
Montesa Cota 315 R
Years: 2001 – 2001
Montesa helped define Spain’s off-road identity with nimble, tractable machines that excelled in trials and enduro. Early successes drew on light frames and forgiving power that made technical terrain feel possible; the iconic Cota trials line became a byword for balance and grip. After Bultó left to found Bultaco, Montesa evolved through economic shifts and later partnered with Honda—combining Spanish trials DNA with Japanese manufacturing rigor. Modern Montesa Honda trials bikes have dominated podiums, their precision reflecting decades of iteration in Spain’s rocky playgrounds. Historically, Montesa shows how a country’s terrain can shape a brand: bikes that trade brute force for finesse and turn impossible sections into choreography.