Hi am in a dilemma i am not sure on what bike to for.

Its between a 2016 sherco 250 and a 2016 montesa cota 4rt

I have tried the 2016 sherco and i thought it was great but i havent tried the 2016 montesa i have only tried the 2014 cota which i thought was great.

Would it be worth going the extra money to get the cota 4rt or should i just go for the sherco.

I have had 2 sherco's a 2004 200 and a 2011 290

I liked the 2004 but i am not fused on the 2011

Many thanks

 

 

There is a massive difference between both those bikes, probably couldn't be further apart. If your newish to trials the Mont might be a handful to say the least but are great fun to ride and bullet proof. Although not always the case, you might think there's oil getting on the Monts back tyre in the mud for the first few months or in some cases years, grip is very different on a 4rt compared to a 2 stroke and many simply never get them to grip or give up trying.

Edited October 30, 201510 yr by the addict

There is a massive difference between both those bikes, probably couldn't be further apart. If your newish to trials the Mont might be a handful to say the least but are great fun to ride and bullet proof. Although not always the case, you might think there's oil getting on the Monts back tyre in the mud for the first few months or in some cases years, grip is very different on a 4rt compared to a 2 stroke and many simply never get them to grip or give up trying.

As the rider of classic bikes only, I am interested in these comments about 4 stoke grip. Would some of you modern riders be so kind and tell me why there is such a issue with modern 4 strokes ?

It's probably more to do with riders coming to it after years on two strokes never having ridden a four stroke than the bike itself?

I have been riding trials bikes for 3 years i don't compete but i will eventually go into competitions when i feel more confident.

I am willing to learn on how to ride a four stroke but i have never owned a 4 stroke bike i have always been 2 strokes but still i am still very interested in a 4 stroke but i would be happy enough with a 2 stroke.

 I was talking to someone at a local trials competition and he was riding the 2016 montesa 4rt cota and he says the grip is unbelievable because of the new mapping.

But the new sherco is amazing in my opinion im just not sure on which one i would be happier with.

That's a lot of hard earned cash to spend if you'r not sure !

It is far more important to get some time on a bike (any recent bike will do) and move up from practicing to going to proper trials.

You will soon see what is being achieved by other novice riders and you can assess how and what they ride.

Everyone has their own personal opinions on bike selection but in my opinion you would be hard pushed to beat a 250 GasGas, there are plenty of them around to choose from, err that's because they are very popular and you will pick up a clean bike a couple of years old for £2500

As a novice, this bike ( or similar offerings from Beta, Sherco ect ) will be able to do more than you are capable of and won't break the bank whilst you are getting experience.

Edited October 30, 201510 yr by collyolly

Flywheel weight or lack of makes the 4t's sensitive to throttle inputs compared with 2stroke equivalent

I'm sure many on here have tried or even purchased a 4rt in the past, many could not get them to grip and soon got them sold. I struggled terribly with the swap from 2 stroke to 4 stroke but stuck it out and can honestly say that I get more grip on a 4rt than I ever could on a 2 stroke these days. As mentioned above, its a lot of money to shell out for something you simply cannot get on with or are unwilling to persevere with until you master the grip.  The best thing to do is to have a couple of rides on one in the mud and see how you get on, you might like a few have no problems with the transition.

I love the grip on my Montesa 4t, I believe its better than my wife's Gas Gas 2t.  Is that opinion? Yes.  

 

I have loved 4t's ever sense my first ride on one and though there is a difference between them that might cause some traction issues for me it isn't an issue.  

 

Disclaimer:  I know some of this is based in logic however I am not sure how much translates to fact so take it however you want...

 

What I see causes traction issues on a 4t seems to be...

- 1st: the power stroke happens 1/2 as often causing a more abrupt power impulse and in slick situations cause the tire to brake loose and is even more apparent when at lower throttle.

- 2nd: the power distribution on most 4t's I have been on is more mid range, and so the learning curve will cause some to brake traction when not expected tell they learn to adjust.

- 3rd: All of the 4t's I have been on seem to have a large difference in there clutch, faster to be specific, and this can cause issues.

- 4th: (this is opinion mixed with my exp.) Many riders seem to ride with the throttle instead of both throttle and clutch, this will take all 3 of the above items and exaggerate them.

- 5th: suspension setup also has a large affect on grip and I have seen a lot of older Montesa's running slow/stiff settings that don't give as good of traction as the softer settings on most other brands.  (I have heard the stock defaults on even the new 4RT's are set slow, however I haven't been on one to know for sure) 

 

Outside of this the choice of tire and pressure settings can have a profound affect on grip/traction and so unless I check the brand and pressure of the tires when trying someone else bike its hard to compare grip strait across.  

 

My vote Montesa 4RT all the way... (FYI: this is a biased opinion so...)

 

Good luck making your choice.  

Edited October 31, 201510 yr by jonnyc21

As the rider of classic bikes only, I am interested in these comments about 4 stoke grip. Would some of you modern riders be so kind and tell me why there is such a issue with modern 4 strokes ?

 

Ride a 4rt and you will see what addict means.

Again PLEASE state where you are in the world!

Flywheel weight or lack of makes the 4t's sensitive to throttle inputs compared with 2stroke equivalent image.jpeg

Agreed

Touch the 4RT throttle & the FI is off like a scalded cat

i went from a beta evo 250 to a 05 4rt and love it i dont use much throttle and the mont is a pussy cat 

i went from a beta evo 250 to a 05 4rt and love it i dont use much throttle and the mont is a pussy cat 

Interesting, i'm thinking of getting an Evo 250, what do you think to the 4RT and what didn't you like about the Beta?

I think i'll play it safe and go for the new sherco. There is no point in me going for the 4rt its not worth the risk. I might not be able to get used to the way it rides. Thanks for the advice.