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OTF is right to ask about how a bike would be provided. I am open minded on this aspect, it might be best if the rider buys the bike but someone else might also want to see their bike being used again but retain ownership. By whatever route rider and bike come together the care and maintenance, including cost, is definitely intended to be part of the rider

Young riders on Pre-65 bikes? At the risk of raising a few hackles I would most definitely say yes. They are the future of Pre-65 and trials generally. Now before things get heated let

This is a link to a page giving details of changes to 348. http://ramisaction.com/montesa/pagines/trial/cota_348.htm Some of the answers you require might be there.

In the Honda Shop Manual for the TLR250 a 90 main jet is quoted. The manual says to refer to the TL125/TLR200 manual for other information, this gives a 40 pilot jet for the TLR200. A 1987 RTL250S is noted as having a 38 pilot jet. As a little bit of further information I bought a TLR250F new in 1985 and rode it for a couple of years then laid it up for about another two. When it was put away it ran perfectly but when used again the carburetion was awfully rich. This was despite cleaning the carburettor carefully using only carburettor cleaner. The float height was correct at 24 mm. I thought the float might have punctured but a change of float did not cure the problem. The carburettor settings were as supplied and the standard exhaust was fitted. Closer examination of the jets revealed their surface was slightly pitted, presumably from the residue of petrol left in the float bowl. Putting brand new jets of the exact same sizes in the carburettor immediately had the bike running like a watch again, all instances of richness vanished. Either the decomposing petrol or the removal of the resulting varnish (even just using solvent) must have etched away enough material to enlarge the metering holes in the original jets. No other parts were changed to cure the problem. The manual says to use SAE80/90 gear oil on the air filter. The bike always ran better if gear oil was used, I did try foam filter oil and it made the carburetion rich. Hope this helps.

Hi there, Try Jared Bates of South West Montesa in Arizona. http://www.southwestmontesa.com/ Hope this helps.

When having a walk round after the Angela Redford Trial I found a classic trials helmet hiding in the rushes. If the owner of a white Skidlid with a black peak would like it back please send me a PM. It can be collected or returned for the cost of the postage plus a small donation to charity. Should you decide it's time for new helmet let me know and I will dispose of your old one.

Hi there, The rear brake torque arm measures 218 mm between hole centres and the front measures 195 mm between hole centres. The later bikes with the larger front brake use the same length of torque arm but the front brake cable abutment is also bolted through the torque arm near the top in an extension which faces forward. Hope this helps.

Here's a link which shows the assembly of MP600 and MP675 forks. The pictures are from a leaflet dating back to the 1970's. http://www.localhistory.scit.wlv.ac.uk/Museum/Transport/Motorcycles/DMWforks.htm Hope this helps.

Hi there, A dry sump engine with a separate oil tank has in effect two oil pumps generally combined into one unit. The feed pump has a lower capacity than the return pump. This is to make sure the sump in the engine is always emptied. Because the bigger return pump can always pump more oil than the feed pump the return into the tank is often seen as a mixture of oil and air. This is quite normal for an engine when both the feed and return pumps are working properly. The original plunger pump would have had two sizes of plunger, the bigger diameter plunger is the return or scavenge plunger. Hope this helps.

When cleaning or checking the carburettor have the pilot and cold start jets been swapped round? The 20 pilot jet is screwed into the main body on the face where the float bowl fits. The 40 cold start jet is found at the bottom of a hole in the float bowl. Both jets look identical at first glance. The 40 jet in the pilot position will make the mixture rich. Hope this helps.

The fork stanchions fitted to the MH349 and the 1982 and later Cota 349 are longer than those used on earlier models. The 242 has the same stanchions as the MH349. As well as the stanchions the sliders are also longer than the earlier bikes, the increased length is above the mudguard bracket. We have not had any luck in getting good used stanchions. If your own stanchions have poor chrome but are free of rust inside the tubes it is probably worth considering having them rechromed. We have had a pair done by Philpotts, they are now back in the bike and working well again. The tops of our stanchions (without the cap nuts) are set 6 mm above the top yoke, this gives good steering when used with 360 mm long modern Betor rear units fitted with 50 lb springs. Hope this helps.

