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/128369
components shared with the 315R are the lower fork sliders. the brake calipers and the swingarm. Upon further inspection. a couple of things immediately jump out at you. The twin-spar aluminum frame. which on the previous model looked bulky. is much smaller. the factory having whittled away three pounds from last year's model. (That's a lot of aluminum!) On top of the frame sits the new aluminum fuel tank. which last year was housed between the top two frame rails. This new mounting makes room for the fuel-injection system (which we will talk about later). The fuel tank is smaller than last year·s. but because of the four-stroke efficiency. the bike actually has a longer range. The tiny header pipe. which leads into a protected muffler at the rear. is another very visible change from last year's model. The engine's lower end bares some similarities to the very successful Honda CRF250R but with a more compact SHOC top-end and reduced size and weight. What makes the 4RT unique from any other off-road machine is the revolutionary programmed fuel-injection system. which serves up a lower volume than that of conventional carburetors at more precise measurements. Another great feature is the auto shutoff. When the bike is laid over at more than 70 degrees for more than eight seconds. it shuts itself off. The brain behind the injection system is its highprecision electronic control unit. or ECU. which performs instantaneous calculations on a range of variables - such as altitude. atmospheric pressure. engine temperature. etc. to ensure optimal performance under any conditions. A throttle-activated butterfly valve completes the system. The fuel injection is the key to the performance. The bike starts first kick. hot or cold. and there is absolutely no throttle lag at any rpm. Another first for the Montesa is the battery-free starting system. which is a tremendous weight-saver for the Monty. A capaCitor stores a charge that aids the bike in starting. The kick-starter activates an extremely highperformance generator that prOVides the ECU with enough power to run the fuel-injection pump. When starting the bike. the generator cuts off the power to the lights and other electronic devices to increase the voltage to the injection system. When the engine comes to life. the power supply is reverted back to normal and the capacitor is recharged. The Montesa line has been known for its superb Showa suspension over the years. and the 4RT continues the tradition. again using Showa hardware front and rear. The rear suspension has been greatly improved. allowing the bike to track smoothly through the nastiest. rockiest sections with great control. The 39mm fork is very adjustable. featuring 22 clicks of compression and 20 clicks of rebound. In order to maintain a competitive weight compared with its two-stroke counterparts. the 4RT utilizes several weight-saving measures. Besides the completely revamped aluminum frame. which saves an amazing three pounds. Montesa has gone to a 32-spoke wheel. front and rear. The true tubeless rear rim is another Montesa innovation. Where other manufacturers use a rim band to seal the rim. Montesa uses a solid rim. which is laced to the hub with two-piece spokes and a turnbuckle attached to a center flange on the rim. making it truly tubeless. Because of the new airbox. the Monty will be almost impossible to drown out. Montesa has very cleverly inserted a snorkel into the airbox. so even if water should get into it. it most certainly won't get into the engine. Any water that does get in can be seen in the sighting/drain hose and easily drained from the system. HOW DOES IT RIDE? The Montesa is an absolute blast to ride. When you get on a new bike for the first time. you usually find yourself thinking about things like. "How does it steer?" or. "How SPECIFICATIONS 2005 Montesa Cota 4RT N/A Liquid-cooled. four-stroke. single-cylinder. four-valve SOHC DiSPLACEMENT 249cc COMPRESSION RATIO 10.5: I CARBURETOR PGM-FI electronic fuel-injection IGNITION Electronic CDI w/adjustable timing TRANSMISSION Five-speed PRIMARY DRIVE Gears SECONDARY DRIVE Chain #520 CLUTCH Multiplate. wet-Hydraulic FRAME Cast-duralumium double cradle. diamond twin-spar FRONT SUSPENSION .... 39mm Showa fork. adjustable rebound and spring preload. 17Smm REAR SUSPENSION Cenrral. single-progressive Showa damper w/adjustable rebound and spring preload REAR·WHEEL TRAVEL 6.8 in. FRONT-WHEEL TRAVEL 7.0 in. FRONT BRAKE 185mm hydraulic disc REAR BRAKE 150mm hydraulic disc FRONT WHEEL.. 2.75 x 21 in. REAR WHEEL 4.00 x 18 in. DRY WEIGHT 73.8 kg OVERALL LENGTH 80.6 in. OVERALL WIDTH 33.2 in. OVERALL WEIGHT .45.2 in. GROUND CLEARANCE 13.4 in. WHEELBASE 52.8 in. SEAT HEIGHT 26 in. FOOTPEG HEIGHT 15.6 in. FUEL CAPACITY 0.5 gal. LIST PRICE ENGINE does the suspension feel?" But on this bike. all you can think about while riding the 4RT is how much fun it is - fun in the sections. on the hills and especially on the trails. THE TRAILMASTER Lovers of technical trail riding are thinking. "This thing would make a great trail bike." Many people love the agility of the trials bike but yearn for a seat. Well. Montesa hears you. The TrailMaster kit will be available this spring. It consists of a full seat and larger-capacity tank that will make the Montesa the ultimate Single-track trail bike. POWER? The 4RT has plenty of it: fourth-gear hillclimbing power fourth-gear. starting-from-a-dead-stop hillclimbing power. In fact. because of the power. the Monty actually feels lighter than the old two-stroke. even though it weighs one pound more. This is a very easy bike to ride. The linear power makes the bike very tractable. That is the primary feature that will make this bike very competitive: its ability to get traction. There is less need to use the clutch with the 4RT In fact. using the clutch too much can be a hindrance at times. Those who have developed a style of feathering the throttle and clutch together on the two-stroke to control traction will find the going much better with just smooth input with the throttle. The four-stroke power is quite different from that of any two-stroke trialer. and that is to be expected. Without the usual two-stroke "hit." the power is absolutely linear in its delivery. No surges at all; just dial up what is needed. and it is there. The power comes on from nothing to full. just as the throttle assembly goes from full-off to full-on. delivering exactly what is asked of it. With the standard gearing. riders used to never touching first gear in a section might reconsider on the 4RT The Monty thumper has a rev range from 1500 to 10.000. and first gear is a natural for most sections. Depending upon riding style and terrain. some riders may want to consider adding two teeth to the rear sprocket; this will also make second and third gears more usable for the more aggressive riders. Steering on the 4RT is slightly different from the 315R. It is precise and very stable. and it has a much tighter turning radius. Also. because of the new weight distribution. which is biased more to the front this year. the front end stays planted in tight turning situations. Yes. there will be an adaptation period on the 4RT for two-strokers. that's to be expected. But expect the learning curve to be fun. Some folks will make the change qUickly. while others will take a little longer find out how to get the most out of this very impressive trials tool. eN CYCLE NEWS • MARCH 16, 2005 35