Casablanca by MZ. A fools errand!

title-672512

Fri, 24 Mar 2006 22:26:11 +0100

Well it's been a while! I've only had about 4 hours on the bike over the last 4 weeks. This has been dictated by the sessions that I run at the work shop with the kids. The current batch of miscreants are Daniel, 16 (organiser and recorder extraordinaire), Adam, 14, keen as mustard spanner man and competant to boot ( if you can shut him up), Richie, 17, be hoody'ed apprentice of this parish and Patrick, 16, resident bright spark. All the lads have spent time on the project albeit because they get to ride at the end of each phase of work and have been promised more. All retain a healthy disbelief in the task in hand and maintain the opinion variously that 'it'll never get there', that 'it's a pile of shit', 'you'll need a new arse', 'it'll take for ever', that 'it's a pile of shit!', ....etc ad infinitum.

Apart from fitting a new piston and rings (originals), which was straight forward, most of the work has been of an innovative and budget nature. The front forks were as soft as puddin' and with my generous bulk sitting astride and a good handful of front brake the bike didn't so much dive like a italian centre forward, as cause me to experience something akin to bungy jumping! The fork springs were about 5mm short of the minimum recommended free length and the oil...well most of it seemed to have jumped ship at some point! The fork seals were a bit hard so they've now been swapped. The stanchions are fine (god bless gaiters). We hit upon a good preload solution though, mainly because I'm too tight (skint) to lash out on new springs. Two old 11/16" sockets sitting on top of the springs! What a difference! With the preload wound up on the rear damper units, it feels like a different bike! Goes round corners and all sorts (sort of)!

The tank and side panels are in the process of being flatted in readiness for some paint. God alone knows what colour it will end up but it won't look much worse than it does now. As long as it's not too attention seeking I'll live with it. The luggage fitting brackets have got to be changed again as the boxes are a bit mobile at the moment. I'd hate to think that they have the potential to go faster than the rest of the bike! I'll need a chain and sprockets as well I think. The originals are a bit careworn as they've dried out a bit.

Hopefully, I've convinced the DVLA to let me retain the original plate and just provide a new log book. It should be here soon and with freshly fitted CG 125 indicators it's ready for an MoT...apart from the flasher unit that is which literally fell apart.

The girl goes to Casablanca on the 15th of April all being well so I'm starting to look more closely at the route now. By the looks of it I just go south but then peoople have been telling me that I've been doing that for a while. The level of incredulity among potential sponsors (yes that's all of you, you tight sods!) would be distubing to a lesser spirit! The sponsor forms will be out before the end of next week so start putting your money where your mouth is! With so little time to go, the imminence of it all is starting to hit home. I suppose I'd better book some leave. What do you reckon...10 days in and out with 2 nights in Casablanca? Believe it. I am a man possessed!

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title-599781

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 09:39:12 +0100

Well here it is in all its glory!Had another play with the bike yesterday and have now sorted the sticky front brake properly and stripped, cleaned and adjusted the rear! .I've decided that the saddle needs some mods as its a bit of a plank...think the foam has started to give up...so I might have a go at re covering it but I'll wait until I've fitted the wonderful, if care worn, touratech boxes I managed to pick up for £20, in case the seat base needs modifying to accomodate them. The lads at the workshop are getting into the project and have all had a little ride...dropped it...picked it up again (Adam!) etc etc. Getting worryingly close to being a bike! MoT next week I think though I've got to find the indicator lens I took off in the garage. More pictures to follow today but going to re format them as they take and age to load. Got another random piece to post as well as soon as I've finished faffing with it

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What the best dressed is wearing....

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 00:03:39 +0100

In the abscence of anything to say about the trip or the bike, I though I'd address the gear phenomena! The nature of riders and their attire! I think it's a bit like dogs and their owners really! There are undoubtedly uniforms when it comes to bikes; sub sects of riders who, while sharing a common interest in bikes, form recognisable groups, instantly recognisable and quick to scorn other rider types. Pretentious, well healed sportsbike riders and new one piece leathers with humps in the summer, stooping to avoid crushed goolies. Track addicts and quick lads chucking a fleece over the top for early morning rides and track day warm ups with real scuffed sliders. Muscle and street bike riders in pub appropriate leather jackets and jeans (with sports boots under or over depending on how sad). Big Traillie riders with moto X boots, map pockets and goretex. BMW and Hog riders doing what they do best...looking daft! Supermotard guys in leathers and crosser footwear (or the hard edge in moto X helmets and shirts a flappin'). Big bike commuters and sports tourers in over trousers and Frank Thomas/Hein Gericke. Classic guys...God...where do they find that stuff? New regime commuters on small bikes and fluorescent jackets. The hard core in black leather, laced or unlaced, patchouli or BO, beards and black rides. 16 ers with paddock rep scooters and tracksuits. Couples in matching gear on Sunday rides...and MZ riders! Oh God! Orange waterproofs and Derriboots. No! Not me! Might take a donkey jacket though. There's not a lot of point aspiring to rider type on an MZ regardless of past bike history.
There are exceptions of course! Many years ago, just after the release of Hondas ground braking FireBlade, I was visited by a local freelance bike journalist. Let's call him Sid...that was his name actually. Sid arrived on the most prestigous, terrifyingly fast and light, technically brilliant and beautiful to boot, sportsbike. The new FireBlade, urban tiger (dribble). Sid came and introduced himself and we chatted. An ex teacher (recently escaped), great writer, ex racer (remember Perton?). Excellent chap! What was he wearing? What attire had he worn when he collected this first of the marque wonder machine from the mighty Honda corporation? I'll tell you! An old green green waxed jacket with holes big enough to rustle cattle let alone poach rabbit, an old and visorless Bell helmet (in white of course) which evidently fitted like a glove providing you had no fingers and which you could smell at 50 feet, a pair of Crimpolene slacks which you wouldn't wear to the allotment and a pair of Dunlop Green flash pumps! Sid, I love you dearly but we were waiting for the chaps in white coats and the police! The moral of this story is that, of course there are exceptions to stereotypical riders. I fear I won't be one of them. Ordering the Derriboots as we speak!

