Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127721
small and cra mped . The new layout is mu ch roomier, a nd ac tu a lly makes it easier to balan ce the machine. The Cot a is a w ide bike - much w ider than the other m arque s' o ffe r ings . The add ed girth, however, ma y be what makes the Cota so easy to bal ance on. The extra size, however, becomes a detriment when hopping the bike is necessary. A qu ick comparison of the ' 94 and '95 bike spec sheets will reveal that at 180.4 p ound s, the new bike is 4.4 pounds ligh ter than last year's. Still, the Co ta weighs some 10 po unds more than most of its competition, a nd it takes more effort to get the bike to perform the same tricks. Larger, stronger rid ers probably won' t notice the bike 's extra we ight, but smaller riders who rely on techniqu e may find it annoyin g. Suspension act ion is secon d to non e whe n the obstacles are small to medium size. Th ePaol i fork an d shock are as plush as can be, and do a great job of smoothing out most tra ps . The front end ne ver d eflect s unexpectedly, a nd the rear end provided a cush y, easy-to-predict rid e. When th e obstacles ge t bi g g e r, tho ugh, the rear end doesn't feel quite as nice . In comparison to other manufactu rers' vertical shock layouts, the Cora's laid-down design doesn ' t p rovide the same cush y feel. While the first half of the rear sus pension travel is extremely plush, the last hal f has a harsh feel that co mes as q u ite a s u rp r is e . We first noticed the sensation when dropping off a five-foot led ge, bu t also felt it when doing larger-size spla tters. The d ead _ feeling of the rear end also made it hard to grab tracti on with the ass istance of shock rebound. Not only d oes the shock get harsh, it se ems to ha ve too much high-speed re bou n d damping. Sadly" playing with the full range of compression and rebound ad jus tm en ts yielded little improvement. The Cota's brakes are awesome. Both th e front and rear bi nders d o an ad mirab le job of sto pping the Cota - all that's need ed to loft the rear end is a sin , gle finger on the fro nt br ake lever. The rear brake pedal is p leasan tly ea sy to find with you r boot, unlike so me of the microscopic components fou nd on some trials machines. As is th e ca se with all Honda o ffroad bikes, the fit and finish of the Mon tesa Cota is flawless. High-quality fasteners abo u nd, and everythi ng appears to be well-th ou ght-ou t and of the high est quality. . At $5195, the Montesa Cota 314R is right in the ballpark w ith the rest of the trials offerings fro m Spa in and Ital y cheaper than some, as a matter of fact. Thin gs in the Cota's favor are the twain-one engine, the excellent clutch and its well-balanced chassis. The bike's faults? Th e bike' s a little overweight, and the rear sus pension is on the harsh side. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the bike is - in one sense or another - a Ho nda. Quality and craftsmanshi p are two things that the Japanese factory is famous for, an d I have no doubt that the Co ta will outlast any o f its European competition . Montesa mot or cycl es are imported into the United States exclusively by The Tryals Shop. Like to get a hold of one of th ese babi es ? The Try als Shop can be contacted at RD1 Route 38, Locke, NY ( :¥ 13092, 315/ 497-2904. (Right) National Championship Series contender John Clark takes to the sk ies aboard the Cota . (Far right) A tiny speedometerl odometer unit is tucked behind the right fork leg . The Paoli forks, by the way , are outstanding. (Below) The HRC engine is a bit bulkier than Its competitors, but is amongst the strongest available. (left) Take a close look at the rear wheel spokes. The rear wheel is a true tubeless piece - no rim bands needed. (Abo ve) The radiator and exhaust pipe aren't tucked in as well as could be, but we had no problems damaging either. theY Montesa Cota 314R ·Bits and pieces·.·.. Specifations Because we reside in a state that requires a U .S . Forestry Service-a pprove d .s p a r k arrestor, our test bike came equipped with a . Kickstarting the Montesa is' a breeze .. The high-quaJity aluminum kickstart lever is just Cycle Service Center un it. The spark arrestor is handmade ·of ain;mft-quality 6061 the rig~t snape ., and riot .once did the bike · backfire and send our knees i nto the handle-. T6 high-grade' aluminum , and costs $169 . · bar.' . . Uke ttK! Morrtesa Cola 3 f 4R itsett, ihe spark arrestor is available through !tie Tryals Shop. . The Montesa'stransmission .is of typical . .' .' . ' . . . Honda 'q u all t y - flawless . Each ' gea r We spent several minutes lookI ng for both engages with a positive feel .' and the lever .the fuel petc()Ck and ~rburetor choke lever. . pressure required is minimal: Rnding neutral The petcock IS well hidden (and tUCked .out . is easy, whether or not the engine is running.' .of harm 's way, as well) .behind the lett-side . '. ' .. ' . . radiator shroud, while the choke lever is actu- . The biggesi ·single improvement that the' new " -, ally mounted on the ·Ieit side of the handlebar, cota enjoys is the repos ltloned foctpega,' next to the handgiip. ·oui guess is that there ' . Owners of1994 'Cotas will be 'o,!e~oyed towasnl .enough roo~for.th~ _chOkeleverdown learn' that the new pegs will bolt onto . theIr near the carburetor Itself . . . existing bikes. . .... . ' . Us! PrIce DIspIac:ement Engine type Born 1lroIrlI CompmIion ratio CIItlInlIon Ignition TI8fISIl1In1on speedlI SW1Ing sysIem Fuel CIpICity WheeIbue "RIIIIIlrIl1 seathIIg/ll front lire ...1Ire FnInl While Cycle News believes theforegoing test reliable, it is the opinion of the reviewers only and should not be relied upon in determining the performance or safetyof theoehiclefs). The reader should make his or her own investigation. $5195 .261.3cc Uquid-Gooled, singlKytinder two-stroke lnMI ReIr 1rivII .FillnUrm"_ , 71 x66mm 7.9:1 .26mm DeI'Or1o Electronic COl 6 Kick 0.8 gal. 53.4 in. N/A .30.2 in. .2.75 x21 4.00x 18 6;7 in. 6.3in. Disc ...... ..... .. . .Disc .. ..ChaIn eo; The upside-down Paia li forks are well 'pro·tect ed by a beefy pair of plastic fork guards. Mounted on the back of the right·rlde fork leg is an odometer/speedometer unit. .. Of 'all the trials bikes we've riddtln to date, the Montesa ccta comes 'with' the best 'k ic kstand. The Ieft-side-mounted unit is actually " .easy to find with yOur boot. and doesn't point. straight down like some of the legs found on' other machines. . Parts is p;irts :According io ro.imPorter Martin Belair, many Honda CR250 motocross bike parts. are interchangeable with the Cola. The clutch plates ,. pis ton and ri ng s are stri:Iightout of. the MX b ike: andean be easHy . oblained at anY ~orida dealer. '. . .