Take off!!

[All Things 414]

I love this photo. Bit blurred but it says it all! It was sent to me by Greg Flood (who sold and rode Monties) for my web site and it shows, R-L Greg Flood, Mark Christian (trying to keep it down) Peter Christian and Peter Gazzard. There's another Monty following up behind them and another on the far left. It was taken at Mortlake on what would these days be described as "a killer Vintage track" I think Victoria was the epicentre for Cappra Montesa's with Lyall O'Brien dealing them out of Geelong and those Christian boys were a pretty slick outfit.
I understand that a few of the later model VG's (white tank) ended up around Warnambool. So if you're from there and you know of someone with one, tell them to get onto me so as I can get one onto my register (or for some folding green, into my shed!!)

[yzhilly]

Looks like a good fun track to ride, Ha (nice to small furry animals) ya had me there 414

[mx250]

Cappras to the right of me,
Cappras to the left of me,
Cappras to the front of me,
Volleyed and thundered.....

 

Nice pic. What model Monty would they be; VB250's?

[All Things 414]

Yup. All VB 250's. My brother ended up with Trevor Brooke's bike and I used to flog it off of him every Sat when he'd be at cricket (cricket for Chris' sake!).
Here's one of Peter Christians bikes outside of Floody's shop in Ballarat with the regulation side covers that had to be ran at the time. Yes MA have been spending years working on ways to bend you over and give you one! Filthy devils......
PS: If you wanna see style from that era, check out the guy looking at the bike in the reflection from the glass! No way Big Boy. Go down the road where they're knockin' out Maicos!!

[mx250]

Yup. All VB 250's.

They all seem to have red fork gaiters. Strange! must have been a popular local mod.

Here's one of Peter Christians bikes outside of Floody's shop in Ballarat with the regulation side covers that had to be ran at the time.

I quite like the modded sidecover.

PS: If you wanna see style from that era, check out the guy looking at the bike in the reflection from the glass! No way Big Boy. Go down the road where they're knockin' out Maicos!!

Posted at 02:04:58 AM!!!!!   What happened Ross, have a sleepless night worrying about Kevvy's evil plotting.

[All Things 414]

Andrew. I have always been a fan of small furry things !!
Graeme. I was talking to a man in Spain re really big pistones

[firko]

Mortlake is indeed a vintage friendly track. In fact I'm pretty sure a pre 75 meet is still held there every June long weekend (or, it was until recent times). For those you aren't familiar with the track, it's uniquely located inside a long extinct volcano and flows up and down the walls of the crater. The loamy track is a hoot to ride and features some cool downhill off camber corners and many features you don't often see on todays tracks.
Ray Ryan and I attended a meeting there back in 2001 or 2002 and despite the persisent drizzle and Antarctic winds we had a ball. We froze our goolies off and had to stop for a few rum toddies on the journey back to Kyneton. Very cool track.

[maicopunk]

PS: If you wanna see style from that era, check out the guy looking at the bike in the reflection from the glass!

What era?   That bloke in the glass looks like vmxken just last week...  Style!

[Wombat]

The photo of the Monty has brought another thread to mind...
Some time ago MX250 proposed the black Husky 390 as the sexiest MXer ever!
I'd put this model Monty up near it; very stylish.

[mx250]

The photo of the Monty has brought another thread to mind...
Some time ago MX250 proposed the black Husky 390 as the sexiest MXer ever!
I'd put this model Monty up near it; very stylish.

Me too, I just didn't want to be too parochial

But the earlier model is even more 'right'.

[firko]

The Monty being the sexiest bike is open to conjecture but the tank is definitely right up there. They are nice bikes, no argument from me.

[Husky500evo]

Can someone tell me if the '77 VB360 Cappra is pre '78 class legal ? The M.A rulebook mentions only the VA 360 as being eligible , but isn't that is the '75/'76 models ? The '77 VBs are clearly a 1977 model, although the specifications say that they have 10 inches wheel travel at both ends which would put them outside the 9 inch travel limit for the class. I also think that the VB Monty is a very sexy looking bike & would love to own & race one , but wouldn't want eligibility hassles if I took it to a title meeting . This is another example of why I reckon that the pre '78 class rules are poorly written . The suspension travel limit should have been set at 10 inches to encompass all models of that era.

[All Things 414]

There were two VB type Montesa's (go figure). The '77 model did have the long legs and up-pipe and was WAYYY ahead of it's time. It was manufactered in 1976 for the '77 year so I guess it'd have to be eligible pre '78. The '77 VB has the frame loop that goes around the back guard and the pipe with an in-built muffler. The '78 model VB doesn't have the loop and has a seperate muffler.
I have the '77 VB which I'll be contesting the Pre '78 on next year.
Jared should be able to confirm the above I think.....

[cappra]

Confirmed!  The VA 360 is the 1976 model (at least it is here in the states!)  1977 and 78 models are VB's
and are pretty much a complete redesign compared to the V75 and VA (250 and 360)  In the US,
AHRMA was petitioned to allow the VB's to race in the Historic class, which they finally relented to a couple of years
ago.  Before that the V75 and VA were the only Montesa's allowed in this 1975 to 78' division,
which put them at a distinct disadvantage compared to the later seventies RM's, KTM's and Husky's,
although I bet I could build a 76 VA 360 which would be competitive against these models, but it's
easier with a VB 360!

                                                                                                  Regards, Jared

[All Things 414]

I can't believe that a bike wouldn't be able to race in a class simply because MA thought that the parametres of the bike didn't match what they thought it should be for that era!?!? If it was manufactured in '77 then surely it could be raced in PRE 78? (My dog can see the logic in that.......)