Copyright (c) 2008 GoodMotorcycles.com
Perhaps it’s because I was dropped on my head as a baby, or maybe it’s just the drink, but I actually like MZs. The first MZ I owned was a disc brake 250 ETZ which had previously been hitched to a chair. I knew it needed slight attention when I bought it, but in reality it was completely buggered. It ate chains until I discovered a broken engine mount, blew up its gearbox (a legacy of chair pulling, I suspect), had numerous electrical faults, and generally just fell to bits in every way imaginable.
Which was a pity really because it was essentially a good bike with a very reasonable turn of speed, light precise handling and excellent comfort and range. It returned about 60mpg, a little less when thrashed. Oil consumption varied according to use but could be quite high. A diet of Golden Film 2T had been fine for my MZs, similarly el cheapo Champion spark plugs (buy a box of four from a car factor), unleaded petrol and used tyres from a breaker.
The rear grabrail can be pulled out to be used as a carrier, and the front Brembo caliper overwhelms the lethal Pneumant tyre instantly in the wet. The left-handed kickstart is for some reason impossibly difficult to use astride the bike. I soon learnt to switch off the fuel about 50 yards before the end of a journey, which made the next start a reliable first kick affair.
The constant hassle with the electrics was gradually eliminated as terminals were remade and earthing improved. The biggest single improvement was a new (and surprisingly expensive) voltage regulator, this being an old fashioned loaf tin contact breaker type. The charging is reliably handled by a good sized dynamo with cheap and easily replaced bushes.
After about 8000 miles the beast was much improved, at which point a friend offered me a ratty and aged Supa 5 for spares. I paid £20 for it, no tax, no MOT, leaking fork seals, busted rev counter and all, and rode it home. The first thing I did when I got back was to sell the ETZ! With only the fork seals fixed to pass an MOT, the Supa 5 was nice to ride and made a perfect, worthless winter hack.
As with all MZ machines the forks have gaiters, the shocks have enclosed dampers and the chain is hidden away in very neat rubber gaiters. This one had the extremely old fashioned tank with chrome sidepanels and rubber knee grips. The controls were out of the fifties and the riding position distinctly odd, with forward footrests but a low flat bar. Comfort was fine, actually, though pillions suffer terribly due to the toolbox under the seat which is in any case too short.
Despite its age, the red paint and alloy engine and rims cleaned up easily to a high quality finish completely unknown to ETZ owners. I made no attempt to repair it, thus the indicators remained taped on to bent stalks, the split seat continued to ooze water even in dry weather, and the rev counter remained at zero, causing a campaign of over revving that cost two small end bearings. Oiling on all TS series MZs is by pre mix. For those who have recently shed their milk teeth this consists of stirring the oil into the fuel as you fill the tank. It is a rough way yet reliable. This machine burnt a little gearbox oil too, but what the hell, every little helps.
Electrics were six volts and quite good, the headlamp particularly so for six volts. The weakness was, as ever on MZs, the rear stop switch, a ridiculous device which requires the back wheel to be removed to repair it. I bunged on an old Wipac off a dead British bike. It felt really at home on the Supa 5.
You may have heard about MZ brakes. Rear drums, no problem, front discs excellent, front drums.....put simply, they do not work. At all! Either fit an early TLS Honda wheel, an ETZ front end or refine your defensive riding to previously unscaled heights. I did the latter, it was cheapest, and I must say in 17000 miles I never dropped it or ran into anything. Got right good at swerving, mind.
The engine is more full of torque than an ETZ, though I am told the 300 is as good. It is also remarkably fast, doing over 80mph, and will cruise at 70-75mph except into a gale. It is acceptably smooth as a result of an extraordinary system of rubber mounts which cause the engine to hop about at low revs. This is why I didn’t spot the loose engine in the ETZ, they all seem to do that.
The main frame spine is round on a Supa 5, which is possibly why the handling is markedly inferior to the square sectioned ETZ. It is not dangerous but combined with the brakes, or lack of, kept the bravery on a short leash down unknown lanes.
Kickstart springs are cheap and easy to replace which is a relief as they expire quite often. If you want to embarrass your girlfriend have her push start you on a Supa 5 - it’s not as easy as you would think as the clutch on the end of the crank runs in hypoid and drags badly when cold. I became adroit at bump starting, which seems to fit the inverted snobbery of a clapped MZ, along with the clouds of blue smoke, tinny rattle of another dying small end bearing, dents, bungees, wellys and a black greasy goo oozing out of the chaincase. I love that bike. A chap saw it and wanted it for a restoration project. I thought the old heap deserved it so I sold it to him for the pittance I had paid plus a bit extra as it was now a collector’s item!
The latest stinkwheel to grace my lockup is a middleaged ETZ 125 which like many MZs appears not to have been cleaned since the civil war, has a wide variety of alarming rattles and starts first kick. Most of the paint has disappeared off the tank due to a hydraulic fluid leak which I suppose I had better fix before the MOT, the mudguards have been brush painted at some time and the number plate is almost totally obscured by reprocessed 2T.
After riding it about for a bit I improved the performance dramatically by finding it had a fifth gear; the gearchange itself responded well to having some oil put in the gearbox a while later. It’s still chronically slow, outrageously over braked and stunningly ugly, but it is a brilliant bike for scooting through the inner city snarl ups and just refuses to die.