Do not laugh but is it your petrol? We had very similar problems with a Montesa 349. It was ridden in two different trials over the same weekend, on the Saturday the bike was great and on the Sunday it was pants! The only difference was the petrol, Saturday's petrol came as usual from the local Total garage, because the local gaarage was not open Sunday's fuel was bought from a major supermarket's own pumps. The supermarket petrol had water in it straight out of the pump! Cleaned the carb and tank, refilled with our normal petrol and the problem vanished.

Hi there, The standard Amal set-up as quoted by James has given us good results. There is also a 35 cold start jet screwed into a pocket in the float bowl. The pilot and cold start jets are identical apart from the metering hole size, there is a chance the 20 pilot jet is hiding in the float bowl. The fit of the slide in the carburettor body will affect the carburetion at the bottom end to quite a degree, if it is badly worn the bike will tend to run weak at the bottom end. The number 4 slide does seem to be the best for the MH349, we have tried other slides and had poorer performance. When setting the air screw aim for the maximum engine speed +/- 1/4 of a turn on the air screw to suit the rider rather than an actual number of turns out. Details of tuning Amal carbs are still available from Amal themselves as a download. Before making major adjustments to the carburettor first check the ignition timing, air filter and be wary of leaking crankshaft seals. If the exhaust has lost the packing from the rear box or leaks from the joints carburetion will also suffer. We use the standard Motoplat points ignition with an external condenser mounted next to the coil. The ignition is set manually to 3,0 mm BTDC then checked with a strobe light, fine adjustment to the timing being made on the points gap (within the limits marked on the flywheel). The spark plug is a basic NGK BP5ES. The air filters can suffer over time, we have had some old filters which have turned to dust on handling them. The filter is not expensive to replace. The filters we use are from In-Motion, treated in original Twin-Air blue filter oil. This oil seems to work well and does not run to the bottom of the vertically mounted filter over time. When changing the crankshaft seals we have stuck with the genuine Montesa seals (Part no. 0099-2540SDE). In the petrol we use Castrol TTS mixed at 40:1. The original carburettor settings were based on conventional mineral 2T oil mixed at 25:1 or contemporary synthetic oil mixed at 33:1. Using a modern oil at 50:1 or more will have a tendency to richen the overall mixture. The MH349 used in the traditional trials series had its original main bearings replaced at Christmas but is still on the original 1984 piston as far as we know. Hope this helps.

Here is the clutch info Woody mentioned, some more has been added as well. If your clutch slips when kicking the bike over or when pulling a big gear this is not unusual. The MH349 has an all metal clutch which does not seem to like modern synthetic oil. It may be worth changing the oil before going to the expense of new clutch plates. Following advice from Kevin Breedon Racing we have used 300 cc of an old style straight monograde oil in the primary drive case. Morris Lubricants Golden Film SAE 20 is available direct from the makers in 5 litre containers. To be sure there were no additives left over from the modern oil we changed the first fill of monograde after only a few hours use. With the monograde oil the clutch does seem a lot better. The 349 produces a lot of torque and the clutch is only small so it will always have a hard time when the bike is used fully. We also use genuine Amal clutch and brake levers, they seem to give the best all round leverage for the clutch to free off without being too heavy in action. The Amal levers are tough and a bent lever blade can be straightened with care. A Venhill Featherlight clutch cable also helps lighten the action, keep the cable lubricated as Venhill's instructions and keep the lever pivot greased also. The 24 mm A/F nut on the gearbox sprocket has a left hand thread. We have used a 10 tooth gearbox sprocket with either a 40 or 42 tooth rear wheel sprocket and this seems to suit the more modern sections. For a petrol tap contact Steve Goode Motorcycles, Steve sells a two bolt flange mounting OMG tap which will fit the MH349 tank. The exit from the tap wants to be from the bottom so it does not foul the frame when you hinge the tank up. Hope this helps. Here is a link to Woody in action on the MH349

