If you?ve ridden a two-stroke, you?ll know how addictive the power rush (and sound) can be. So we have a soft spot for anything that smells pungent and goes braaap?especially if it?s got a bit of history and a side order of style.
Montesa bikes tick all the boxes: the Spanish manufacturer was hugely successful in motocross and road racing from the sixties to the mid-eighties. Its Cota 247 model was also popular with trials riders?but who’d have thought a trials bike would make a great little café racer"

Proof comes from the small village of Graulhet in southwest France, which is home to Pierre Dhers and his company Freeride Motos Racing.
Pierre specializes in the repair and maintenance of classic bikes, and prepping machines for vintage racing series. But he?s also very good at creating sharp-looking, quirky customs?like the Honda CX650 scrambler we featured a few months ago.
?Although this Montesa was a trials bike originally,? Pierre tells, ?our client wanted it transformed into a sport model. He was inspired by racing history, when Montesas skimmed around the circuits of Spain and the world in the 70s.??
It?s one hell of a transformation. At just 192 pounds (87 kilos) dry, the original Cota 247 is a nimble handler so weight reduction was not a priority.

At the core of this build is the engine, a punchy little 247 cc number that puts out 20 frisky horses in stock form.
Pierre has given it a full reconditioning, with new bearings and seals, and even a n...