It was the first Japanese motorcycle I had ever had and was curious to ride. I always felt I was sitting on top of it rather than on it, if you see what I mean. The sight of the rev counter doing revs no other bike I have had was a trifle unsettling also. I was not aware that the swing arm had seized (a common fault, I later heard) until, hitting a large pothole in the Jamaica Road near Tower Bridge one day, one side of the swing arm sheared!
Luckily, the local Honda dealer knew of someone who had a CB200 which he was willing to give away so it wasn’t necessary to try to repair the other’s frame. I installed grease nipples onto the 2nd bike’s swing arm however.
I eventually gave both to a friend at work who had helped me with some building work.
Above is Hannah, who is currently thinking about rebuilding the Morini.
By now, I only had the TS250 Supa 5 which had replaced the stolen ETZ250.
Early in 1992, a policeman came to our front door while I was coming home and asked Chris if she was Mrs. Rigby. She feared the worst though it was bad enough. My father had collapsed and died on a bus a few days before and they had just located us.
He left me everything in his will and it was a tidy sum.
With it I bought the Morini 500 and we were able to emigrate to Holland.
The Morini originally had the big port conversion and was capable of over 110mph. It was also the loudest bike I have ever owned. One of my co-workers in Holland, as well as a neighbour some years later, complained about the noise it made starting.
One day I was coming home from Hoorn to Obdam. En route there is a beautiful left hander which I barrelled round on a rising throttle. I noticed that three men in a field half a mile away turned and looked as I went past. Another time on that stretch of road, I overtook a livestock lorry. It was dark and I felt some liquid hit me. When I got home I was liberally streaked with blood! I think I was snotted by a cow with blood in her nose.
By now, I only had the TS250 Supa 5 which had replaced the stolen ETZ250.
Early in 1992, a policeman came to our front door while I was coming home and asked Chris if she was Mrs. Rigby. She feared the worst though it was bad enough. My father had collapsed and died on a bus a few days before and they had just located us.
He left me everything in his will and it was a tidy sum.
With it I bought the Morini 500 and we were able to emigrate to Holland.
The Morini originally had the big port conversion and was capable of over 110mph. It was also the loudest bike I have ever owned. One of my co-workers in Holland, as well as a neighbour some years later, complained about the noise it made starting.
One day I was coming home from Hoorn to Obdam. En route there is a beautiful left hander which I barrelled round on a rising throttle. I noticed that three men in a field half a mile away turned and looked as I went past. Another time on that stretch of road, I overtook a livestock lorry. It was dark and I felt some liquid hit me. When I got home I was liberally streaked with blood! I think I was snotted by a cow with blood in her nose.
I once went to a Morini rally near Hamburg. On the return trip an exhaust valve burnt out. When it later happened a second time I got standard heads as it turned out there was a structural problem with the big valve heads.
In 1997, as mentioned elsewhere, the Supa 5 expired on the motorway but was replaced by yet another MZ; an ETZ 250 I found at the back of a dealer in Wormer, with about 11,000 km on the clock and still with the truly terrible Pneumant tyres, which were quickly replaced.
In 1997, as mentioned elsewhere, the Supa 5 expired on the motorway but was replaced by yet another MZ; an ETZ 250 I found at the back of a dealer in Wormer, with about 11,000 km on the clock and still with the truly terrible Pneumant tyres, which were quickly replaced.
Alexander and Hannah playing up to the camera.
Minus de Vries had been a MZ dealer once but, judging from their ignorance of things MZ, a long time ago. The engineer took it for a spin up the road without anyone thinking to check the gearbox oil level. When I got it home and replaced the level screw with a cut down Allen screw I discovered to my horror that the level was low, but luckily not too low.
Since then, as related earlier the capacity has been upped to 300cc. There is also an electronic gubbins replacing the electromechanical VCR on the charging system. I also have an electronic timing kit but have never got round to fitting it.
Another problem, which happened twice in quick succession, at about 75,000 km, was that one of the selector forks started to wear rapidly. Doesn’t sound too bad but I was advised to fix it PDQ or the gearbox might explode! This was the first time in almost 30 years I had heard of what is apparently a common MZ problem. Another semi amusing problem was persistent rough running for a while. I was advised to unscrew the mixture screw a lot and see if that helped – it did.