Like most ETZ's it is 12 volts, has an excellent opposed piston caliper and separate oiling. Maintenance requirements are limited to putting sand on the puddle of oil that grows underneath it and occasionally wondering whether it would be a good idea to look at the points.
To enjoy an MZ you must be mean, deaf, blind and reasonably mechanically literate. They do break down occasionally and some of the engineering is unusual, to say the least, though few special tools are needed and almost everything is amenable to a bodge of one sort or another. Bits are very cheap but a second donor bike is better still.
The legend of premature main bearing failures goes back to the old Trophy and four speed TS 250 days. Anything made in the last decade will be as sound as any two stroke can be. The great thing about an MZ is that such considerations as depreciation, cosmetic appearance and street cred simply don’t enter into it. Nobody ever pinches them, nothing breaks when you drop them and they cost nearly nothing to run. If that sounds like your kind of bike, go and get one. If you worry about being laughed at, don’t.
Jon Everall
My very first MZ 250 was an X reg job that bounced around like a headless chicken and accelerated like a slaughtered C50. It looked like it was falling apart, blitzed by enough rust to hide the original paint colour. The greatest surprise wasn't that it had a new MOT but that it made the journey home without failing and didn't spit me off at any point in the adventure. What's known as taking motorcycling back to its most basic roots.
The MZ had only cost fifty quid so it seemed worthwhile to put in a bit of effort. Perhaps the most astonishing bit about the chassis was that once the surface rust was wire-brushed off, there was solid metal underneath. My previous hack was an early seventies Honda that every time I attacked the rust revealed itself to be rusting from the inside out, way beyond any help. A few bits of orange paint remained on the MZ, might've been the original colour or undercoat. The logbook suggested blue but I only had brown in the garage, which I figured was near enough for an old hack.
The engine alloy was just as shocking, shining up nicely after a week's work with the Solvol (I'm sure it's not as strong as before). Apart from the density of the smokescreen, which I reassured myself was normal from observation of other MZs, there didn't appear to be anything wrong with the motor. The bike was put to good use in the daily commute.
MZs are supposed to be fine handling machines. A combination of usefully damped suspension, strong frame, conservative geometry and light weight. My bike veered off to the left on acceleration and the right when slowing down. Bounced almost uncontrollably from bump to bump and went into a near suicidal fit whenever I banked over.
The first time I had to brake in a hurry the main cause of the handling deficiencies was pretty obvious. Judging by the way the bike carried on straightforward regardless, some previous owner had ridden off the road into something solid such as a tree or stone wall. I knew it had to be something hefty as it soon became evident that the MZ was a rugged machine. The lack of braking from the SLS drum meant I'd been forced to ride straight into the side of a Ford Onion. The car's panel so perfectly absorbed the momentum of the bike that there wasn't even a dent in the front wheel.
There are various strange cures for the front drum, some arcane, others offering a marginal improvement in retardation. By far the best is fitting a Brembo front end from an ETZ. In search of one of these the next day, I ended up buying a complete bike with a seized gearbox for £75. This was to become my second MZ a year later, but initially I was much relieved by the improved braking.
The handling was still like a starved pig taunted with food, but the speeds that were possible on the 65000 mile motor made such indiscretions fun rather than mortally wounding. With the strong rightwards movement under the effect of the single front disc, that could make the MZ do involuntary stoppies, I ended up with a muscle building fight with the bars to keep us within a close approximation of the straight and narrow.
Top speed worked out at a strained 60mph. In theory, the older TS250s are a touch faster than the ETZ, but in reality their possible 85mph is submerged beneath worn out components, and, like on my own machine, enough smoke when making an attempt at really caning the motor, to cover our once green and pleasant land in an excess of smog. I was tempted to sell the bike to a film company for its special effects department!
Despite its knackered nature I obtained almost a year's reliable service until the gearbox's bearings started cracking up. This might've been brought on by the strain from placing the carb needle in a higher position and the resulting increase in acceleration.
As well as the gearbox disintegrating I'd also been fighting the 6V electrics. The infamous control box had a mind of its own, either reducing the volts so that the lights were a dull glimmer and the engine was threatening to cut out, or putting about 24 volts through the system, popping every bulb on the bike. I think if the gearbox hadn't gone then the whole thing would've gone up in flames.
Whilst enjoying the first bike I'd rebuilt the ETZ's gearbox. New British bearings, good shafts, selectors and cogs. It all felt a little stiff but I reassured myself that it only needed a bit of running in. After fixing the front end on, swapping over the tax disc and numberplate with the other bike, I was ready for the test ride.
The engine is hinged at the back and hung on a shock absorber. It shakes around a bit, looks just like it's trying to get adrift from the frame. As a result of this design, or perhaps the prodigious wear and tear it'd taken, there was a lot of judder at low revs and a clutch that sounded and felt like a gun going off. The first time, I jumped in the seat and came to a halt after a back injuring lurch.
Someone's idea of a joke was fitting a badly worn Pneumat to the back wheel. People reckon that recent ones have undergone a drastic improvement in grip. The way the tyre slid over a dry, smooth road was so violent that they would have to do very little to offer an improvement. I'd already read too many tales of wet weather insanity to even think about trying it out under those conditions. A set of used Michelins was exchanged with the breaker for the other MZ's bent frame, naff forks and almost rusted through petrol tank.
