Since 1982, when Montesa reached an agreement with Honda Motor to avoid its total closure, creating a new company called Montesa Honda S.A., the legendary Spanish brand has been experiencing a slow and progressive approach to a 100% Honda philosophy.
The Cota 311 was the last purely Montesa model. From the Cota 314R onwards, the HRC name has always been present on its crankcases and graphics. With the Cota 315R we are already starting to see homonymous versions for the Japanese market under the name Honda RTL that has continued with its predecessor, the Cota 4RT.
THE TEAM GETS A MAKEOVER: REPSOL HONDA TEAM
However, until today the competition team maintained a nod to its essence in its official name, Repsol Montesa Honda, but with the start of the 2014 season of the Outdoor World Championship the brand changes and will be called Repsol Honda Team.
Honda’s decision follows the line set by the MotoGP team, probably with the aim of homogenizing the image and communication of the Honda team in top competition. In fact, the Montesa logos have disappeared from the official bikes and have been reduced in the riders’ kits, leaving only two small testimonial logos of the mythical brand.
For the most romantic, it will mean a break with its true essence. A break with the “Viva Montesa”.
This one is still another step in Honda’s evolution as a brand, just like it was the imposition of the 4T engines in 2005 on a bike born for the amateur and transformed for competition based on MotoGP cheque book and technology. All this, at the cost of burying forever a winning bike with a two-stroke engine like the Cota 315R.
The gap between the amateur and the top competition is getting bigger and bigger, both in terms of essence, as well as in terms of driving and objectives. Some count their successes by number of victories and sponsors; Others tell it about the days we are able to go out to the mountains on a motorcycle without being chased.
Do we really play the same sport?
Text: David Quer
