johnnyjazz

Awesome Pics Fourex, love the vibe of yesteryear! I shall indeed pass on the 123. Thanks for all the input.

Thank you all again so much for the input! just what i needed to hear. Appreciate the advice and guidance and i learn SO much here from your experiences and willingness to share. As always, time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted! There is also a Honda TL250 going locally...bit more $$ but probably a sounder investment and possibly easier to get parts for!

thanks all so much for replies...super helpful

Hello friends, this turned up locally as a barn find. Ad says its all original, hasn't run since late 70s but turns over, original docs, manual, tool kit etc. He wants $1k for it (obo)... Is it worth investigating further? with a TY resto i attempted, parts were plentiful online and i wonder if this is the case for a euro 70s bike too or if it would be more of a headache than its worth. - isnt there a montesa with a wierd size front wheel that you cant get any more? is that this bike? How does it look to you Montesa experts? And..is the 123 as sound an investment as the 247 or 349- or does none of that matter? Any advice appreciated from a novice! with very best regards and thanks in advance, Johnny

Thanks David, really appreciate your succinct and as always incredibly knowledgeable advice! not that i have any intention of messing with it, but glad to know it's as it should be. Methinks i just got a wee bit confused looking at the parts pic where i couldn't see those holes that were drilled, and it seemed that the nuts holding the steel band on look recessed in the parts pic whereas on my mike they seem to protrude from the band hence making me wonder if something had been removed. i was researching the threads on here about TY flywheels and they spoke about removing a steel band so good to know what that actually means now! on an aside, i see a lot of people talking about the modification of electronic ignitions... am I correct in thinking that the general consensus is that the TY250A isn't a bike that benefits greatly from this and the original ignition system is perfect (esp. if road legal with lights etc)? Not that i am seeking to perform this upgrade as my bike runs great, more just curious as to whether it is beneficial from a performance perspective. I'm also presuming the more upgrades one makes like that it lessens the value of the bike from an 'original' standpoint? many thanks always...i continue to learn so much! very best from NYC and hope all is well down there in the Antipodes

Hello friends, Having read on here about the modifications people do to the weight of the flywheel to affect performance, could someone comment if my flywheel has been adjusted or if this is standard? it appears to have some holes drilled in it and doesn't look exactly like the pic in the parts manual. i know the previous owner was serious enough to swap the front 14 tooth sprocket to a 12 so I'm curious as to whether the flywheel was modified also or is standard. And would someone be kind enough to briefly recap the difference between a heavier or lighter flywheel and the effect it has on the bikes performance? (I'm still a little unsure) with many thanks in advance and very best wishes from NYC, Johnny

Agreed! Feet up fun has helped me so much. we are so lucky to have someone not only with so much expertise but someone so gracious and generous in their sharing of it! -and of course shout outs and big ups to all the other wonderful posters here too who are awesome in their legendary contributions that help us all learn. thanks so much guys! deep gratitude.

Sorry to revive an old thread, but wondering is the lubricating of contact heels something that should be done on a regular basis? if so, how often is it recommended for optimum longevity? sorry for naive question but i wasn't aware aware the necessity to do this. i think my bike still has the original contacts, so its probably long overdue! many thanks in advance.

Hope im not violating any forum rules by posting (please delete if i am) but from a historical collectors perspective the price blew my mind...In case you missed it..from last month at a bike auction in Vegas..Granted they're pristine concours rebuilds but to see them actually sell for this $$s...crazy! i guess some people have very deep pockets... -wife didn't think much of my TY project till she saw this...now she wants to help polish it!

I believe my 74 TY still has the original reeds...is it advisable to change them for the reason stated? and is it usage or simply the passage of time that would necessitate their replacement? thanks always, i learn so much here

Some of the pump gas over here is just so awful with up to 20% ethanol added...i know its a bit more expensive but i found my '74 Ty250 loves this stuff (fully synthetic) and runs like a dream!