With half decent tyres, the MZ lived up to its handling reputation. Angles of lean were almost frightening, the riding position rivalled boxer BMWs and she tracked nicely on whatever line I wanted to take. There was an initial need to carry on in a straight line when I wanted to corner but the massive muscles I'd developed from continually fighting the bars for the previous year soon overcame that.
Top speed had improved to 65mph (new ones should crack 80mph) but fuel was down to 45mpg from 55mpg. A newish carb improved economy to 50mpg, whilst new ETZs will do over 60mpg. The acceleration was, if anything, even slower. I often ended up wishing for a bit more go when I failed to slice through gaps in the time I'd foolishly allowed. That fierce Brembo disc meant I could do a good cut and thrust routine to get myself out of trouble.
As well as the disc, the ETZ veered towards the modern world with a separate lubrication system and 12 volt electrics. There was a lot less smoke but a greater tendency to oil up the spark plug in town. The engine would cough, threaten to die then surge forward when least expected. I almost took my foot off on one occasion when we leapt into a spot a car hadn't expected us to take. His horn drowned out the pathetic Communist imitation but at least the Halogen front light was well up to country road cavorting.
Having owned only hacks of 250cc and less I can quite happily say that the ETZ 250 was the best bike I'd ever ridden! That might not be so much a compliment on the MZ's ability as a comment on the terrible steeds owned, but I can't help but think that a machine, way past it's prime, that did 23000 miles of fun filled riding in less than 10 months is worthy of note and even praise.
I say fun because even though it was slow, its handling, braking and comfort were redolent of a much more sophisticated motorcycle and even when it broke down it was a relatively simple problem to fix. Points going out of tune was the most common complaint, soon eradicated with electronic ignition.
The gearbox serves as a good apprenticeship for anyone saving up to buy an old boxer and as an anti-theft device in the unlikely event that anyone would be blind, stupid and just plain desperate enough to want to joy ride. Luckily, the first MZ had been so bad that it took me almost the whole year to master it and by the time I was riding the ETZ all I had to bear was the grinding, clunking noises and short-lived footwear.
Starting was another matter, often needing a desperate push down the road with myself swearing my head off at the top of my voice and the silencer popping away for a good five minutes until she finally caught. All good, clean fun I kept trying to delude myself. If I was feeling really lazy I'd fit a new spark plug when the old dear would spit into life second kick of the stupidly positioned kickstart.
For some reason I never came across any cheap ETZ250s, almost received what I'd paid for it when the motor seized up so solidly that I could not separate piston from barrel. I'd bought a dead MZ 150, which whilst as ugly as a CX500 after an accident had potential as it was dead easy to fit the learner legal 125cc engine and sell the bike off at a nice profit.
As my own needs for wheels suddenly impinged, I thought I'd take a look at the motor before I did anything silly like buy one of the new MZs. Turned out the problem was broken points. The bike had only cost £25, so once that was fixed and it fired up after a mere 20 kicks, it must've been the bargain of the year. I'd almost thought about offering to take it off the guy's hands for free, but he was bigger than me.
The 150 was half a decade old but had only 11000 miles on the clock. Despite its smaller capacity it turned out to run both faster and quicker than the well worn 250s. Top speed was 72mph in the right conditions (a long hill) but fuel went west in a relatively frugal manner for a stroker, at 80mpg. It smoked, rattled and shook just as badly as the ETZ and suffered from a choke that would seize on, leaving a mile of highway in a dense enough fog to have the police out with the warning lights and radio messages flashing across the country
Handling and braking was somewhere between the extremes of the two 250s. If the front drum was never startling in its power it never actually faded away to nothing. If the bike was stable at the front end, the back would twitch, weave and wobble The latter was easily fixed by putting in some new swinging arm bearings and fitting some stronger shocks.
There was never the great, reassuring feel of the ETZ, but the 150 was better than a CD175 or even a RXS100. The only time the front brake really let me down was after riding through a large puddle when water would seep into the drum, reducing braking to nothing and my heart to a desperate metronome beat.
Handling was as slow as it was steady. Once I'd decided to trust the mechanicals, I ventured far and wide on the humming MZ. The gearbox was the usual crap I'd come to love and loathe at the same time. The engine didn't like to hold fourth gear unless 50mph was up, which like the 250s seemed the natural cruising speed, when there was a little acceleration in reserve and the single cylinder engine's vibration was tolerable for 150 miles at a time.
The ETZ was the smoothest of the bunch, with the TS putting out some wretchly strong buzzing when 60mph was on the clock, and the 150 sounding like it was grinding away in self-destruct mode come 70mph. Although that speed is impressive, just the mildest of upward inclines or slightest of headwinds would bog the motor down to a mere 60mph. Two-up it didn't want to know about more than 55mph, unlike the 250s that were willing to run up to their top speeds.
If the 150 was at times hard work to keep motoring it at least remained fun, though often for reasons that are too obscure to put into print. In 18 months I did a relatively trouble free 32000 miles, but by then the smokescreen had become impenetrable and the neighbours handed me a 200 name petition in protest, threatening to call in the environmental health office if not beat the living daylights out of me.
The cause of all the hassle was a worn out oil ring and oval bore. I'd had a lot of luck picking up dead MZ 150's, though they were all well worn, so combining the best piston and bore quickly had me back on the road and the neighbours no longer needing to wear gas masks, buy oxygen bottles or clean the grime off their windows twice a day.