Checking a copy of the form I used to register my MH349 there are some further boxes I filled in. I gave the model as MH349, this was used on the original publicity material. In the Type Approval box I wrote "Exempt", as advised on the dating letter, quoting "Trials Competition Motorcycle" as the reason for exemption in the relevant box further down the form. Max Net Power is 10 kW. Power to weight ratio is 0.10 (I calculated this figure). Our MH349 has no lights and was tested this way with the addition of a red reflector on the rear mudguard. Because apparently there were several changes in the rules for bikes made around the time the MH349 was new, a bulb horn is not acceptable and the speedo should state "MPH" on it, a "KPH" speedo is not acceptable. Different MOT testers or DVLA inspectors may interpret the rules their own way but this is what I found out whilst going through the registration process. The original lights have no battery back-up, their current legality may be worth checking with your MOT tester before actually taking the bike for test. Whether the lights add value is a difficult question. By the time the MH349 was on the market Yamaha's first TY mono was just around the corner and a Fantic was the twinshock bike of the moment so a MH349 is unlikely to ever have the desirability or value of a Majesty, Fantic 300 or a TLR. Once put together well it is generally a better bike for twinshock trials than the earlier 349's but at 92 kg it is no lightweight. We have found our MH349 to be both reliable and tough. In all perhaps the MH349 is overlooked but it is capable of providing a lot of fun without the worry of damaging a valuable trials heirloom.

Clutch plates for your MH349 should be readily available from Jim Sandiford Imports or In-Motion. If your clutch slips when kicking the bike over or when pulling a big gear this is not unusual. The MH349 has an all metal clutch which does not seem to like modern synthetic oil. It may be worth changing the oil before going to the expense of new clutch plates. Following advice from Kevin Breedon Racing we have used 300 cc of an old style straight monograde oil in the primary drive case. Morris Lubricants Golden Film SAE 20 is available direct from the makers in 5 litre containers. To be sure there were no additives left over from the modern oil we changed the first fill of monograde after only a few hours use. With the monograde oil the clutch does seem a lot better. The 349 produces a lot of torque and the clutch is only small so it will always have a hard time when the bike is used fully. I have just registered a MH349 following the advice from another contributor to Trials Central. The form required from the DVLA is V55/5, this can be ordered direct from the DVLA who will post it to you. The sequence we used was:- Obtain and complete form V55/5, there parts which are left blank. Have bike MOT tested with the frame number being used instead of the registration number. Obtain insurance for the bike using the frame number. I used Carole Nash, they have a time limit of 30 days for you to supply the new registration number to them. Take your completed form V55/5, MOT certificate, Dating letter, Insurance certificate and personal identification to your local DVLA office. It could be posted but if there are any problems it is easier to sort out in person. Once the paperwork is in order a first registration fee and a years road tax is payable. Our local office was very helpful in handling the paperwork. They will then likely want to inspect the bike, a separate appointment is probably going to have to be made with the Vehicle Inspector. The complete bike must be presented with frame and engine numbers clearly visible and showing no signs of alteration. Once again I could not fault the service provided by the DVLA Inspector, he clearly knew his job and within 30 minutes of the inspection an age related registration number was issued. Do not forget to tell your insurer the registration number as soon as possible. Hope this helps.

Hi there, Looking at your pictures the front wheel is from a 1982-on 349 Cota or the near identical MH349. This brake works well but it is worth checking the larger spoke flange for cracks starting at the spoke holes. Your fork cap nuts may have lost their innards. Two types are prone to this, one type is fitted with an air valve (this type is on the In-Motion website in the Montesa section) the other type was fitted to late model 349's and the 330. The second type is vented to the atmosphere by way of a very small hole drilled in each of a stack of four dished cups pressed in from the bottom of the nut. The dished cups can be pushed out rather too easily at times. The later type can be seen on the Billet Parts website. A set of forks we had with the air valve type nuts also seemed to have softer springs. Nuts and springs are interchangeable so it is worth trying to get a pair of nuts to match the springs you have to save some money. When you get to the point of running the bike treat it to a new air filter element (roughly

The points gap is 0,35 to 0,45 mm. Hope this helps.