...one here in long island...NY https://newhaven.craigslist.org/mcy/d/east-meadow-1982-vintage-swm-trials/6771451918.html

Thanks so much again friends, appreciate all guidance. the shed is actually solid with a good roof that doesn't leak.. i dint know as i hadn't spent enough time up there, but turns out there is some kind of natural spring in the garden that combined with when it rains heavily causes the whole garden to turn to mush. the shed only has a soil floor with paving slabs laid down so the water is coming up from under those. it is on my project list this summer to sort it out properly and spend some money and time on it in exchange for....drum roll please.....being allowed to bring her inside and tuck the bike away upstairs! hallelujah very happy and very lucky to have such great in laws and wife's dad even helped me hump it up the stairs, bless him! so turns out i now have my own motorcycle museum...hooray! though interestingly even a month in those conditions had started to show wear on the bike in places. super glad i didn't vacillate in my efforts to remedy things. i will crawl back under my rock now and re emerge here in the spring when it doesn't start or nothing works and i need more help..til then, thanks again for being an awesome cyber family that a jazz musician from NY crazy enough to buy a trials bike can turn to for advice! johnny

Hello friends, the mechanical ignoramus here again from Brooklyn NY. please bear with me as im sure you are fed up with me asking for advice, but time spent on reconnaissance is seldom wasted and if there's no such thing as a silly question etc... having followed all the sagacious insights from you all in my last post about winter storage, i was a bit saddened to find out the in-laws shed where i now keep the bike floods when it rains heavily leaving about 3-4" of standing water for a day or two until it drains. i deliberately raised it up about 6" off the ground on plywood and put some thick plastic sheeting underneath so the bike isn't directly in contact with the water, but i'm aware that its a fairly damp wet environment esp' at the moment as its been raining a lot. i wish i knew more about this stuff myself but am limited in my knowledge of trying to preserve vintage bikes nicely. in my earlier post someone had said words to the effect of chuck em under the porch in the rain and 'she'll be 'right they're built for it' kinda thing, but i also read feetupfun saying these conditions will destroy bearings/seals in no time and a 2T is more susceptible to damage than a 4T (curious as to why that is?)... i gave her a brief spray down with wd40 on exposed parts but wondering is a thick coating of Vaseline better to avoid corrosion? and which parts are most likely to rust first so i can keep an eye on them when i next go and check as i wasn't able to look over new years when i was there as it was raining really hard and the shed was wet. its been there about a month now. am i being super paranoid or should i be concerned? i've worked so hard (and learnt so much) coming here to help restore the bike and get it road legal etc and i really dont want to ruin it with 4 months storage in the wrong conditions. i just want to preserve a time capsule for my son to have one day. the shed is well ventilated so the conditions on the inside generally reflect the outside. a heated storage unit here for bikes runs about $150pm which is a little steep for me right now so the only other option is to see if the mother in law would let me keep in inside. it would have to go upstairs in wife's old bedroom and even then not ideal as id have to get it upstairs (on my own) and then say yes to everything she asks of me and agree with her about anything...maybe that's a good trade off to keep the bike nice? are there any issues or concerns about keeping a bike inside? obviously id drain the fuel but is there anything else i should do? my fear though is once its inside its never coming out and i know we need to ride em not hide em. what would you more knowledgeable folk recommend? as always i'm humbled in the shadow of your expertise and i know so little id rather ask and be ridiculed than not ask at all. the last TY i had was in 1986, cost 250quid and left it at my mates farm in the barn and at 12 years old i had slightly different concerns in life than now and obviously i've got a wee bit more into this one! pics enclosed of finished bike, shed, bike in shed and last one shows how much standing water collects in the back corner when it rains. thank you all so much for any advice, comments or criticism and humbly yours from the land of over priced rent and $1 pizza johnny

haha! classic ...(had to look it up tho as i never saw it but thanks for the heads up!)