MEET JOHN
HISTORY
La vida es aventura o no es nada.
(Life is an adventure or it is nothing.)
I have been riding motorcycles since 1966. What was my first motorcycle? It was a Montesa Impala Sport 250. How long did I ride it before falling down? One day. I had entered a curve on a paved country road at what I thought was too high a speed and just ran off the road and dropped it. This motorcycle was a learning experience from the first day. It could carry two but it wasn’t happy doing it. If you leaned it over it would turn. This machine wasn’t in its element going down long straight roads. Where was I living? Kansas! Of course I didn’t learn much about turning.
I have since visited Spain and what did I find? They have no straight roads. Where did I find roads to turn on? First, Colorado and second, roadracing. I could cruise mountains roads easily at 15 to 20 miles per hour over the recommended speeds. I didn’t try roadracing before the mid ‘80’s. In roadracing I didn’t have the acceleration or the speed of the more modern bikes but when it came to going around corners it could stay with FZ 750 Yamahas. I still have that motorcycle and I license and insure it occasionally and ride it around my current state of Oregon. Oregon at least has a few curves. I’ve only put about 16,000 miles on it but every mile has been an experience.
I did what I would call, racing, on Montesa’s, and other brands, since 1968. After a serious injury in 2002 I have not raced but I still ride. Life has become a bit boring. I am vassalating between racing and not racing. But if you note the line below HISTORY you will find a motto that says a lot. I had put this on a shirt to wear during my second trip to Spain to celebrate Montesa during Montesada III. After my injury there in 2002 I have returned every year since. I like Spain. Many people their like me for my interest in Montesa. I have a plan. I need to learn to speak Spanish and live there for a while. I found out that 90% of Montesa’s production was sold in Spain and only 10% was exported. The other popular Spanish motorcycle, starting with the B word, exported 90% and sold only 10% locally. Guess where the Spanish enthusiasm rests? As most of you know, and many will know, I fit into this classification.
I have not involved myself in trials. I have successfully rebuilt many Cota’s and sold them. They are easy to make reliable and serve a long life. I just haven’t learned enough to ride them well. Cota’s are still being made. They are mostly honda’s. The last one I saw was one of the RT models. They are a 4-stroke weighing around 160 pounds with not even a hint of a seat. This makes the manufacture of Montesa a run of from 1945 to the present. VIVA Montesa!
I have been connected with Montesa’s since 1966 mostly on a personal basis. I am familiar with nearly all of the models from 1963; the first year of importation. I have watched El Diablo’s, LaCross’s, orange Cappra’s, in both 250 configurations, and 360 Cappra’s race when they were new. I watched them being raced in flat track, motocross and TT. I have built and restored models from 1966 through 1977. I have learned ways to make them reliable and fast. I have reproduced or had reproduced many parts. I have located many sources of NOS parts and reproduction parts in Spain. I have computerized my inventory with a business program to improve sales. I rebuild a few engines a year and between 1 and 2 motorcycles but my business are primarily mail order sales. I willingly provide responses to questions from e-mail requests.
My next challenge is to install VR engines in Trackmaster frames to be sold as a “Turn Key” flat tracker. Who knows what that will bring and what my next project will be.