When the weather warmed up I checked the timing and found it was somewhat out. Went for a test ride and it was rougher than ever. Then, about five miles from home I remembered the mixture screw. As it was screwed in the engine note steadied and then started to sound the way a MZ should. It has now done 95,000 km and I hope to take it round the clock, the first time I will have managed it on any bike.
Once, following “Thrasher” Selfe back from a rally near Cirencester, he suddenly waved his hands in the air which made me wonder. When we next met at the North London centre I asked him what had happened and he told me his bike had just gone round the clock!
I’ve just realised that my resolve to tell the whole sorry tale from start to finish has come off the rails.
SBI. The rally was held in a field next to the Tunnel Inn very near to Cirencester. The Tunnel Inn has the longest bar I have ever seen in a pub. We walked down the bar and found the Wadworth 6X pump where we stopped and supped (deeply).
That weekend I discovered that DaveTyler, who came for the ride, could imitate an owl so well that he could fool an owl. I also discovered what actually happened to an engine when it went underwater, particularly when still running.
The Tunnel Inn is built over a canal which was being slowly restored. The volunteer group that were fixing it had the use of a dumper truck.
Minus de Vries had been a MZ dealer once but, judging from their ignorance of things MZ, a long time ago. The engineer took it for a spin up the road without anyone thinking to check the gearbox oil level. When I got it home and replaced the level screw with a cut down Allen screw I discovered to my horror that the level was low, but luckily not too low.
Since then, as related earlier the capacity has been upped to 300cc. There is also an electronic gubbins replacing the electromechanical VCR on the charging system. I also have an electronic timing kit but have never got round to fitting it.
Another problem, which happened twice in quick succession, at about 75,000 km, was that one of the selector forks started to wear rapidly. Doesn’t sound too bad but I was advised to fix it PDQ or the gearbox might explode! This was the first time in almost 30 years I had heard of what is apparently a common MZ problem. Another semi amusing problem was persistent rough running for a while. I was advised to unscrew the mixture screw a lot and see if that helped – it did.
When the weather warmed up I checked the timing and found it was somewhat out. Went for a test ride and it was rougher than ever. Then, about five miles from home I remembered the mixture screw. As it was screwed in the engine note steadied and then started to sound the way a MZ should. It has now done 95,000 km and I hope to take it round the clock, the first time I will have managed it on any bike.
Once, following “Thrasher” Selfe back from a rally near Cirencester, he suddenly waved his hands in the air which made me wonder. When we next met at the North London centre I asked him what had happened and he told me his bike had just gone round the clock!
I’ve just realised that my resolve to tell the whole sorry tale from start to finish has come off the rails.
SBI. The rally was held in a field next to the Tunnel Inn very near to Cirencester. The Tunnel Inn has the longest bar I have ever seen in a pub. We walked down the bar and found the Wadworth 6X pump where we stopped and supped (deeply).
That weekend I discovered that DaveTyler, who came for the ride, could imitate an owl so well that he could fool an owl. I also discovered what actually happened to an engine when it went underwater, particularly when still running.
The Tunnel Inn is built over a canal which was being slowly restored. The volunteer group that were fixing it had the use of a dumper truck.
While we were supping more 6X the next day there was suddenly a loud noise and when we ran over to investigate the dumper could be seen upside down in the canel with oil oozing out. The VOC immediately swung into action when it became clear the volunteer group were going to do nothing until a crane could be procured. The driver had leaped clear and was uninjured but the dumper could not be left there. Two of our group (not me) waded into the canel and tied ropes to the dumper. It was turned over and then dragged out by the rest of us. (Only the two who got wet were supplied with 6X but, what the hell, we had helped with the restoration of England's canels). When the volunteers took the head off the dumper the conrod was banana-shaped!
Just as a postscript, I almost had a 22nd bike. My English MZ supplier sold me a seized MZ for spares. He only wanted ₤20 (I seem to remember) and delivered it as well. It turned out that the big circlip holding the drive side main bearings in place had come loose and locked the primary drive and with that replaced the engine was fixed. Ken was a bit miffed.
