Another newbie from the UK

[Spitfiregoggles]

Hi all,
just found this forum (thanks to Stogadog!)
I ride a 1991 ETZ251, which I bought from a friend a couple of years ago.
It was intended to be a second bike for winter use and pootling around the back lanes on as I had a 1200 Bandit; then I wrecked the Bandit (and myself!) and just use the MZ now......done about 5,000 miles this year up and down the UK. The old girl may lack top speed but I often get places nearly as fast as on a bigger bike cos I'm not constantly stopping for petrol.
Although the bike is on the road at the moment, I have a few jobs to do before we go too far; fork seals, new front tire, and a general tidy up....I'd like to fit a new hydraulic hose for the front brake and give the caliper a "refresh" too.
That's the thing with these old bikes; there may always be something to do but as you don't have to dismantle half the machine to get to anything, it tends to be easy and fun!
I also have a "barn-find" TS250/1 waitnig for me to restore it.........one day!
Ride safe,
Simon

[manumensa]

Hello and wellcome Simon,

MZ can be as good as any other bike brand ...or better

Saludos/Regards,
Manuel

[DAVID THOMPSON]

welcome and have fun
as for mz 2 smoker models seem to be in good parts supply
and can be worked on by owner
most new stuff is a joke
it breaks on a trip
you have to ship it home and take a bus
dave

[Spitfiregoggles]

Hi Manuel, Hi David,
thanks for your replies, yes you're right, MZs are as good as many, better than most in my experience!
The ETZ has never yet failed to get me where I'm going, I think the worst I've had was electrical problems with the original fuse board; the rather large tool roll I carry was pushing against one of the cables and causing a bad contact with the fuse, this was easily remedied once I realised what was happening (secured the tool roll in place with a velcro strap).
The ironic thing is that I carry a fairly comprehensive tool kit and often it is only used while on a rally or run to repair my friends' "reliable" modern machines
On a run back from Yorkshire in the summer, one friends XS650 "died" of battery failure, the braided oil line on a Buell made a hole in the oil filter, and a H-D Dyna Glide had a bolt in the primary drive come undone.......no problems with the ETZ at all, though I did need to adjust the electronic ignition sensor when i got home!
I will reserve judgement on the later MZ/MuZs; a work colleague of mine has an RT125 which he commutes on and as far as I know the only problem he's had with it has been the sprag clutch failing which I think is pretty common. He's certainly very happy with it other than that.
If I had a $/£/whatever your local currency unit is for every time I've stopped at a bike meet and someone has said "I haven't seen one of those for ages, my Dad/brother/whatever had one and it was superb, just kept on going" I'd be......well if not rich, at least able to afford a new front tire before Xmas rather than after it!!
All the best,
Simon
PS for David; I was G6UVW then G0CIQ.......not done any Ham Radio last 10 years or so though, 73 OM!!