c.1972 Montesa 247cc Cota Enduro

Although Spain is known for its motorcycling passion, the manufacturers hail from other parts of Europe. With one exception. Founded in the mid-1940s in Barcelona, Montesa entered road racing in the early 1950s but its major impact on motorcycle sport would be away from the tarmac, the Scorpion and Capra moto-crossers and Cota trials being the equal of any of their contemporaries. Developed by the factory test rider Pedro Pi, Montesa’s first trials machine arrived in 1967 and the following year Pi won the Spanish Trials Championship on one, now re-titled ‘Cota’. In the UK, six-time British trials champion Malcolm Rathmell did much to promote Montesa after he joined as development rider in 1974, winning the Scott Trial in 1975 and 1976. In 1974 the original 250cc Cota was succeeded by the Rathmell-developed Cota 348 (actually 306cc capacity) which featured a six-speed gearbox and weighed in at around 195lb. The Cota 349 followed in 1979 and was ridden by Rathmell to win that year’s Scottish Six Days and Scott trials, while Ulf Karlson took the World Trials Championship on one in 1980.

The motorbike offered

The Montesa 247cc Cota offered here, in Enduro trim has has been part of Robb Talbott’s MotoTalbott Museum in Carmel, California for several years. It has been re-commissioned to ready it for sale, but further fettling may be necessary before returning it to regular competition condition.