1974 army MZ TS250 restoration project

[robertace]

Interesting. I would like to see how this will turn out.

[NVA250]

Finally there's been a bit of nice weather so I've had a change to get outside and do some more work.

Since November I've been waiting to spray a few little bits to complete the frame and finally got the chance today. I also took the opportunity to put all of the bits together and take a couple of photos.

The bike looks a lot better in the pictures than it actually is! I am really regretting trying to save money using basic olive drab paint. I should have gone for the far more expensive 2 pack resin paint as the stuff I've used chips really easily. That said, every other unrestored NVA MZ I've seen has had appalling paintwork and most seem to have been hand painted so I guess my finish is a little realistic!





It looks quite good in the pictures but there's still lots to do and I'm really putting off doing anything about the electrics!

[DAVID THOMPSON]

make it 12 volt system if it is a 6 volt 6volt systems are a joke
dave

[NVA250]

make it 12 volt system if it is a 6 volt 6volt systems are a joke
dave

I did consider that, but it's another £300 that I can't afford at the moment!

[rightsideup]

Would love to see an update on your project!

[Blurredman]

make it 12 volt system if it is a 6 volt 6volt systems are a joke
dave

I did consider that, but it's another £300 that I can't afford at the moment!

Not necessarily.. You could merely put on a 12v stator/rotor, coil, regulator, rectifier etc. All of this you could likely pick up from someone on e-bay for no more than £50 if you look carefully.. I managed to pick up a stator/rectifier/coil and stator for £38 e-bay listed auction items. Some of them single items, other auctions more than one item...

[DAVID THOMPSON]

my comment about 6 volt systems was based on a hd hummer and 2 250 cc BMW an r 26 and an r 27

the hd hummer was junk
the 2 bmw bike were good runners but the 6 volt system needed a 6 volt car battery in the saddle
bag to keep up with its needs it got charged at night

a friend has a 250 r27 converted to 12 volts it is nice but getting very hard to find parts for it over here
Dave

[Puffs]

True, you can do cheaper than that £300, which might be a full Vape or PowerDynamo system. But the shorter rotor in those has an appeal too, plus that they do away with carbon brushes. And are new. And don't rely on a battery.

IMHO it is not the 6V tension that is the source of some problems, but rather that the systems you have those problems on are old systems: an old-fashioned design made from old & well used parts. Yet a 6V system can work fine too (although maybe with weaker headlights).

On my 634 I replaced the original 6V system by a 6V Vape system because I wanted a shorter rotor, i.e. less distant from the bearings, and to do away with the points. Electrically the old system worked fine, as of course does the new. It was a lot cheaper than £300. I preferred 6V because that gives the same colour light as original, and because it was cheaper.

[MichaelTorre]

6 volt LED headlights, taillights and directionals are Game Changer....
you should think about that alternative before you throw money into an alternator.

I would bet money that LEDs are going to outlast tungsten bulbs in the future.

M.

[Puffs]

Yes, LED headlights require far less power (=voltage x current) to deliver a similar light output, so they could give the same light output at 6V as at 12V. Weather or not you like the colour & LED lights on a classic bike is a matter of personal preference, but for commuting & night time riding it will definitely improve things, particularly if you have a lower power 6V installation.

In a 6V installation the headlight traditionally tends to be smaller, as a high-power bulb (say, 60W) requires the current to become very large (say 10A), which puts special requirements on the wiring (& generator). Equivalent LED's are maybe 10% of the power, so the current restriction is lifted. Nevertheless, my 6V 634 does fine @ 50W + 5/21W tail.

I think LED lighting is a gamechanger particularly for new bikes (& cars), in that they cost less energy & last longer. It'll be the new norm.

[NVA250]

Hello all,

Thanks for the comments, electrics are not my strong point so I did get a little lost in relation to the 6v/12v debate! It has always been my intention to finish the bike as it would have been originally and then make modifications/improvements from there. I'm already considering a TLS front brake conversion though!

So things have been very busy for me over the last few months and getting anything done on the MZ has been hard. I have made a little progress though...

In return for a curry and a few beers my uncle came and gave me a hand sorting out the electrics. All wires are now attached to where they should be and all the lights are working. I still need to set the timing, check for spark, etc.

I've had a bit of help and advice from Ken at the old school Kickstart motorcycles in Lee Green. He's sorted me out with a few missing bits like an original carb, petrol tank and an ETZ exhaust. I know the ETZ exhaust isn't correct, but the military MZs had a non-standard exhaust anyway so it'll do for the moment. I already had an aftermarket carb but wanted an original. The tank is also in better condition than the original. As usual I'm stuck on waiting on the weather to improve so I can finish the spray painting.

I think I now have all of the bits that I need to finish it, but it's just finding the time and weather...

[Blurredman]

Good luck, soldier!

[NVA250]

Evening all,

I haven't updated for a while, but I have still been slowly prodding away at the MZ. That said, I haven't actually got that far as work and other life stuff has got in the way!
The little progress that I have made is pretty poor. I have had a few bits and bobs that stil needed spraying, the main ones being the front mudguard and the tank. Sadly I appear to have forgotten how to do it since the last time I sprayed anything. I have got trapped in a cycle of spraying the tank, getting a shitty orange peel finish, sanding it back, trying again and getting the same crap result - all very frustrating, especially as this is supposed to be a "fun" project.

Crap spraying aside I have run into a couple of other issues. One is the clutch cable appears to be too long (a minor but frustrating issue). The other area I'm stuck on is the timing. I'll put a post in the tech talk page asking for advice regarding both of the above.

On the plus side I did manage to fit and correct adjust the chain about 3 months ago so it's not all bad news!

[Blurredman]

Oh yes- My spraying isn't very good either. Last time I tried, took a few attempts to make it work out decently!

Engine started yet?

[Puffs]

If by 'orange peel finish' you mean it looks a bit bubbly, like the skin of an orange, that probably means there is an incompatibility between different layers (primer/base coat/top coat), like cellulose based/acrylic/synthetic, or maybe even water-based?

Also, beware of any silicone, that gives fish-eyes.

Echoing BM: any luck with getting the engine running?