I had noticed that the gearbox was grumbling away like it'd had enough and checking all my other engines had revealed shagged shafts and buggered bearings. I didn't gently tap the gear lever but applied ankle snapping force, the engine shuddering and the gearbox lurching. It was so bad that not even the full enclosure could save the chain from dying a quick death. Gearbox failure really is this machine's undoing.
Mine didn't go until the £25 hack had done 67000 miles! It was so violent a demise that we were thrown down the road at about 30mph. One poor sod in a cage ruined his car by trying to ride over the rugged MZ. It left a large, child swallowing, impression in the road, a written off car and myself without a layer of skin on one leg. All I can say about the NHS is that the nurses made such a painful job of fixing up the limb that I reckon they are paid extra to dissuade motorcyclists from ever venturing on to the road again.
It didn't work. I ended up buying a nearly new, really pristine MZ 301 for a mere five hundred notes. It's a brilliant little bike, at least in the context of all the hacks I've owned. I've only done 5 miles as I pen this, but even that was enough to reveal it a machine in the true MZ tradition.
Lance Brimley
In the not too distant past I did a Grand Tour of Europe on a 15 year old MZ 250. It took over six months, both a comment on its lack of speed and my laid back attitude. The MZ expired in France from a locked up gearbox that led to a slide down the road. The clock read over 100,000 miles and by the time I picked myself up, the whole bike was just about wrecked. I dumped it the nearest ditch......it had only cost twenty quid and ran tirelessly.
After a couple of years work I had a nice bundle of loose cash with which to buy something newer. I've always liked big singles so when a MZ Silver Star turned up in the local paper for £3200 I went for a look. The bike was absolutely immaculate, 6500 miles on the clock. A 1993 model, it seemed to lack the functional lines of the old strokers but the Rotax engine had a reputation for taking massive abuse. I offered £2500, ended up paying £2625.
That's a lot of dosh even for a nearly new bike. I could buy ten MZ 250s for that or a four year old race replica 600. But what I wanted was the practicality and functionality of the old 250, together with the reassurance of a four stroke design. And that, it's turned out, is pretty much what I got.
The centre-piece of the bike is the four valve thumper motor. It makes only 34 horses but churns out a most respectable 42ftlb of torque, with a bore and stroke of 89x79mm. These features add up to characteristics that are a long way from the charming (when they're running) old singles of the fifties. Below 2500rpm there was hardly any power, making the MZ awkward to ride in the taller of the five gears. A gentle throttle hand maintained forward motion and allowed marginal acceleration, until 2500 revs were reached when power flowed well.
The red line's at 7500rpm but few long term owners will want to venture much beyond 6500 revs. Not that the motor's going to explode, just that the primary vibes start churning away. All things are relative, the Rotax engine's level of vibes at max revs is about the same as an old Bonnie at tickover. Anyone coming from a British bike will find it smooth, but those forsaking the Japanese Way will take a while to adapt. However, my back fillings never came close to tingling, let alone falling out.
Part of this is from the continuing MZ tradition of producing narrow, light motorcycles. Even though the chassis has a more conventional look than the stroker there isn't all that much metal to absorb the vibration. Better this than lumbering a bike with excessive weight that kills consumables, ruins handling and wrecks economy.
In many ways the Silver Star continues the traditions of the stroker range in getting more out of less. The suspension is utterly conventional stuff, reasonably taut and quite willing to absorb bumps. With less than 350lbs to react against the suspension has a relatively easy time. With the motor mounted quite low, the whole machine splendidly compact, there is a natural, neutral feel reminiscent of the 250 but somehow even better.
Even on the low tech rubber I found I could ear-hole the bike without much thought or effort and without any fear and loathing. It felt so light that midway through bends I had no reluctance in pulling the bike upright, slamming on the anchors and changing direction when some obstacle occurred.
There was a slight weave when it was thrashed up to 95mph but the buzzing wouldn't let me hold it for too long so it never got out of shape. 70 to 75mph was a much more realistic speed, though at a pinch 80mph could be maintained for an hour or so. The ultimate lack of top speed and excessive acceleration meant that high speed passing manoeuvres required an undue amount of thought and planning. Several times I was thankful for the overall narrowness, it allowed me to pass between two converging cars with mere inches to spare when the engine ran out of puff to complete the overtaking manoeuvre.
This would've been serious had I been a fast A-road or motorway addict but I was much more interested in using the MZ on curving back lanes, where the handling and power were nigh on perfect. It was relaxing to ride when I wanted to relax and fun when I wanted to hustle a little.
The brakes were a combination of single front disc and rear drum. These were definitely new world items, having nothing in common with the dangerous old drums fitted to previous MZs. As much as I grew to love my MZ 250 on that European tour, many a time I cursed the abysmal front drum that would fade away to absolutely nothing. The disc was well matched to the chassis and power, nailing down the front end progressively without going into cartwheel mode unless wrist snapping effort was put out. A useful degree of sensitivity enabled safe braking in the wet, backed up by the rear drum and reasonable engine braking.
The gearbox and clutch worked well, though down-changes took a little getting used to as the transmission would lurch and clatter unless care was taken to match engine revs and road speed. Part of that was down to a chain that seemed made out of mild steel. Despite the full chain enclosure, and the odd bit of lubrication, adjustments were frequent and less than a 1000 miles of additional abuse had it trying to whip through the enclosure. A new chain was much better, though, shoring up the gearchange and not needing much by way of attention.
