charliechitlins

Yep. Every time it bends, it will work harden slightly, so it's best to leave it until you can anneal it. I've probably done this to the shifter on my boy's txt 80, 6 or 7 times.

I do those kind of repairs (or have them done for me, depending on the level of difficulty) all the time. Mostly on cylinder and head fins. Any competent welder should be able to build that up, and you could carve it to match. If it's aluminum, it'll need TIG, although...I'm pretty old-school, and I still do a lot of aluminum with the torch ONLY if I'm not worried about warpage. If it's steel, it could even be brazed.

Aaron...if I can get this '74 Cota together by summer, I'm in. Any of the 3-D guys in? Do Roger and Ed still have TY's?

Depends on what you mean by "weaken". It makes it more malleable. If you try to straighten a bent hand lever, it will snap because it has been 'work hardened'. If you anneal it, it won't snap. Which is weaker?

If anybody has one, I sure would appreciate it if you sent me some detailed photos of your bike so I can put mine back together properly. Thanks! c

If you anneal it, you can straighten it. Method 1--rub with white soap (like Ivory), heat until soap turns black, dunk in water. Method 2--turn on acetylene only, light torch, cover part with ash, turn on oxygen and heat until ash flakes off---dunk in water. If the pedal is actually breaking, you can do this to a new pedal and it will bend rather than break...and put less stress on the shaft in the process.

I've been watching all day for the 20,000th forum post and Charlie posted it with the above post! It was a little secret (for obvious reasons!) competition I was running. Drop me a line at website AT trialscentral.com with your address and there'll be a few sets of TC stickers winging their way Stateside! Cool! Now I can tell the wifey that all the time I spend at TC is worthwhi..... Well...maybe she wouldn't get it.... My bike, helmet, etc will wear the stickers with pride. I'll be sure to save one for the '74 Montesa project! Thanks, Andy.

I never cut corners with spokes. Actually, I often spend a FORTUNE on spokes. For my customers who insist on originality, I will often chuck each spoke in a drill press and spin it while sanding out pits. Then they all get bead blasted, then they go out and get cadmium plated! For the stuff that doesn't have to be dead original, I use stainless and bead blast them to look like cadmium. For shiny stuff, I buff them individually. I spend WAY too much time on spokes!

Yeah...I'm psyched. Thanks for offering to help. This old guy needs some help! And so does the bike The spare engine is #34M2395 and shifts on the right Some of the stuff looks the same as the 21M. I'm hoping the kick shaft is the same. The one on the Cota is drilled so the kicker can be held on with a roll pin...and it looks like it was done in anger! The shift shaft is tweaked, but i've had pretty good luck straightening those over the years. The front forks are very sticky and will need a complete run-through. Luckily the seals were leaky, so the tubes aren't rusty! Did they all have billett triple-clamps? If you're interested in a pen-pal with lots of dumb questions about Montesas, feel free to contact me off the BB. <cffrey@mindspring.com> Thanks!

Been hearing some reports of stainless spokes breaking...on heavy road bikes, though...under heavy use. I'm not sure about dirt/trials bikes, though.

Won it. And the price left me with a few $ to fix it up. I'll pick it up today and give a report.

You don't know about trials-free zones until you've lived near Philly...the ultimate trials wasteland. Hook up with Matt Libertore from Trial Zone...he's either in Reston or Herndon (I think). I used to live around there, and I always confused the two.

You click. You like. Bernie Book

Chances are, it's the last thing you messed with. Go through the carb carefully. The dirty plug, though, could point to weak spark.

Here's a blessing passed down from the Scots side (Ross), of my family: May those who love us, love us. For those who do not, may God turn their hearts. If he cannot turn their hearts, May he turn their ankles So we will know who they are by their limping.

Thanks! I think I'll bid. Should that model have aluminum fenders? If so, what's the availability?

Found a Cota. Serial # 21M14025 Anybody know what year it is? Also...it appears to be a 'trail' model with a giant seat. Is this the same at the trials model except for the bodywork? Is the trials bodywork available? Here is the link to Ebay. I can't believe it's less than an hour from me. Please don't outbid me! Ebay

I hear the new Ossa has Cobalt-Kevlar-Carbon piston return springs and ceramic-unobtainium muffler bearings. The production version will come with a full set of incremental, quick-change powerbands.

Yeah...in '74 I turned 13, so that's the era that's burned in my memory. I got a TY175 around '77, but I still have unresolved Montesa issues from looking at those pictures of Ulf Karlson and Marland Whaley in the dirt bike mags that I studied like the Bible! The problem was, I wasted my knee in an accident around '78 and I gave up pretty much all strenuous physical activity until around 4 years ago. Now I have some catching up to do!

Me too. And, as a dear friend once said, "Hey...it's a cool bike, and I look cool on it; and that's all that counts!"

OK...I'm really thinking about a pre-76 Cota. I like the '74 and '75 models, and I like shifting with my left foot. How far back can I go before the less-advanced technology really gets obvious? Is, say, a '71 essentially the same as a '74? My guy tells me that technology may have bumped up a notch around the (relative) trials boom of '74.

You sure the wheel is straight. I never trust the marks on the adjusters.

It only takes a couple thousandths of an inch to translate into what seems like considerable movement at the rear wheel. All the bolts are right there to see, so there's nothing hidden. You can get a small amount of play when the bolts themselves wear. Just ride it.

Oh, yeah...to get involved in that area, contact Dom at Keystone Cycles and Dwayne at Bottle Run Xtreme.

My knowledge of D-6 is sorely lacking. After 1.5 years here, I still don't get around much and I haven't ridden an event. I stay VERY busy. I do know, though, that there are several events around Williamsport, PA, and there is a thriving (relatively) trials scene up there.