New lamb to the slaughter

[vanners[ts150]]

Hi to everyone, Just a line or two to introduce myself.
I'm definately old enough to know better having started my riding on British stuff sourced from the local scrap yard for a few pounds. I owned a number of 'classics' which were thrown out when they stopped working - if only I new then etc, etc,
I had a few medium weight Jap bikes over the interviening years. The two odd ball bikes being a Brand New shiny MZ ETZ250 and a R800cc BMW that replaced it.
The MZ was bought as a commuter to do the 20 mile to work. It was about 1986 I think and it really was an unremarkable bike. My lasting memory of it was the tyres and brakes. I nearly came to grief 1/2 mile from the shop when the action of snapping the throttle shut locked the back wheel on a wet road. So having stopped an checked everything over I set off again. The wheels front and back both locked again at the approach to the traffic lights. I continued and rode home very gingerley. Anyway after checking it over everything was ok and I put it away ready to start its commuting duties. I put the locking wheels down to being unfamiliar with the bike. Anyway after a few more bottom puckering incedents the following week I spent the following Saturday going over the bike with a fine tooth comb. The tyres were a very strange 'Plastic' type of rubber clearly no good for British roads. The Front brake was a very nice single 'Brembo' caliper and disc. I had been warned that the retarding effect of MZ brakes was somewhat weak. However this set up was spot on and stopped the wheel without any problem at all. The problem lay in the front tyre having little or no friction capability on the tarmac. A new suit of Dunlops imediately transformed the bike. The next 18 months winter and summer the bike started, cornered and stopped without any drama's. It bordered on the boring. I swapped it for the BMW and few hundred pounds. Again the BMW was more powerfull but equally as reliable and to be honest a bit boring.
So now I'm about to collect a 1983 MZ TS 150 best described as a 'project' Why an MZ because it was half the price of a BSA Bantam and as a ts150 is getting rarer and may even one day be recognized as a 'classic'
So I will at some point be asking advice no doubt during its refurbishment I'm looking forward to stripping and rebuilding it. The plan is to make my Sunday afternoon bike for a 'bimble' around the Lancashire hills, lanes and trails. No speed required.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

welcome and have fun,,,,
the mz 150 will be easer to find parts to repair than a jap bike
of the same year
at least thats the way it is where i live
i had a yamaha ym1 in 1966 by 1972 it was a beast to find parts for here..
dave

[vanners[ts150]]

I've not picked up the ts150 yet but I'm looking forward to getting to grips with it. Just from the photo's it will need a respoke. But its going to be a complete strip down frame and engine and get it back to a reliable usable bike. It probably won't be repainted in its original colours and the tyres will be trail orientated as will the handlebars. There are lots of unmade roads and trails throughout Lancashire. Other than than that it will be standard although if I can't fettle the 6v System it may get a 12v conversion with the lighting converted to LED except the dip and main. Its going to be a lengthy build

[OSPRNG]

welcome!

i ride a "modern" 125 SM but it has become an equal rarity in united states in its own right

who knows, it might become a collective as well. if i manage to keep it in one piece

[vanners[ts150]]

When I was a young spotty youth I threw away what are now classic bikes. What ever happens to your modern 125 keep it in the back pf the garage whenyou have finished with it. One day who knows.
Stuart M

[vanners[ts150]]

Well here it is in all its glory. It looks quite bad but it came apart quite easy despite the corrosion. A closer examnation revealed that it has not been messed about with, no chewed up screws or other abuse. The airbox is severly holed and corroded and the rear of the back mudguard is more hole than metal. Its done 13000 miles and has quite good compresion. All the bits are there there's nothing missing so its a viable renovation. I stripped it down to the frame with a view to a ground up rebuild of the rolling chassis. I'll refit the engine then as is and try it out.
I'll need to be asking questions at some point any advice will much appreciated.
gallery/pic.php?mode=large&pic_id=596

[DAVID THOMPSON]

i looked at the picture there is hope
but that is one very rusty frame
dave

[vanners[ts150]]