The thickness of the rear wheel spacer assembly is 14 mm. It may be worth trying Dave Renham at In-Motion for parts. The spacer has two steel parts 5150-046 and 5150-145. The chain tube bracket runs on two stepped nylon bushes 5150-146. It looks as though these parts are common to the 348 and all models of 349. The latest chain tubes are not made of the same brittle plastic as the originals and last a lot longer. Our 349 is ridden virtually every week and the Renthal R1 chain is only now past it best after about a year, I am sure the chain tubes are the reason. Hope this helps.

The lid of the late model 349 airbox is a very tight fit. The way I have found to avoid damaging the lid is to unbolt the whole airbox from the frame brackets first, the carburettor connection need not be disturbed. This gives just enough room to remove the lid safely. I clean the filter regularly and have found original Twin Air fluid works well on the 349's filter. The airbox lid can be cracked by overtightening the wing nut. The sequence of assembly we use is to first make sure the stud has been fitted with the two pressed "ears" nearest the lid. The assembly sequence is then mesh, filter, mesh, washer (tight enough not to pass over the "ears"), lid, washer, spring washer and wing nut. This should clamp the lid firmly between the two washers whilst compressing the seal around the rim. If the lid is bending or is loose around the rim the position of the stud needs adjusting in the nuts at the far side of the air box. An earlier post mentioned the two brackets on the frame, these are for a separate extension to the mudguard. This is black plastic and is also bolted to the frame at the same point as the front of the rear mudguard. If you send a PM I will forward a picture. The mudguard extension is folded from flat sheet so one could be home made without too much difficulty. Hope this helps.

I hopefully have some good news, the type of bush fitted to the top of the slider is of the "DU" type. These bushes have a PTFE impregnated bearing surface which does not require reaming to size after pressing in. Try Simply Bearings or Eriks in the UK for replacements. If the forks are Metal Profiles MP675 (35 mm dia. stanchions) the DU bush should be 25 mm long. A 35 mm dia. bore DU bush generally has a 39 mm outside diameter and is available in a variety of standard lengths. A similar 35 mm dia. bush but shorter at 15 mm long is available from Honda at reasonable cost, part no 51414-469-003.

If you are struggling obtaining a genuine Suzuki con-rod it may be worth trying Kevin Breedon Racing, I have found them really helpful. Accurate measurements or sight of your existing rod may be required but definitely worth a try. http://kevinbreedonracing.co.uk/index.htm

Give Sandiford's a try. They still have a lot of twinshock parts available. If it is not in stock a surprising amount is still available from Honda via Sandiford's. It is worthwhile buying a manual/parts book if you have not got one already. Having the correct part number helps all round.

I owned an early 349 from new with Telesco Hydrobag rear units, the seals blew on one unit and they were replaced with Girling Gas shocks. These were popular at the time. Today I have a 1982 MH349, the original 340 mm long Betor units have been replaced with modern Betors at 360 mm long with 50lb springs. Some of the extra length helps quicken the steering and there seems to be more sag with modern units compared to the more stiffly sprung originals so the rear of the bike is not much higher once on the move. If you are going to ride the bike regularly, modern easily obtainable units would be my own choice. There are several makes to choose from and everyone will have their own favourites. Hope this helps.

Steel wire bottle brushes for cleaning the perforated tubes in exhausts can be obtained from The Anvil Tool Company in Ipswich. Paste the following link into your browser for details of the brushes. http://www.anvil-trading.com/ourstore/cat_...er-Brushes.html Measure the inside diameter of your perforated tube and order a brush the same size or slightly smaller. Do not buy a brush larger than you need, it might go in but it will be an almighty struggle to get out. I found this out for myself and now own two different sized brushes. The brushes I received from Anvil are good quality, reasonably priced and were despatched quickly.