CELEBRATION MONTESA COTA 1968–1993 1989: With a larger engine capacity of 258cc the new Cota 309 would be ridden by its new team members Eddy Lejeune from Belgium, Gabino Renales from Spain and French rider Pascal Couturier. 1990: The Cota 310 was launched in its new colour scheme of turquoise and dayglow yellow, moving away from the traditional red. Inverted front forks and a white frame finish off the appearance. Now looking even further into the future of machine development the factory team member Miquel Cirera had been secretly testing a new water-cooled machine with Eddy Lejeune. The prohibitive cost of producing such a machine curtailed its development.
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1991: Interest in the trials machines was moving at a rapid pace as Jim Sandiford, and Montesa introduced Robert Crawford to the Spanish brand to join Gabino Renales and French rider Thierry Girard. Starting the season the updated Cota 310, a new watercooled prototype was introduced at the opening world rounds. 1992-1993: Looking very attractive in the customary red of Montesa, the first of the Honda inspired Montesa trials machines was the water-cooled aluminium framed Cota 311, ridden by Irishman Robert Crawford and future world champion Marc Colomer. This was the first production liquid-cooled trials model from Montesa with its compact six-speed gearbox and 258cc engine. It included all the latest trials innovations including the flangeless rear wheel to accommodate the new tubeless tyres. This was the model to launch the Cota name to a younger target audience to secure its future and to have a direction to take it back to the top of the world of trials. Amos Bilbao proved how good it was by winning the French world round in 1993. This was the first win since 1981 with Ulf Karlson in Sweden; Montesa was back!
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The next 25 years of the celebration of the Montesa Cota and its 50 years of production will continue in our sister publication Trial Magazine.
MONTESA SUCCESSES: 1965-1993
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WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
RESULTS: 1980: Ulf Karlson (SWE)
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP
RESULTS: 1967: Don Smith (GBR); 1969: Don Smith (GBR)
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
FINLAND: 1970: Yrjo Vesterinen; 1971: Yrjo Vesterinen; 1980: Yrjo Vesterinen; 1984: Peter Jahn.
FRENCH: 1968–1970: Christian Rayer; 1978: Christian Desnoyers. GERMANY: 1973–1977: Felix Krahnstover; 1979–1981: Felix Krahnstover.
GREAT BRITAIN: 1970: Gordon Farley; 1971: Gordon Farley; 1975: Malcolm Rathmell; 1976: Malcolm Rathmell; 1979: Malcolm Rathmell.
ITALY: 1978: Fulvio Adamoli; 1986: Diego Bosis. NORWAY: 1983: T Knut. SPANISH: 1968: Pedro Pi; 1982–1983: Toni Gorgot. SWEDEN: 1970–1971: Benny Sellman; 1973–1975: Benny Sellman; 1976–1983: Ulf Karlson; 1984: Martin Karlsson.
USA: 1979–1980: Marland Whaley; 1981: Curt Comer; 1984: Scott Head.
SCOTTISH SIX DAYS TRIAL
RESULTS: 1979: Malcolm Rathmell (GBR); 1980: Yrjo Vesterinen (FIN); 1983: Toni Gorgot (ESP).
SCOTT TRIAL
RESULTS: 1972: Rob Shepherd (Cota 247); 1974: Rob Edwards (Cota 247); 1975: Malcolm Rathmell (Prototype 348); 1976: Malcolm Rathmell (Cota 348); 1979: Malcolm Rathmell (Cota 349).
BRITISH EXPERTS
RESULTS: 1971: Rob Edwards (Cota 247); 1973: Clive Smith (Cota 247); 1976: Rob Shepherd (Cota 348); 1980: Malcolm Rathmell (Cota 349).
CLASSIC TRIAL MAGAZINE 2018 • ISSUE 24
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