Hi Dave,
Tjhat was my fear, the previous owner had wire brushed the paint of the exposed parts of the frame and then left it, but I had a good stab at it with a heavy screw driver and its all solid. Around the lower frame the engine oil has protected it. The swinging arm and the front down tube are the worst bits but theres no sign of perforation - says a lot for East German steel ,lesser stuff would probably have gone through.
I'll have it shot blasted and checked over prior to powder coating. This bike will live again.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

over here in my area there using some type of soda as the blasting powder
for rusty things like old cars
dave

[vanners[ts150]]

Yes we do have soda blasting over this side as well but I'm not aware of anyone local that does it, I'll make a few enquiries. I've started sorting the bits for Powder coating, spraying and chrome plating . I mght get something done on it over the Easter break if I can fit it around the gardening

[djsbriscoe]

I suggest triple-s in Bingley

Triple 'S' Powder Coating,
Unit 3 Bradware Industrial Park,
Harris Street,
Bingley,
West Yorkshire.
BD16 1AE
tel 01274 562474
email andy@triple-s.co.uk

I get all my stuff done there.

David

[vanners[ts150]]

Thanks David I'll put that company in my address book.
I've just asked for some help in Tech Talk and a pair of covers /airbox in the Wanted section. If anyone can assist.
Does anyone know irf there is such a thing as a high level exhaust for the TS150

[vanners[ts150]]

Well not much progress on the bike as there is a holiday coming up, but I have managed to source new battery cover, airbox and rear mudguard that only needs respraying and not rebuilding.
I have got myself a parts washer now and it has been a god send in cleaning down. Its the floor standing Clarke model which I even managed to clean the frame down in.
Everything is ready for renovating and painting in its new colour (Black frame, silver mudguards and BRG tinwear) I'm building it up as a light green laner with Trials tyres on standard stainless respoked wheels and higher wider bars. The exhaust is going to be a bit of a challenge to get out of the way but I'm looking at the possibility of a Bantam Bushman high level pipe with a Bantam D1 flat can silencer. Has anyone gone down that road ?
I've got two headlamp shells for it one with the speedo in and the standard TS. Not sure which way to go on that yet.
I'm keeping all the original parts so it can be returned to standard at a later date. Its not going to be a quick rebuld but I hope to have the rolling chassis done before the end of the year with a view to putting it back on the road next spring finances allowing.

[Bike12]

Stuart,
I ,like you are aflicted with a TS 150 rebuild (I got the bug about 6 weeks ago when my son told his girlfriends dad that his dad could 'fix u'p the MZ that he had languishing in his rear yard !! )
Anyway,to cut a long story short I parted with £20 & agreed that we could rebuild as a 'budget 'green lane bike ,ho hum.
Having now spent more than I would dare tell the wife on a ground up rebuild ,we are now getting there.We to, are at the 'high level exhaust' dilemma stage .Having taken on board all the experts opinion on how critical the original exhaust dynamics are ,I invested in an assorted bag of the correct size tube bends as the original down pipe.Armed with a new Tig welder ,I am about to find out just how difficult it can be to make a suitable 'high level' exhaust.I intend to make the pipework section from the exhaust port of the barrel ,up and over the top of the head and then utilising an old 'original' exhaust pipe silencer section ,run (with modifications) to the rear of the bike -as per the original ISDT bikes (well, very losely )
Other mods I have so far carried out include removing the rear foot peg bracketry,removing all the excess metalwork around the rear subframe/mudgaurd,smaller seat,repositioning the electrics under the seat,wider/higher handlebars,and fitting a high level front mudgaurd(off a Can Am Military bike) .The bike was originally a 1983 TS 125 ,but i have fitted the 150cc engine to hopefully improve the performance a little.
I'm hoping to finish in time for the Beamish trial in September,but who knows .........I think this exhaust will prove to be a bit of a challenge !
Anyway ,its good to here Im not the only one with the issue .. ,
If you have got time ,give me a shout -would be good to compare notes !!
All the best,
Steve Gale
Mobile No : 07546474075