two bikes are like chalk and cheese really. The MH has much quicker steering with reduced angle and although I don't know measurements etc, the frame is very different from the white wonder.

I don't know if fitting the banana swingarm would be of any benefit as I don't know if it is longer/shorter/same as the older one. It's not just the length of the arm, it's the pivot point also that may be different. Once you start it's a minefield. Rathmell had one on his white wonder works bike but it was obviously the start of the development of the next model and you don't know what else was altered.

It would probably be cheaper to look out for an MH than it would have somebody try and modify yours.

At the time they were new, the white wonders were a bit long compared to the earlier bikes and also to the other new bikes that were being developed. On today's classic club route sections though, or even a modern B or C route, I doubt that is now a hinderance, those sections are nowhere near as hard as the national or centre standard sections that the bike would have had to cope with back in its day.

Honest opinion is to just leave it as it is, you've had the most benficial mod done in lowering the footrests, if you try to get it modified into an MH you could end up in no-man's land with it and a big bill.

Edit: Ideal as it is for Miller rounds as well. Nothing in them it can't cope with.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Woody

[spawtydawg]

Thanks for the reply Woody.