More Learner Talk... Mild Apologies!

[mags]

Hey! You all started somewhere...

I went to the dark side (for me) and rode my first 2T ever, yesterday! It was a 2014 JTG 300. I would love to give you an impression but the fuel tap was off and after I kicked her over and rode for a minute it began to splutter so I parked it! I didn't know it had a fuel tap.... Geez!!!! Hehehe

I did like the build quality on it and would probably be my choice as a first 2T.... simply knowing no better I suppose? It looked great and how strong is that swing arm (forged)!!

Ok ! The question.... the owner (pretty experienced) had the lanyard on the clutch side. I put ours on the throttle side. I have had trouble reaching down for neutral (to leave engine running at times) with right hand because lanyard is there and left is holding clutch in.... MMMMmmmm!

My wife and I discussed it and she stretches lanyard on right wrist to hold clutch with right hand and reached down with free left hand for neutral.

Better to have on clutch side??? Stock kill switch is there on both bikes (left side for a reason?). I didn't get to discuss why it was on that side with JTG owner?

Next....

I went up 2 teeth on the rear sprocket on the Cota! First thing I noticed was travelling between areas I was using 4th-5th now!! Hehehehe

Because of high idle the 2 tooth increase has slowed it for the better as a learner I reckon, for 1st gear. I used 2-3 verses 1-2 but have option of slower 1st.

My wife had a go on the Cota and not surprisingly she was able to do the tightest clutch out fig 8's to date. Clutch technique when slowing further seemed to improve as well????

I must look at gear ratios for the Cota gearbox and see if 2nd, 3rd with sprocket change is close to 1st, 2nd, before.... I only ask this as my wife said to leave hers stock for now... after I suggested changing hers by 2 teeth?

On most bikes are you guys changing rear sprockets a couple of teeth up from standard sprocket? Are sprockets routinely changed for different trails grounds or you settle to what you like for all areas????

Tyre pressures....

The Michelins are a softer wall (Beta) and the Cota harder walls (Dunlop) so I may have the initial pressures too high on the Cota? I have been running 3.5 cold in rear and 5.5 cold in front of both bikes.

Maybe better start pressures would be 2.5/4.0 for the Dunlops and 3.0/5.0 for the Beta (cold). Or even lower????

I'm not intending to start a pressure/tyre debate but just a learner start pressures.... to be honest the tyres feel the same unless I really change them radically... like 1.5 R and 2.5 front...

Do you bother changing the pressures between dry, rocky, grassy.... and wet, rocky, grassy, muddy? I'd imagine if wet you would drop 1-1.5 psi straight out of front and rear???

Hope I didn't stray too close to... Sorry mate! Tell ya that and I'd have to kill ya.... Hehehehehehehe

Thanks

Mags

[totty79]

I tend to find that the easiest way to select neutral on most bikes is to do it with your foot as you're rolling to a stop - once stopped clutch drag makes it more difficult and that's why people end up doing it by hand.

Can't help on the gearing, it's as much down to personal preference as anything else and it sounds like you've found what works for you.

I haven't yet experimented with tyre pressures, I run 7psi front 4psi rear as advised by several more experienced riders. I'd be concerned about nipping a tube or damaging a rim if going much lower in the front.

[thats_a_five]

Haha, yes after riding the Montesa for a while, when I switch bikes I forget about the fuel tap also.

I do not yet run a lanyard but if/when I add one, I am considering if it would make more sense to mount it in the center and clip the cord onto my belt to avoid having it out at the end of the bars where it could be snagged by branches or pulled off by hand movements while riding. My kill switch is in the middle.

1^st, 2^nd and 3rd gears are quite close in the Montesa. Then a bit gap to 4^th and 5^th. I dropped a tooth out of the front sprocket which is about double what you did on the rear. It definitely helped me to make very slow, tight turns. I felt that the stock gearing was a little too fast. The only drawback is sometimes first is too low and you end up running out of speed going up longer, steep obstacles. So when sections have longer hills or more open areas, I use second a lot. I think only guys like Raga and Bou change sprockets to suit the individual events. All the people in our club find a combination we like and leave them alone.

I usually start with 6 pounds in the front tire and 4 in the rear. I may adjust the rear down from that for grassy or muddy stuff but not for rocks. That is in the Michelin. Mind you I weigh about 240 pounds. I don’t think I have ever intentionally run less than 3 in the rear. I keep the front at 6. Below that I find it gets vague and bottoms out on the trail too much. I had a front drop to about 2.5 one time with a big elevation change and that got very hard to ride. The front just would push on every corner. It felt like a totally flat tire.

One important thing is to use a good quality, low pressure gage. The stick kind are not very dependable or accurate at the low pressures we use.

[t-shock 250]

Having the lanyard clipped to your belt won't help if you've tried to dab on the downward slope & the bike is now on top of you!

[0007]

I do like the lanyard idea but neutral is a pain to find, it's more time consuming to find neutral than it is to just stall it in gear and restart, I don't even use the kill switch

Also it's far easier to find neutral when the engine is not running by the way

I think front tire pressure sometimes depends on how you ride, I'm kind of heavy on the front for some reason and I bonk the rim a lot on rocks, the sidewall of my front tire is chewed up as evidence so I like 7 lbs there but rear as low as 3.5 but not in rocky terrain

[ross brown]

Search the Montesa forum for gearing. There's some really good intel in there. Personally i found going to a 44 tooth rear and keeping the standard 10 tooth on the front was the right fit for me as it slowed the bike down and I could do ever so tight first gear corners. On obstacles now find i ride one gear higher .making 2nd and 3rd magic. Others have gone down a tooth on countershaft sprocket AND up on rear.

My preference on lanyard is on the left. Pulling in the clutch can save you many times. If clutch hand is off the bars, then its all Over Rover.

Edited June 23, 2014 by ross brown

[mags]

Thanks for input!

Its seems I might be a bit low in the pressures. I'll raise them up a bit, especially in the front! I did hit a tree root or two and was worried about bruising/deforming a front rim.

I have purchased a reasonable quality gauge from a trials supplier. Goes to 15 psi from memory. Its a dial type with a button to release needle as it locks on pressure reading.

I like the idea of central lanyard.... I actually had my lanyard removed by a thorn bush branch. I'd heard it happens and and thought it must be rare occurrence but it happened. That would be a bugger in competition... thats a five matey!!!

I'm running 10/43 (was10/41) so not far off Ross's gearing. I'll give it more time but I think it will be a stayer for the near future. I like the slower speed for tight work around trees et cetera.

I'll have a peek in the Monty area for gearing.

Mags

[mokwepa]

My standard tire preasure is 3.5 rear and 5 front. Ive hit some stuff pretty hard with no issues. If I know im gonna be doing lots of rock I might go 4 rear 6 front just for peace of mind really. ....doubt it makes that much difference.