jonnyc21

I wouldn't expect to need any different tools for the 4RT over a 315. At the office at the moment so will be a few before I can review the manual and confirm in case you want a double check.

Between your size and skill I wouldn't sweet it to much as already has been indicated. I am 5' 10" and around 205 (was around 175 when I started trials) and found the 250 (07 Montesa 205 4RT) to be the better pure trials bike and really didn't need more but eventually got a 2017 Montesa 4RT 300 RR and love it with my bit of extra size and riding style. With that I can say I would have been fine on the 300 right from the start but am glad I did start on the 250 myself. Just another perspective to consider. Hope you love it as much as I do and good luck finding a bike!

If you slide the entire clutch assembly away from the grip just a touch it puts your finger(s) farther out on the lever. After doing this you would re-adjust the lever position so your pull and clutch engagement feels the same as when your finger was at its original position. This will cause your finger to be out more on the lever and lessen the amount of total movement at the pivot point. When you slow/lessen the amount of movement it will slow the engagement and lessen the on/off (light switch fast) clutch engagement. Hope that makes more sense. If not I am not sure without an image or video or something to help with what I am talking about. Edit: Another way to say what I am talking about that might help if that dose not... If you think about the clutch lever as part of a right angle triangle and the bar as the second side the point your finger is would be the 3rd side. If you change the length of the 3rd side by moving your finger in or out, say 2 mm, the the total amount of movement at the half way point, lets call that the point the pivot pushes in the clutch piston, would be a fixed amount. Now lengthen the first and second sides by moving your finger, the 3rd side, farther away from the pivot point by say 10mm and move it the same 2mm. Now when you check the movement at the point where the clutch piston is at you find the total amount of movement would be less than when the finger was closer in on the lever. This allows for more precise movement and would let you slow the engagement down to a more controllable level. Maybe a little to verbose, but in case the other is not clear maybe that will help?

Something to note is that if you bled the system with fresh fluid that can actually speed up the system a bit, sounds strange but it sure happened on my wife's Gas Gas 125 when I did. On to possible help... If the stack is in speck then the next question in my mind is, what oil are you using? Info for reference; thinner gearbox oil will make for faster engagement of the clutch in most cases, there are very high end oils that are thin and can work great but it can be hard to find the one that works best without experimentation. Maxima makes some good gear oil you can get in different viscosity levels, I would consider the thicker option (I want to say 80w 90?) and see how well that works first. Can really make a difference in slowing the engagement. Something else that can help is to shift the clutch lever just a bit inward, this can get your finger out a touch on the lever and will make the movement at the pivot end smaller for the same amount of movement at the finger. Give some of that a try maybe and see if it helps, really helped my wife and daughter when I did both of them to there bikes so might help you as well?

Gas Gas clutch packs have a thickness range, if you got new plates but didn't check the stack measurement you might have ended up to thick, if so it will make the lever pull harder and the engagement wrong. I don't remember the measurement but maybe someone else here can chime in on what it should be?

Other than using a spray adhesive called Supper 77 here in the US I do it the same as peter_steer. PS. If I can't find the adhesive spray I have also had some luck with a bit of careful use of brake cleaner and some heat but it dose not last as long as the Supper 77 in my opinion.

Probably have the pack in backwards or out of order. Maybe you flipped the pack around 180 by mistake?

I am also a little confused on why the sump guard would be fully pulled to drain the oil, when the guard gets a lot of hits I find I like to loosen it a bit to change the oil filter when pulling the cover but that is about the extent of it... if the guard is messed up enough it needs to be pulled to do the work I would change it for a new one myself. Really like the CSP guard for the Montesa myself.

Oh and my 2017 Montesa 300RR ready to ride weight was 163.2lbs (~74.0kg) and my 07 4RT was 165.9lbs (~75.25kg) curb weight with the Gas Gas 125 at 154.2kbs (~69.9kg). No it was not a calibrated scale so probably only worth the 2 cents its worth. Also the 07 did have some minor weight savings things done to it by the previous owner so that is partly why I think it wasn't that far off of the 300RR.

It really depends on the design of the engine, example the Beta and Montesa 4T's have a very compact head design that keeps the weight of the engine more centered than a more typical 4T dirt bike when it comes to their trials bikes and in fact when I compare my daughters Gas Gas 125 to my Montesa the Montesa dose have more weight but its so much lower that it actually feels more planted than the 125. Sure the 125 is lighter and you can defiantly feel the difference but in the end when comparing curb weight it was only about ~8-9lbs (~4-4.5kg) or so different between the 08 Gas Gas 125 and the 07 Montesa 4RT on my scale. Just some info for consideration.

