81 Montesa Cota 200 Repair and Restoration

[VexedOfVerwood]

Hello everyone i'm new to the site as me and my father are repairing and eventually restoring my 81 Cota 200 and i'm probably going to need some of your wisdom!

I've had the bike for about 4 years now, and it was running fine until one day, it randomly wouldn't fire up (there's no longer a spark), and also the gears are messed up....

It's difficult for me to explain what the gears are doing and i'll give it my best at describing the problem but chances are i'll have to take it to a specialist! right the gear lever/selector wil click up and down but i think it's going into other gears all in one click. i.e if i go up from neutral (when i can get it into neutral that is) it will select the next gear, then the lever won't spring back into the middle but will allow me to carry on going up into the next gear, and possibly the next gear after that! and it's the same when i shift back down again.

Also the kickstarter doesn't spring back to it's starting position (but i think i can fix that one).

I've got lots of pictures and i've got the bike in pieces now, i've taken the case off the side of the crankcase, so the clutch and cogs etc are all out in the open....

Please help as i have little knowledge on this engine because i've never needed to take it to work on it before.

There's also a small key slot in the stem in the side of the frame, just under the handlebars/yolkes does anyone know anything about this? I think it's some sort of steering lock which i don't have a key for.

Thankyou Luke

(I'll be copying and pasting this on other forums)

[scrivo]

Last thing first the slot in the steering head is indeed a steering lock. Originally the bike had full lights and road gear. If it is not locked and you don't have a key then you don't have a problem

The kick start problem. These engines have a weakness with their kick start system. The gears that operates the kick start normally break but that means the kick start does not engage. Yours sounds more like a broken return spring or possibly a stretched spring. The kick start stop is on the outside of the case so it may just be that the kick start lever needs to be rotated one spline in a clockwise direction on the shaft to give a little preload on the return spring. As you have the clutch cover off check the spring. I probably have a spare spring if you can not locate one. Rocky Mountain Montesa and Southwest Montesa in the US or In Motion Trials in the UK are the best sources parts.

The gear selection problem? these bikes have an unusual selector mechanism which is difficult to set up. If the gears were selecting OK and then started this problem then remove the silver bolt thing from the top of the engine behind the cylinder I can see it in your engine photos. it is on the left side of the crankcase on top and sticks up like a funny little tower. That contains the gear position detent spring and ball bearing. Check the spring has not broken or that the ball bearing is actually there.

If this does not fix it then remove the clutch and you can check the selector rack and pinion arrangement behind it. If all those are OK then your probably in the gearbox.

[VexedOfVerwood]

Hello Scrivo! I've since posted on this forum fixed the bike! it's fully operational now. The gear lever shaft had been knocked through from the lever side, through to the other side and the spring to snap the lever back to the centre had come off. so sorted that out. as for the not sparking, that just randomly fixed itself, and the kickstarter is working all good now too! cleaned the carb and cylinder out, fresh high octane fuel. had a blast down the road on it! loved it!

Now i've taken the whole thing to bits again, to have the frame blasted, powder coated etc. and all plastics re painted. eventually would be nice to put on the road! but there's not much in the way of security except for me removing the HT lead everytime i wanna park up lol.