Montesa 250 V75 Mx
MONTESA 250 V75 MX
Cycle World Road Test
Last Year An Outstanding Motor Was Hampered By Mundane Suspension. No More!
IT USED TO BE that you could tell if a motocrosser came from Europe or Japan just by listening to the sound of the engine as the bike raced around a track. Japanese engines "zing," while European motors "growl." Then Husky came out with the 360 Mikkola Replica. A zinger if there ever was one. Right after, the Yamaha people lay this 400 monocrosser on us. It speaks growl. Obviously some of the factories are starting to experiment with what the other guys produce, to see if maybe there isn't something to the different methods of power output. Something about "the grass being greener," we think. But Montesa will have no part of it. They like growlers. They had a heck of a nice growler last year in their Vehkonen Replica; but this year, with the model name changed to V75 (version 1975), the engine has grown from growl to GROWL.
You won't notice any difference externally over last year's ehgine. The wrinkle-fin cylinder is black, as are the outer cases. The center cases are alloy, but not polished. Bing still meters the fuel/air ratio through its 34mm orifice. It gets its air after it has been filtered inside a new, injection-molded plastic airbox. An oil-wetted foam element does the actual job of eliminating impurities.
The exhaust pipe is new in design, cooperating superbly with the new porting layout this year. It can't compare with last year's pipe in the area of noise reduction, but it is sleeker and weighs less. It is also responsible for the better power curve that we'll discuss later. For now, let's talk about what the V75 is like to ride. That is, after all, what they're made for.
The Montesa is a three-kicker. Hot, cold or inbetween, it takes three kicks to light it up. It vibrates when revved in neutral, but that disappears once underway. There's no clutch drag as first gear is snicked into position and you take off. After your hand leaves the clutch lever that first time, there's no need to touch the lever again until you want to take a rest. Shifting through the gears reminds us of shifting an Elsinore, although the Montesa's transmission needs just a nudge more in order to execute gear changes. The action at the lever is crisp and secure. Ratios in the five-speed gearbox are not as close as you might expect. The engine pulls strongly through out so it isn't necessary to dance on the shifter in order to keep things humming. First gear is perfect for starts on tacky surfaces. Where traction is a problem, second gets you out sooner with the aid of some clutch slipping. The clutch can take it though, and a lot more.
Acceleration and speed are nearly tops in the Montesa's class. It becomes difficult sometimes to tell whether a test bike is accelerating faster than one you rode a month or more ago. If there is a faster 250 than the Montesa, its advantage is a small one. Power delivery is the reason the V75 moves out so well. Engine impulses find their way to the ground and are not flung uselessly into the air by wasted wheelspin. The Montesa grabs the ground and blasts you forward. The angry-looking 4.50-18 Pirelli rear tire really hooks things up.
MONTESA
With a 56-in. wheelbase, the Montesa is steady at high speed. No wiggles at all as you fly across terrain that would disable lesser machines. Yet the wheelbase is not a hindrance to quick cornering. Only the Pirelli tire on the front is. On a wet track, the tire sticks. On a wet track just about any knobby sticks. As the moisture disappears, so does the steering traction. The front end wants to skate away when stuffed into a bermless turn. In a way, the Montesa steers much like a Husky. It is better if you corner with the gas on slightly. Shut everything off and control goes limp.
Suspension response to bumps is very good. We found the spring rate in the forks a little soft for us. It was not disappointing, just a matter of taste. The rear shocks were perfect. Again, the monoshock system Yamaha uses is a little better, but the Montesa’s gas/oil Betors do an admirable job. A unique feature of the Betors is the air valve at the top of the oil reservoir. The Betors look very much like Yamaha Thermal-Flows, but the reservoir is only partially filled with oil. The rest comes pressurized with nitrogen; there is a seal separating the gas from the oil. Damping rates can be altered by the addition or reduction of pressure in the shock. Since Montesa suggests that you run only six atmospheres of pressure (one atmosphere is equal to 14.7 lb.-sq. in.), they feel that it is safe to use regular air in the shocks. The possibility of dieseling is much lower if not non-existent in the Betors, which carry only 87 lb. of pressure each. The valves on the shocks are protected from the elements by snug-fitting metal caps that are secured by large clips.