Oil consumption (it's contained in the upper box section frame member) was minimal and fuel proved to be much better than on the old strokers. One of the most curious things about modern multi's is that they don't have good economy at low revs. This is strange because internal frictional losses are small at low revs, much more significant at the top of the rev range. It would be interesting to see how a four cylinder engine designed for low revs and torque (as in the automobile world) fared on economy.
The MZ, by contrast, varied its consumption between 55 and 80mpg, dependent almost entirely on how the revs were used. Thrashed flat out brought in the former figure whilst the latter was achieved on 40mph country rambles. General riding gave 60 to 70mpg, the latter figure available without too much thought. The tank held less than three gallons, meaning range was still better than 150 miles.
Comfort was pretty good. The riding position was natural enough for me, though those who are taller than my 5'9'' might find themselves a little cramped. Mild backside pains set in after about 90 miles and by the time it was ready for a fuel up I was only too happy to stretch my legs. I did find that my endurance improved over the months I've owned the bike and I'm now able to survive 400 or so miles in day without staggering around in agony.
Controls and lights were just about adequate rather than brilliant. Finish has proved good except for a spot of rust on the rear shocks and the exhaust, both of which polished up. On colder days the electric starter rumbled away but I never actually had to resort to the kickstart, which was just as well as it was mounted on the left side and I'd had enough trouble mastering the gentle kick needed to start the old MZ 250.
Once the engine was warmed up - maybe five minutes in winter - I could roar around town without any troubles, the MZ feeling more like a 250, or even a 125, than a full bloodied 500 thumper in the way it could be weaved through doubtful gaps. The only slight worry was the need to rev the engine at junctions to stop it cutting out, a tendency emphasized when the clutch was pulled in, due to slight drag after an hour or so in traffic. Raising the tickover to 1500rpm helped but left the engine sounding rather frantic when idling in neutral.
On the upside, with 11000 miles on the clock, all the engine's had is a couple of oil changes and one valve check (all four were within limits). The motor's been around for a long time, used in military bikes as well as the Matchless G80, proved itself tough and long lasting.
The Rotax engine is used to power five different models, the others having a more functional, Teutonic appearance but being very rare. However, the Silver Star's appearance has grown on me over the months and I'm quite happy with it. Now that we are old friends, have tested each others limits, I'm all set to hit the Continent, and beyond, for a year's touring. I reckon the money I'll save on fuel and consumables over, say 25000 miles, will more than repay the cost of the machine compared with a Japanese equivalent.
Howard Evans
I like MZ's. Actually, I'm a bit
of a fanatic when it comes to them. Not only am I general secretary
of the 850-member MZ Riders Club but I also race them as a member
of a team from those well known purveyors of MZ's - Burwin Motorcycles
of London. I must confess that I have five MZ's in addition to
a VFR750. I'll endeavour to give a reasonably unbiased account
of my ten years aboard these, er, highly individualist machines.
MZ's are like Ducatis, Brit iron or anything else that's outside
of the mainstream. You either cherish them or absolutely hate
them, there's little middle ground. Most who buy one usually do
so for reasons of cost, very often not through choice, but before
long become incredibly loyal. I am one such sad individual.
The first MZ was a 1979 TS150 with 3000 miles on the clock. It
was summer 1985 and I had no wheels whilst awaiting arrival of
my new 550 four. A friend said that he'd come into possession
of something that might interest me. As he opened his garage door
I stood aghast. ''You jest,'' said I. However, never having been
so close to a Zed before, I was interested. Like so many others,
I ridiculed them without actually knowing what I was talking about.
I soon became fascinated and grudgingly had to acknowledge the
high quality paint and the solidly built aura that surrounded
it. My friend explained how a neighbour had bought it to pass
his test upon several years previously, thereafter he abandoned
it under a tarpaulin, forsaking it for more glamorous tackle.
My mate simply replaced the battery, put new rings in (the piston
had seized due to corrosion during its period of idleness) and
cleaned it up. For a six year old bike it looked new. Anyway,
to cut a long story short he persuaded me to have a go. I was
quietly and pleasantly surprised. A deal was struck for £50.
I sold it 30,000 miles, one set of rings, several tyres and sets
of points, five years and many smiles later for £50. The
best value biking I've ever had. That bike let me commute between
Lincoln and York University twice a week for a year without any
real drama except for a few problems. Sure, it certainly wasn't
without its fault but I loved it.
The TS was slow at 70mph max, never showed any sign of acceleration
whatsoever (the widely spaced gear ratios combined with the relatively
narrow power-band), it wasn't exactly a head turner (but I thought
it looked like a motorcycle) and it didn't carry much cred in
the local boozer. However, it would always get me wherever I wanted,
it would cruise endlessly at 55mph and turn in 90 to 100mpg, carry
luggage and a passenger with no ill-effects. It handled excellently
due to well damped and sensibly sprung suspension.
The downside was brakes that were feeble but when shown a hint
of rain would become extraordinarily unpredictable. Sometimes
putting my feet down would have been more efficient and on other
occasions they would viciously lock the wheels solid as though
someone had put a jemmy through the spokes. Frightening! Then
there was the Pneumat tyres, made from teflon and ever lasting,
ready to add some spice to the cocktail.
