Sparky1001

Got it ta, page 20 - I must of missed it the first time round, oops! god I know this is basic work for you guys, but attempting all this seems a bit overwelming! But be great once it’s done as I know how to do it in the future then :-) I would never be able to clean the carb as it’s to advanced for me, so I’m going to replace the trans oil and engine oil, put fresh petrol and mix in the tank and give it a kick over! thanks all

Ok got it, another novice question, are there only 2 oils I need to change? One on the left hand side of the bike is a screw plug that I can take out, im guessing that is the engine oil? And it drains from underneath the bash plate? What oil should I buy to put in there? Where do I replace the transmission oil? Again what oil should I buy for that? What oil goes with the petrol & at what ratio? Sorry if these have been asked a million times, I have researched on here but there are lots of different oil types, ratios etc and it’s quite confusing ?. Thank you :-)

Aghhh thank you for that, I just had the clutch in and it was getting no compression. When it was in 1st gear I could feel it had compression. I was just a bit worried about it going into gear and taking off somehow, oops! I will try it with clutch out just to see if that resolves that problem. I am also glad to know that pipe is not disconnected from anything and is just a breather pipe (the one in the picture) What is the chances that the spark plug would need to be replaced? Do they usually degrade overtime or are they normally pretty good?

Thank you Netley, yes there is a smaller lever beneath the clutch is that a choke? I think I also tried pulling that in & the kickstart still was able to be pushed down with my hand. a good wash and clean and then I want to empty the petrol tank and the engine oil and change the transmission oil. Any manuals would be awesome as I have really limited knowledge but would love to get the bike going again! to my surprise I also found a Montesa cota 248 in another garage its a white colour bike unsure of the year, but it is literally immaculate, so I’ll work on the 349 and then look at the 248 once I’ve got this one sorted thanks for all help & guidance it is truly appreciated!

So I didn’t try to start the monty, but I took the kickstart out with my hand and it has 0 compression.. I can literally push it down with my hand? Any thoughts?

A few more

Hello all Firstly thank you for all the in-depth replies, I appreciate them. I am based in the south west, my dad used to ride with Steve Saunders et al back in the day. So the bike is in better condition than I thought, seeing it has been sat for 15/20 years (estimate) believe it or not there is pretty much a full tank of petrol in there. Basic points to note: The bike moves freely on its own, no seized front or back wheel the front and back brakes seem to work quite well, a little bit spongey but when I’m applying front brake and really trying to push the bike forward it won’t move, so that’s good. Pulled he clutch in and selected 1st and second and seems Togo into gear ok, regular half click from 1st to 2nd for neutral - no problems there. Clutch moves in and out ok, with selecting gears (as above). Throttle goes back and forth on its on, however it is quite “sticky”. I have found a black cable/tube coming out of the (engine?) on the ride hand side below the kick starter, picture attatched - does anyone know what this is for and where it should be connected to? Tyres are understandably a bit flat, but the actual tyres itself seem in good shape, little to no tyres cracks etc. So overall I’m really happy with the condition it is in, my next step is to drain the petrol and drain the engine oil? There seems to be a plug underneath the bash plate that would come off and drain it out? Then pump the tyres up give it a wash and a general clean & tighten/ oil the moving parts.

Thank you for the help, I’m going to trailer it home on the weekend & start to look at it. And start with the above points. if anyone else has any further advice please comment as every bit of knowledge and help would be greatly appreciated. It would be lovely to see it in working order again!

Hello all, I have found my dads Montesa Cota 349 1980 in his garage. The bike itself appears in (relatively) good condition. I don’t think it has been ridden (or started) for 20+ years. I would like to get this bike running again & start riding it at local events. I have pretty much zero technical knowledge, I am willing to learn & give it a go and watch YouTube videos to learn etc.. The reason I haven’t tried to start the bike is I am worried about the petrol and oil in the tank? What would I need to change or replace on a bike that old/hasn’t been ridden for 20+ years - things that would need to be changed regardless is what I am on about? I guess there are things that might be broke which I will need replacing (when found can replace) Would someone be able to list things I should be changing as a matter of urgency before attempting to kick her over? I don’t know if the engine would be seized, engine oil is rotted - i want to give it the best chance of starting up. Thank you