Seating comfort rates high. The saddle is flat and wellpadded. Moving about on the bike creates no problems. Everything is out of the way once you remove the kickstarter and drop it forward one spline on the shaft. All motocrossers with long-travel suspension sit tall. But the Montesa’s 36 in. is the tallest we’ve encountered. It doesn’t feel tall when you ride, but at the starting line it’s tiptoe time, even for some six-footers. There’s a touch of the Cota trialer noticeable when you stand. The standing position spreads you out for better control through body motion.
Footpegs don’t look like they should work when wet, but they do. We got them good and muddy (note color photo), yet our feet stayed put. As on all Montesas, the pegs are spring-loaded.
When approaching corners, you can wait until that last possible second before dropping anchor. The brakes on the V75 are superb right out of the crate. No bedding was necessary at all. Everything seemed ready to go. In fact, the engine was put on the dyno though it had less than an hour on it. Burning Pennzoil at 25:1, it didn’t flinch. It likes to run on the hot side, but we had no problems.
The dyno did produce some interesting figures. Peak horsepower is down this year. It dropped from 30.43 @ 8500 to 29.51 @ 8000. But the powerband is much better. From 2500 to 5000 rpm, the output parallels last year’s. At 5500, things start getting stronger, and by 6000 rpm, the engine is putting out three bhp more than before. It maintains this increase until just before maximum rpm. The result is a > broader, more controllable power curve. A nice improvement.
PARTS PRICING
DYNAMOMETER TEST HORSEPOWER AND TORQUE
Weight is as important to motocrossers as horsepower. While some machines are struggling to get their weight down this year, the folks at Montesa had their machine dialed in right last year. This time around there has been a slight weight gain because of the heavier rear shocks and the increase in material for the 7.5-in.-travel forks.
Everything else is nearly the same as before. The tank has a new paint scheme, but the hubs are still beautifully polished aluminum alloy. Rims are non-ridged Akronts, replacing the conventional Akronts used previously. Handlebars sport Montesa’s own adjustment reminder—a tab with numbered markings welded to the bars so that you can return the bars to the exact position you had them at, should you find it necessary to remove them while servicing the bike.
Long-travel suspension made its debut in motocross quite a while back, but desert racers have discovered the advantages. One of the good points of owning a V75 is that parts from the Enduro version bolt right on. Things like a 3-gal. tank, skid plate to protect the pipe, and so on. You could make this motocrosser into a fine desert bike without doing any real modifying.
The styling is an excellent blend of black, red and white. An orange and green stripe accentuates the tank. Normally, this would be enough color for a motocrosser, but Montesa has gone even farther. They have added a few gold anodized parts. Fortunately, they kept this to a minimum, using them only as the rear sprocket, brake anchor arms and forward engine mounting plates. Just enough to set off the rest of the bike.
You feel incredibly talented when riding the V75. It can be pitched into a slide with ease. Its slight weight allows you to throw it about without tiring. Crossups are almost automatic. And, since the powerband holds no sudden surprises, you can wheelie for what seems like an eternity. Balance is excellent.
What we didn’t like on the Montesa was limited to the kickstand that fell off immediately, rear rim locks that failed to do their job, those confounded squeeze ball petcocks, a front fender that came mounted crooked, and a gas cap that swells up so much that you almost need channel locks to remove it.
The list of items that we did like consists of anything not mentioned in the previous paragraph. And that’s a lot of check marks in the plus column.
Where, then, does the Montesa fit? It has great suspension, and the rear shocks have adjustable damping. It is as light as most new breed 250s, but it isn’t the lightest. It is very fast and, except for the tendency to wash out on a dry track, steers well. A tire change up front could cure this problem. Its transmission is excellent all the way through. It looks sharp and gets more than its share of attention. If you have a dealer nearby, go try one. We know you’ll like it. It growls. 0
MONTESA
250 V75 MX
$1585
