Some shite bikes - CZ / MZ

[shellac]

I have had several "interesting" bikes over the years - in particular I was into Eastern bloc stuff like CZ's etc

 

All of them rattled like mad and produced plumes of smoke but were much more reliable than people expected - the MZ Supa 5 also had a surprising turn of speed too. The CZs, however, did not...

 

 

 

CZ250 by fryske, on Flickr

 

CZ 175 trail by fryske, on Flickr

 

CZ 250 MER342P by fryske, on Flickr

 

CZ125 by fryske, on Flickr

 

Jawa 350 by fryske, on Flickr

 

Jawa 350 Oilmaster by fryske, on Flickr

 

MZ TS250 supa 5 at Chelmarsh Reservoir by fryske, on Flickr

 

IMG_2844 by fryske, on Flickr

[Torsten2001]

I've had pretty much every East European bike over the years, at 16 I had a Simson S51, DYW437V. It was a year old and cost £150, always started on a push but never with a kick. MZ's have always been pretty good, I've got a TS150 and a TS250 Supa 5 at the moment but the best MZ I had was an ES250 Trophy, a great daily. The worst bikes I had were Russian, still loved them though, the Ural would never complete a journey without some sort of breakdown, the Dnepr made it all the way to the MOT station, passed then never ran properly again, I had two Minsk's one had 300 miles on the clock and you can see why the original owner gave up, it broke down ALL the time but looked great, the other one was super reliable mechanically but just fell apart. I had a Planeta that I couldn't get started, everything seemed to be okay but just wouldn't start. My Jupiter 3 would start on one cylinder and end up on one everytime. Disappointingly I never owned a Tula or Riga but I had several Voskhods and they were lovely little things!

I had several CZ's & Jawas which I really liked, 1 CZ 350 was just wonderful, so much nicer than any Jawa 350 I had, absolutely reliable and pretty quick, I sold it before anything inevitibly terrible happened.

A friend of mine who was a mechanic in a local Suzuki bike dealer and ran sports bikes always rated Jawas and when he went travelling in Africa that's what he took with him!

[shellac]

The CZ250 was a cracking little bike. The 350 Jawa oilmasters all seemed to be fairly good - although the later ones not so in my experience.

 

I had a Simson S50 as a field bike when I was young - I've never seen another though!

[CreepingJesus]

I have a '76 CZ 125 Sport, with a genuine 5000-odd miles on it. And the original Barums! It was stored in '78, and I bought it a few years back, as a 'shed' find, from a mate. Matey had/has not the the first idea about bikes, so somehow I'd got it into my head from his description, that I was getting an original Honda 400/4! Quelle surprise...

The former CZ dealer in Kirkcaldy had a proper Czech team ISDT 400 trialler in his showroom. One of the winning ones from '78 IIRC. I offered to buy it more than once, but he was having none of it. The garage is flats now, and I've no idea where that bike went...love to know.

[RedSparrow]

Simson bikes are very trendy in Germany now. If you go to Berlin you will see more in the west side than the east, ironically.

[fotorabia]

I had a Simson 50 in Berlin..i got chased by a small dog who bit me on the leg..then out of nowhere a huge black dog appeared on the other side and bit me on the other leg..i went off to London and when i came back my mate had swapped it for some power tools..i was right pissed off..

[Mash]

My dad ran an MZ 250 in the 80s for going to work and back. It also took him a bit further afield however - this pic on the IOM in '82:

 

 

And here's one I snapped in a German bike dealer's collection last year:

 

[steve austin]

luvvely jubbly

[Pete-M]

 

There's a museum in Czech full of this stuff, not far from Prague. I recommend it.

[shellac]

Some great pictures - the TS250 still looks great.

 

There is a guy who has converted his TS250 to twin spark head - in fact, looking at his website , I'd be surprised if he wasn't a member here? Top website though!

 

http://pigeonsnest.co.uk/stuff/mz/mzpage.html

[Gompo]

A work colleague has got a TS125 that he wants rid of, has been sat around in our yard (in a warehouse) for about 4 years now - doing nothing. I was tempted myself but it does need a little work apparently aswell as not being ran for those 4 years. Not something for me now, I do know that last time I enquired he didnt want much for it.

[Torsten2001]

I think I would like that very much, whereabouts are you squire?

[Gompo]

I think I would like that very much, whereabouts are you squire?

 

Was that to me? I am in Retford, as is my work where the bike is stored. Betweem Newark and Doncaster, 5 miles from the A1.

 

[Torsten2001]

I like that! Does it work? What's he after for it?

[M'coli]

Torsten, you're incorrigable!

[Cavcraft]

Says it's not run for four years but the beauty of strokers (as you'll know of course) is that they're piss easy to play about with.

 

MZs are pretty decent to be fair, and far more reliable then CZs which seemed to be the Mini of the biking world. Slow, noisy, uncomfortable and unreliable.

[Torsten2001]

How could you expect me to concentrate with that picture of beautiful bike shite to get past, my tongue is hanging out!

[nigel bickle]

Got to be with Thorsten here. Lovely old tat.