I wouldn't mind an E-Bike, however I just can't justify one that has that much carbon fiber when I know how bad I have a tendency to crash mine already. And that isn't taking into account that I like to trail ride my trials bike and so would have to keep a petrol one around as well and don't have funds for a second bike at this stage in my life. Cool that they have one though.

I would trace it back to the connectors (usually bullet type on the 4RT's I have had) and then disconnect the switch and short them manually with a jumper wire to see if it stops the bike fine or not. If it works fine that way then its probably internal to the switch and a new switch is your fix, if it still running then keep following the wires back tell you figure out if its a grounding issue, cut wire, corrosion or something else. PS. I would agree that if your willing to run a second push switch in tandem that might be a good backup just in case. Also I would agree that the most common hot or cold start issues are caused by a low idle.

The statement was "inside the slave cylinder" so I thought that would be bad, however with the way your saying it maybe I am thinking the wrong thing and its just inside where the rod is only? If only inside where the rod is being actuated by the slave then yes that would be fine, if passed the seals inside where the DOT4 fluid is that would be bad. Hope its just in the push rod hole and not actually inside the slave cylinder.

I haven't ever owned a 315 but I have also never seen that on any of bike I have ever owned with hydrophilic clutch setups and would not expect that ever to happen. (two 4T Montesa's 4RT and 300RR, Gas Gas 125, Beta 80) Wish I could provide a better answer, good luck.

FYI: I think there is online chain gearing calculators that might help with this. And as I think about it a bit more you should be able to add a few to the rear and then up the front 1 and get the same, or nearly the same, ratio to keep it even closer to stock feel if you are careful about the calculation. Hope that helps.

I would have to wonder how your riding or adjusting the chain if your snapping one as well. (Edit: hitting it on rocks.. makes sense) Outside of that question I recall something like around 3-4 rear teeth is about the same as changing 1 front so defiantly can/will affect the way the bike rides. If there is a chance you can keep it at 1 or 2 and get the longer chain to fit that would be best to the least impact on how it rides. maybe small enough change you will not have a big adjustment to get used to? best of luck.

Sure looks like it will fit based on this part. https://www.handdracing.co.uk/product-page/geco-billet-suspension-dogbone-complete and this one https://www.handdracing.co.uk/product-page/csp-billet-dog-bone-4rt-315

I also just use a deep socket. To get plugs out once loose or to star them again on install I have seen people use a thick rubber hose on them in harder to reach situations, but not sure that would be needed on a 4RT.

Location, or at least country might help, I know there is a few different places/people that between the US and EU that can do it.

Really glad to hear you got it working!

I wish it was just the chads that can't start one... almost all of what I am talking about has come from people who have had lots of Gas Gas's over the years. Also, in no way am I knocking Gas Gas they are good bikes over all and in the grand scheme of it all most people will not ride them in a way to really hit the issues often, other than maybe the water pump if you put a lot of hours on the bike, so it really isn't likely you will have any issues. Just well known that they are the most likely to need extra and/or unexpected maintenance of all of the trials bikes. So take that for what its worth and enjoy your bike, that is more important in the end in my opinion any way.

From what I understand the Montesa has an alternator not a standard magneto setup. And with the EFI it has the kill switch is connected to the ECU not to a CDI box. So what Jimmy is saying to my understanding is correct, it isn't grounding out anything but the ECU pin that tells it to cut the fuel. Hope that helps clear up what Jimmy was talking about on his last post.

Elaborate on budge not an issue or Gas Gas being rubbish? I think the budget one is clear so... Gas Gas is well known to having had more issues with things like the transmission, water pump, kick start gears, and a few other things than most other brands and a good number of the issues cause the case to need to be split. The newer bikes are a lot better but even then when they are used hard they still are more prone to having issues than some of the more robust models available. I make this statement based on a combination of experience with my daughters Gas Gas, some friends with them as well as others I know well who I trust who have had them in the past. Even then, its just my 2 cents so take it for what its worth.

Coil swap is my first thought when I see the list of everything you have done... on that note. Edge case here, however I had an issue with my 07 4RT not running correct when it had the fan motor die on me. Would run fine for a few but to rev it up in or out of gear it would have all kinds of running issues and get really bad once it warmed up and tried to use the fan. I would see about swapping the coil first though. Good luck!

I have never had my Montesa even once compared to an enduro. I have had a few people ask if it was a stunt bike but that is about it. Even then, if he is against the Freeride then I would strait up ask about a trials bike before putting any cash down on a bike. Good luck! Edit: And if he is okay with a trials bike and you do get a 4RT, if it comes with a seat or you get a seat for it I wouldn't ride there with the seat on the bike or he will probably say it isn't a trials bike.