The TS ran on pre-mix and preferred it on the rich side (30:1)
which didn't seem to affect plug life adversely. They lasted 5-6000
miles. Some people hate pre-mix but I'm a traditionalist and for
me it adds to the experience.
The six volt electrical system was very good compared to those
available on similarly modest Jap commuters but, nevertheless,
was still dangerously inadequate for unlit country roads. Being
powered by a dynamo it would never be strong enough - that's why
most generators are three phase types, these days, it's the only
way to obtain sufficient power from the small generators fitted
to motorcycles.
It was possible to convert to 12V but this needed the rider to
keep at least 3500rpm on the clock to work. Being an electronics
engineer I know about these things. The switches were old-fashioned
(by MZ standards) and tended to wear holes in one's gloves.
The clutch was extremely heavy which despite regular adjustment,
change of cable and plentiful lubrication never got any better.
Others are just the same and you learn to live with it, at least
it builds up your wrist muscles but does make delicate control
in town traffic tiring.
The TS wasn't a bike that tolerated thrashing, whilst such abuse
seemed to have little detrimental effect, it never resulted in
shorter journey times, only intrusive vibration once 60mph was
reached. It was far more advisable to settle for less mental stress
and 50-55mph, a speed it'd hold indefinitely whatever the gradient,
weather or load. Due to the slow revving but torque filled nature
of the engine coupled with tallish gearing. As far as I could
ascertain from the wild dance of the speedo and tacho, 55mph equated
to about 4500rpm. At such speeds the bike felt like it would continue
for years, so solid was its build.
I lent the bike to my younger brother, his Honda trail bike having
submitted to his merciless right hand. This was a bad move. One
day, on my newly acquired ETZ250, I came up behind what appeared
to be a very fast TS. At an indicated eighty I was only just gaining
on it. Imagine my astonishment to clock it at that speed. Even
greater was my surprise when I realised it was mine. Back home,
I was verging on melt-down - no way to treat a bike like the TS.
A few weeks later it seized. The piston, rod and mains were all
shagged by excessive revving and lack of oil. A total rebuild
cost only £70 but, thereafter, it was never quite the same
again. I could never quite put my finger on it; gone was its lovely
smooth, sweet running at its usual cruising speed, wouldn't return
the same fuel consumption as previously. I didn't talk to my bruv
for many weeks.
One fault that took some time to sort was carb icing in winter.
Not being particularly experienced at the time, I was driven mad
for weeks by it running rich and its refusal to take three-quarters
throttle. Whilst fumbling with the carb in bits by the side of
the A1 deep in snow and slush with a rapidly dying battery providing
illumination, I finally discovered the cause - a lump of ice in
the float bowl. Water ran down the throttle cable and worked its
way into the float bowl. The water/ice mix created havoc. Once
I'd sealed the cable with a heat shrink sleeve, the fault never
appeared again but for a few miserable weeks it made life hell.
So it was less than perfect and broke down on a few occasions
but I never ceased to enjoy riding it (isn't that what it's all
about) and despite the jibes from my mates they eventually had
to admit that it was a good bike, too. They can withstand criminal
neglect but were often ruined by owners who couldn't care less,
are now becoming somewhat rare...The best ones are found among
members of the MZRC, who tend to look after them. A runner can
be had for £50 and a really good one for £250-300.
It's worth paying more and if you look after it you'll be rewarded
with a reliable bike.
Whilst singing the praises of the TS150 I still hankered for something
with a bit more go. I found an immaculate one year and 3000 mile
old ETZ 250 for £540, including a tri-point screen and rack
in a local Kawasaki dealer. Despite much effort he wouldn't haggle
and I paid the asking price. It seemed expensive at the time but
after 20,000 miles I sold it for £480, so I guess that I
had little to complain about really.
ETZ's have always been in demand, universally recognised as being
made from the right stuff. This bike didn't impress me initially.
It wasn't much quicker in absolute terms (75-80mph), drank fuel
quicker than an alcoholic drank Bourbon and felt gutless. It would
struggle to hold 60mph on anything other than flat roads and always
felt well overgeared. Changing the gearbox sprocket from the standard
20 tooth item to an 18 improved matters beyond expectation. Suddenly,
the acceleration had some zap, fuel consumption improved from
the low fifties into the mid sixties and the maximum speed was
raised to over 80mph. The engine felt much happier because it
was able to run at a more natural pace.
It's hard to believe but many MZ's came from the factory massively
overgeared like that. They must've been using up excess stocks.
The change certainly improved my opinion and riding became much
more enjoyable. This bike was reliable during the 18 months of
my ownership. It broke down once when a main fuse blew. Chains,
despite being shrouded in the excellent enclosure, didn't last
as long as I hoped - about 10,000 miles whether or not they were
heavy duty. OE chains are often lucky to see 1000 miles before
they start shedding rollers! Partly due to the long travel suspension
and long chain run. It's made worse by the need to run the chain
slacker than on Jap bikes as tight chains can kill the gearbox
output shaft bearing.
Brake pads lasted about 10,000 miles. I preferred to use AP items,
which gave ferocious and consistent performance whatever the conditions.
As with all my bikes, I fitted Goodridge braided hose which enhanced
performance even more. The caliper rarely required attention,
unlike most Jap's the pistons have proper external seals to prevent
the ingress of dirt. Rear shoe life was in excess of twenty thou.
