axulsuv Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 (edited) Hi all you montesa riders , I've got a chance to obtain a 83 349 , kinda cheap ... but in rough shape . Are they worth the effort ? I'm thinking of it for my 18 yr. old and to use as a buddy bike ...(and he might be my buddy again ...) How is parts availability ? All thoughts appreciated , Glenn Edited July 13, 2014 by axulsuv Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
technowaldo Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Very heavy feeling bike to ride .I would be more tempted for a yamaha ty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htrdoug Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Really you need to just find a TY175 for him to ride,I realize that's an anathema for a Fantic rider to have one around but it would be something easy to handle and trouble free to own. Now I would be intrigued by the 349,especially after a spin on my buddies 330,but I'm afraid the temptation to tune and modify would create a never ending story... I will throw out there that my SWM is the easiest motorcycle to start ever,and it handles well and seems to just go over anything with very little rider finesse,but finding a good one that is for sale may be a problem,plus clutch at it's best tuned is two fingers. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Hi htrdoug, Swm clutches can be made 1 finger light with the correct bearings and ramp on the casing, also good cable run and the right lever. Alternatively, a Aprilia TXR casing or engine is the way forward, and has a much smaller flywheel so the performance is not so lazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woody Posted July 13, 2014 Report Share Posted July 13, 2014 Very heavy feeling bike to ride .I would be more tempted for a yamaha ty The last model 349 is completely different from the previous white model and is way better than a TY250, there's no comparison. Great motor, nice handling / geometry with quick steering. The front can be lifted and pivoted on the throttle, doesn't feel heavy. The only issue, as with all Monts, is the clutch which can be snatchy but the motor will pull from nothing, has so much torque and is so strong you rarely need to touch it. The chassis needs no mods at all. Much stronger motor than the 330 which was a bit of a let down. They're a very good and under rated bike, people still think of the white model when talking about the 349. The last model was called the 349/4 (red tank, grey mudguards) then they called it the Cota 350 (red tank, red mudguards) then it became the MH349. All three are the same bike apart from some differences to the forks I think. With Southwest Montesa, I'd guess you should be able to get parts for it in the USA 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lineaway Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 Glenn, I had the 350 model before I ever thought of vintage. It was the best twinshock I ever had. The Montesa`s handled better than any other brand. Parts are crazy hard. Any Ty is a piece of crap. (But there sure is a lot of parts for that crap) Let me re-phrase that. The older Yamahas were crap. I loved the mono! By the way I just spent the last two days running around on a TY175 after my gasser puked all the tranny fluid after the first loop Saturday. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonhazza Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 I agree with Lineway the late model 349 was a fantastic bike in its day and the best twin shock I have owned, would love to have one again but I would think that parts would be hard to come by, there are photos of a nice recent restored one here somewhere with white guards fitted looks very nice, if you can message that restorer he may be the best person to answer your questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingscorpion Posted July 14, 2014 Report Share Posted July 14, 2014 +1 The 349/4 (as it's known is Spain) is a fantastic bike. It is smooth, has a fantastic frame (first "closed frame" after the 247), and is really competitive for classic trials. And if I can ride it at 50, sure that a 18 guy will be able to enjoy it. :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axulsuv Posted July 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 16, 2014 I just might try and obtain this $500.00 pos... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourex Posted November 30, 2014 Report Share Posted November 30, 2014 Alot of the 349 Cota's for sale here in Australia have cracked front hubs,seems like they must have have been a weak point. If so what was the fix? They are a good looking model that 349/4, they hark back to the 1970's models in my opinion. Any advice on where to find parts is greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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