 

Taught my (1st0 wife to ride on a near identical version.

 

Lovely.

 

2nd dibs please

[Gompo]

I like that! Does it work? What's he after for it?

 

I'll have to ask him.. Although the owner is a decent bloke I dont seem to get on with him 100%. I know at one point he wanted about £200, but more recently (although probably over a year ago) it was significantly less (less than a ton..).

 

As far as I know it hasnt ran for 5 years or so and had an oil leak, and possibly needed a wheel bearing. If you are serious I can have a word to see if he still wants to get rid and get a mobile number for you.

[Gompo]

[Shep Shepherd]

I went to the Fahrzeug Museum in Suhl (home of Simson) last year. It's well worth a visit if you find yourself in the city:

 

http://www.fahrzeug-museum-suhl.de

 

So's the Hotel Ringberg (a fantastic piece of 1970s DDR architecture), but that another story

[Torsten2001]

I like that! Does it work? What's he after for it?

 

I'll have to ask him.. Although the owner is a decent bloke I dont seem to get on with him 100%. I know at one point he wanted about £200, but more recently (although probably over a year ago) it was significantly less (less than a ton..).

 

As far as I know it hasnt ran for 5 years or so and had an oil leak, and possibly needed a wheel bearing. If you are serious I can have a word to see if he still wants to get rid and get a mobile number for you.

 

Yes please!

[cros]

I just googled the Cossack Owners Club but their website seems to be not running today. I'm sure someone here can fill me in on whether the club still exists as I have some 650 bits I'd like to find a home for, and I'd rather it wasn't my home.

I'm aware that there's actually no such thing as a 'Cossack' motorcycle, but what I'm talking about an M63 Ural.

It once looked something like this but with 3 wheels.

[castros_bro]

I just googled the Cossack Owners Club but their website seems to be not running today. I'm sure someone here can fill me in on whether the club still exists as I have some 650 bits I'd like to find a home for, and I'd rather it wasn't my home.

I'm aware that there's actually no such thing as a 'Cossack' motorcycle, but what I'm talking about an M63 Ural.

It one looked something like this but with 3 wheels.

images (1).jpeg

 

I've had load of those in places like Kyrgyzstan and former Eastern Germany,  What bits do you want to dispose of?

[cros]

Rolling M63 frame without engine but with lights, mudguard, rubbery seats and a liberal coating of rust. V5, some engines and gearboxes.

[martc]

Big fan here.

 

 

My first 'proper' bike was a Minsk 125, unlike our other correspondents, mine was very reliable, but it did occasionally start up backwards which was interesting*. My 'Country' flag is that of Belarus in remembrance of it. I also had a Planeta combination which was a pig to start, but once running never let me down.

 

 

MZ's - passed my bike test on a metallic silver TS125 (as above) my first brand new vehicle, also had 2 x TS150's, a Supa 5, an ETZ 250 and a 'Saxon Tour' 300. The Supa 5 is the most fondly remembered bike I have ever had (once I'd fitted Avon tyres) including my current steed, but no one seems to make a bike like it today.

 

 

Jawa - had a 350 it was horrible, went back to MZ's.

 

East European bikes are the 70's/80's equivalent of Chinese bikes today but I'm not sure people will look back on the Chinese ones with as much fondness. There was an honesty about MZ's etc which the Chinese bikes seem to lack.

[Marm Toastsmith]

Passed my test on an ETZ125, have owned about 4 MZs... also a Supa 5, an ETZ250 and an ETZ251.

 

Mine were all unreliable but fun to fiddle with and brilliant when they intermittently worked.

 

One day I'll buy a Honda, and see how normal people experience motorcycling. Apart from the MZs the only other bikes I've owned are a couple of Vespas and a Garelli moped. I wonder what 4 strokes are like?

[somewhatfoolish]

I just googled the Cossack Owners Club but their website seems to be not running today. I'm sure someone here can fill me in on whether the club still exists as I have some 650 bits I'd like to find a home for, and I'd rather it wasn't my home.

I'm aware that there's actually no such thing as a 'Cossack' motorcycle, but what I'm talking about an M63 Ural.

It once looked something like this but with 3 wheels.

images (1).jpeg

Can you still get a new one? A mate was going to do some kind of suicidal rally on one in Siberia but work or sanity forced a change of plan.

[castros_bro]

Rolling M63 frame without engine but with lights, mudguard, rubbery seats and a liberal coating of rust. V5, some engines and gearboxes.

 

Baaaaastard.   I'm looking for some old unwanted ural/dniper  shaft drive frame to try and fit the inline miniture 3 cylinder kei car engine into.   Will PM you sooneest.

[martc]

Can you still get a new one?

 

 

Yes you can, but they're not cheap... http://www.f2motorcycles.ltd.uk/ural_compare.html

 

you can also still buy Jawas new, cheaper, but...they're Jawas http://www.jawamotorcycles.co.uk/

 

And although I said that Chinese bikes have no character, here's the one which disproves the rule, hard to find now, and i think you would need large cajones to ride one to Siberia, the Chang Jiang CJ750...

 

http://www.realclassic.co.uk/changjiang05092100.html