I used many varieties of tyres, all being pretty much the same
with the exception of Metz ME77's - they gripped very well but
didn't last for more than 4500 miles on the rear. That's on a
par with my 750! Normally, rear's lasted about 10,000 and front's
15000 miles. The MZ really is a cheap bike to run.
One thing that really did piss me off was the poor quality points,
original or pattern items never lasted long. They soon went out
of adjustment (easily noticed by difficult starting and peaky,
revvy behaviour) despite attention with a dial gauge. I also found
that the points had too much slop in the them, leading to rather
variable timing.
Fitting Burwins' electronic ignition (£45) solved the problem
completely. This is an optically triggered system that did away
with the points altogether and was very much fit and forget. Together
with a copper core HT lead and a high output coil, also from Burwins,
low speed running was smoother and fuel consumption improved.
Eliminating the weekly chore of ignition timing made matters much
easier. In fact, so little attention was required that one could
consider the bike almost maintenance free. Spark plugs last for
up to 8000 miles when used in conjunction with electronic ignition.
Use a B8HS plug rather than the recommended B7HS, which is only
for winter town riding. The former provided cooler running and
more reliable starting.
The ETZ handles surprisingly well, especially on the ME77's and
many a time I was able to see off more exotic machinery with ease.
It's really quite sad and amusing to see your opponent try his
utmost to get past, which he does eventually in a frenzy of revs.
Reasonably well damped if soft suspension and conservative geometry
makes for stable handling which combined with light weight allows
one to get away with some pretty stupid antics.
I did some quite long trips on the bike, perfectly able to cover
200 to 400 miles in a day. The ride was quite smooth due to the
ample suspension travel, the engine was rubber mounted, smoothed
out at its natural cruising speed of 60 to 65mph (4-5000rpm).
However, if I was in a hurry the 250 was perfectly happy to hold
70 to 75mph almost indefinitely; close to its top speed. Even
then, the low state of tune meant the bike still felt relaxed.
Following cagers might not agree, as it's possible to generate
quite a smog. I found with all my ETZ's that proper adjustment
of the oil pump wasn't possible because the oil pump cable was
too short - a generic fault and it usually takes some 10,000 miles
before the cable has stretched enough to allow sufficient slack
for proper adjustment. Not a serious fault as it just provides
an excess of oil.
The plastic piping supplying oil from the tank to the pump is
worth inspecting regularly. It can become kinked, tends to harden
and crack. Use see-through pipes to see if air bubbles form, a
sure sign of possible pump failure. After suffering two failures
of the Mikuni oil pump (it's Japanese), I reverted to premix.
I never ran at the recommended 50:1, the engine felt much happier
with 40:1 or 33:1 when cruising at high speed.
Neither did I use expensive synthetic 2T oils, some of which seemed
to really upset the engine. Instead, I used Witham's Easimix at
£29 for 25 litres. The engine smokes quite a bit in town
but soon clears at speed. Of all the oils this worked by far the
best. After 20k on this stuff I had a look at the top end. Nothing
amiss was found and there was little carbon build-up. I traded
this bike for a brand new ETZ300.
I couldn't believe how much better was the 300. Felt completely
different despite being identical except for the obvious. It was
much more relaxed, little faster but far more punchy for those
extra 50cc. At 60mph it was revving at a leisurely 3700rpm and
at eighty it was turning at 5000 revs. Roll-on acceleration in
top gear was much better, the 300 easily romping away; climbing
hills there was no need to change down a gear. There was so much
extra urge at low rpm that the gearing could be upped to 20 teeth
at the gearbox.
Fuel consumption on my particular example was never less than
good. It would consistently return 75 to 85mpg at 60 to 65mph
when on long Continental jaunts, although thrashing reduced it
to 50mpg. This was a figure that few friends in the MZRC would
believe until I demonstrated it to them. I modified the ignition
as with the 250.
My particular example was a converted 250, being done by Wilf
Green, who was the importer at the time. He achieved the conversion
by boring out the barrel to 75mm, modifying the head to retain
a sensible compression ratio and fitting a Mahle piston (which
later became very expensive at £120 due to the popularity
of the conversion). The factory later cottoned on to this simple
mod and marketed their own 300 housed in the ETZ 251 chassis.
I was and still am quite proud of my particular specimen. It was
the first black 300 in the country. At that time, it was only
available in a horrible orange which I refused to buy, so the
dealer that I was quite friendly with got a black one for me specially.
I thought it looked rather handsome! 300's prefer to run with
slightly retarded ignition (2.5-2.6mm BTDC) compared to the 250
(2.5-3.00mm BTDC), this compensates for the slightly higher compression
ratio.
Technically, I wrote this bike off in 1989 after 22000 miles and
one year. On my way to a rally in Germany, I was very lucky to
survive a head-on collision with a jeep when I lost the front
end in heavy rain negotiating a steep gradient. The bike was a
mess with forks bent at a crazy angle, snapped front wheel, headstock
pushed back and much more besides. To add insult to injury, the
German driver of the jeep lit a fag whilst trying to help me from
under the bike - I was soaked in petrol at the time.