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title-582246

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 01:09:21 +0100

At last we discover what the MZ 'bazooka' stylee exhaust is all about! After years of contemplation and query it's clear that it's not actually a rocket launcher or an impromptu, heated ferret racing pipe as first thought but actually a device whose single purpose, by virtue of its immense length and surface area, is to prevent owners inadvertantly 'losing' their bikes by 'accidently' riding them into swamps, quicksand etc! It's a great pic if slightly worrying...have I got to be this well organised (swamp not withstanding)? I'd rather bargained on two Tesco carrier bags and a bungy being sufficient! Love the red fork legs though! Looking for a charity to support now, preferably one associated with cheap return flights to the uk! Seriously though, I'm looking to use the ride as a bit of a fundraiser so I'll be looking for a group to endorse my efforts and people to help distribute sponsor forms in the near future. Suggestions welcome! Busy looking at maps at the moment. I'll definitely be battling with Parisian traffic (a measure of my insanity), racing to Le Mans, quoffing in Bordeaux and going to Madrid. All else to be determined.

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title-582237

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 01:03:49 +0100

A little catching up required perhaps. The bike is not a million miles away from an MoT. It was purchased originally to run in MZ race bike engine parts. It's got about 13000 miles on it and apart from being a delightful hand painted silver, it's all original. It's always been a first time starter and runs much as you'd expect...'a ring, ding, ding, ding' etc etc. So far work has been limited to bleeding the two stroke pump and lines, cleaning out and resetting the carburettor and bemoaning the fact that the front brake sticks on. The intention is to service the bike properly, change the fork and gearbox oil, strip and service the brakes, check the chain and sprockets, blow up the tyres, sort the electrics (remake some of the dodgier connections), fit some luggage, MoT it and ride into the distance! I'll have to deal with the DVLA at some point soon as it hasn't got a log book and was 'put away' long before SORN and then find a thick elastic band or two for when the gearchange return spiring inevitably gets out and walks!
Why go? The wholly unoriginal answer is 'why not' but suffice to say at this point that I need and want to. This story, as well as the bike and ride story, will doubtless be recounted over time. It'll be part of the process so be prepared for the occasional self indulgent ramblings of a middle aged bloke. It certainly won't be 'Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance' and there won't be much of the Hunter S Thompson about it. More 'You're a sad arse you are!'.

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title-582204

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 00:48:27 +0100

Here's the first one then! I'm off to see my flawless and brilliant child in Casablanca sometime during April. She'll be there working and learning, all expenses paid, for a month or so and I'm unashamedly using her as an excuse to take an extended trip by bike from the Midlands to Morocco. At this point (and doubtless on the day of departure) I'm totally unprepared beyond having an idea, a profound abscence of any common sense and a motorcycle, which in a former life probably carried a sensible, more mature gentleman, to and from his place of work. Having sold my Yamaha R1 to Paul (friend, fellow sportsman and property developer of note), I find myself confronted with the last bike in the garage, as it were...a 1986 MZ ETZ 250. This has been kicking about unregistered for five or six years now, unloved, neglected and ignored. Well all that's about to change! Paul and his brother transported the bike (NB. I will not be giving it a name, cute or otherwise, though I reserve the right to use titular expletives as and when required) to my workshop in Solihull where the transformation from humble Eastern European commuter to Paris/Dakaresque mile eater will take place. It won't be pretty! Genetically speaking the MZ is definitely a chromosome or two short of a R1150GS. In fact it has about as much in common with the BMW as we do with plankton....unless you live in Bilston!

We're talking a pre trans continental, preparatory budget of £20 or so, so be prepared for innovative if slightly unorthodox solutions to storage (suggestions gratefully received), touring modifications, spares and repairs etc. Pictures and tales of long hours sweating over the complexity of the mighty beast will be forthcoming.

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