This did little for my disposition towards the nation! One thing's
for sure, had I not been wearing a good helmet, boots and leathers
I would probably have got hurt badly. As it was, I didn't have
a bruise. The bike wasn't going anywhere but a generous garage
proprietor stored it for me (until I returned later to collect
it) and my brother, who was travelling with me (on his ETZ250),
loaded as much luggage as possible and carried the pair of us
the rest of the way.
His poor 250 was ridiculously overloaded, thrashed to within an
inch of its life and performed admirably under the strain. We
reached the rally and had a wild time. Evidently, news of my misfortune
had travelled quickly; we were greeted with a cheer and a large
round of beers. A local MZ dealer took pity on me, sold me a complete
front end for £60 which, after the rally, was transported
back to the crash site by some German MZ sidecar riding friends
(I suppose combo's do have their uses after all). Within a couple
of hours I was back on the road but with a wheelbase some six
inches shorter than usual. Every time I used the front brake the
wheel hit the engine. Nevertheless, I got home to Lincoln in the
end.
During the following winter I completely rebuilt the bike, virtually
everything powder coated (having private access to a sand-blaster
helped) and rewired the electrical system. Five years on it still
looks better than new, testimony to the quality of the powder
coating and the fact that I no longer use the bike very much due
to MZ racing commitments.
This bike had a load off mod's done to it, particularly on the
electrical side because I'm an electronics engineer. Contrary
to popular opinion expressed in the hallowed pages of the UMG
and elsewhere, the regulators are not a weak point it's the regulator.
An electro-mechanical type prone to going out of adjustment depressingly
regularly. The manual describes how to set it up but in my experience
this is rarely successful. A failing regulator usually manifests
itself in overcharged batteries that have boiled dry, blown light
bulbs and coils (all expensive).
Undercharging is also very obvious, the battery doesn't have much
capacity and soon runs flat, ignition hiccups making their presence
known before then. If the regulator fails it can be a sign of
overcharging. MZ spares are normally cheap but regulators are
an exception at £90. This is often more than the bike's
worth but don't despair because an electronic equivalent can be
bought from most auto-electrical shops for £5 to £15.
Something equivalent to a Bosch three terminal 0192-062-001 will
suffice. Much better, brighter lights and more consistent electrical
performance.
The indicator relay's a bit duff as well, again a full electronic
item from the wholesaler will do. Don't buy those cheap and nasty
items from Halfords - they're so inefficient that they cause the
headlight to flicker during operation and they aren't particularly
reliable, either. If you're going to fit high power halogen lamps
then I'd advise checking the wiring and connectors. The wire used
by the factory is not of the best quality and is quickly shown
up by the high currents flowing. In fact, the wiring can be so
nasty after a few years that you really should rewire using quality
stuff with an ample current rating.
The instruments on MZ's have always been of a dubious character,
before long the needles are dancing wildly across the scale. I've
always found this intensely annoying but, again, there is a cure
- this time in the shape of a speedo from a post '85 rear engined
Skoda. It fits straight in with no need to mess around with other
cables. Apart from better reliability it also has a trip meter
and reads to 110mph (in km, ideal for Continental trips). Some
warning lights are lost but this wasn't a problem - I gutted the
tacho, made a new face plate and fitted light emitting diodes
as warning lights...a tacho's a bit superfluous on a bike which
has a safe rev limit at 8500rpm but due to porting and exhaust
will not get much past 6000.
One common mod's to lace a TS125/150 rear wheel on to the front
of the ETZ. The standard rim's pathetically narrow, more suited
to a 100. The TS rim takes a 3'' wide tyre that substantially
improves wet and dry roadholding and braking. Hagons in London
are well versed in this art. A wider front tyre on a stock rim
actually ruins the steering and handling.
The front forks of the Zed are a bit limp, being both underdamped
and undersprung. The underdamping is due to the damper rods having
ridiculously large damping holes and valves. If you know what
you're doing, you can weld them up and redrill but it's much easier
to change the oil for 30 grade. Set the level to 135mm from the
top of a compressed fork - needless to say, do this with the fork
removed from the bike and no spring in it. 30 grade's very thick,
the forks need to be pumped up and down and left to settle for
30 minutes. Use heavy duty springs intended for sidecar duty with
new seals and damping rod piston rings. An amazing improvement
in fork actions occurs when the fork legs are ever so slightly
roughened with 400 grit emery cloth, the slight amount of lubrication
from the oil makes the seals work better.
Sebac rear shocks work better than Hagons. Stock shocks are variable
but don't last well as moisture gets inside them...some 300 shocks
were fitted with 125 springs and the quality of the steel in the
springs was variable, although recent ones are okay. Phosphor
bronze swinging arm bearings are much better than the rubber/steel
stockers.
MZ's are incredibly tough and can withstand an amazing amount
of abuse, but, better still, look after them properly and they'll
reward you with sterling service. For some people this means washing
them once a month but I'm sure most of you know what I mean. There
are several MZ's in the MZRC that have exceeded 100,000 miles
with little more than new rings and mains. My brother's 300 hit
168,000 miles before the chassis expired, the motor now being
in use in another chassis.
Some of the best biking I've ever
had has been provided by these modest machines and that's the
best thing about them. Without being mortgaged to the hilt with
huge repayments and astronomical running costs you can have great
fun on a Zed. Buy one and spend the rest of your savings on touring
abroad. It's better than having a superbike you can't afford to
keep in tyres stuck in the garage.
Nigel Wright