However, I had been toying with a special using a Triumph T90 engine in a T25 “conical hub” frame. With a spare MZ I wondered if the T90 engine would fit into an MZ frame.
However, I had been toying with a special using a Triumph T90 engine in a T25 “conical hub” frame. With a spare MZ I wondered if the T90 engine would fit into an MZ frame.
As you can see it seemed feasible but like all my other ‘special’ projects it came to naught. I bought bits like an oil tank and had that and other parts sprayed hi-purple. I even had special tank badges made, but in the end the frame was needed for the other Supa 5 and that was that.
Anyone want a spare T90 engine?
I also have a confession to make. I needed a bike while the MZ and Morini were both out of action in 2002 and a dealer in the next town had an almost new Jawa 350 going cheap.
Stuart at NLM (Morini dealer) and Martin at Burwins (MZ dealer) had both warned me off Jawa/CZ when I casually mentioned the marque. They both knew them and loathed them. Martin even said that if I got one he would disown me. I thought, surely Jawas can’t be THAT bad. I picked it up one Saturday with a new battery, which was totally flat by Monday. Got it back Tuesday afternoon and went into work on Wednesday. I was sure something was going to break but managed to arrive though it was a most unnerving ride, not helped by the weird petrol/oil ratio and lack of an easy measure, unlike the MZ. It wouldn’t start to go home immediately but after some time it finally deigned to go again.
On Thursday the weather was bad, rain and high winds so I went in by train and bus.
On Friday after about six or seven miles I noticed it was a bit sluggish but since I was on the motorway I pressed on. Just before a service area it suddenly tightened up and emitted a twang sound. I coasted down the hill into the service area while I plotted my next move. I did not like this thing. It filled me with misgivings while I was riding it and it was very unreliable in starting and running.
After a quick ponder I decided I had had enough. I managed to start it and got home at a steady 60kph, then phoned the dealer to take it away and I wanted my money back.
Anyone want a spare T90 engine?
I also have a confession to make. I needed a bike while the MZ and Morini were both out of action in 2002 and a dealer in the next town had an almost new Jawa 350 going cheap.
Stuart at NLM (Morini dealer) and Martin at Burwins (MZ dealer) had both warned me off Jawa/CZ when I casually mentioned the marque. They both knew them and loathed them. Martin even said that if I got one he would disown me. I thought, surely Jawas can’t be THAT bad. I picked it up one Saturday with a new battery, which was totally flat by Monday. Got it back Tuesday afternoon and went into work on Wednesday. I was sure something was going to break but managed to arrive though it was a most unnerving ride, not helped by the weird petrol/oil ratio and lack of an easy measure, unlike the MZ. It wouldn’t start to go home immediately but after some time it finally deigned to go again.
On Thursday the weather was bad, rain and high winds so I went in by train and bus.
On Friday after about six or seven miles I noticed it was a bit sluggish but since I was on the motorway I pressed on. Just before a service area it suddenly tightened up and emitted a twang sound. I coasted down the hill into the service area while I plotted my next move. I did not like this thing. It filled me with misgivings while I was riding it and it was very unreliable in starting and running.
After a quick ponder I decided I had had enough. I managed to start it and got home at a steady 60kph, then phoned the dealer to take it away and I wanted my money back.
A few items to finish off the story so far: We have had some weird cats.
England: Linus on his favourite perch.
England: Schroeder taking over Linus’s favourite spot after Linus was killed.
Holland: Henry sitting in his favourite plant pot (really, not staged).
L to R – Henry, Dafna and Schroeder all together.
And I still make plastic models of that which I cannot own: examples below
Protar MZ 250 GP Racer.
Protar MZ ISDT.
Protar Guzzi V8.
B36 Peacemaker – once the largest plastic model in the world, plus some Mistels, Luftwaffe bombers and HMS Illustrious.
B52 Stratofortress.
Does anyone remember Cedric, the plasticene dinosaur which I had in Manchester? He’s old and battered and his ball bearing eyes are long gone, but he’s still hanging on.
A solid metal model of a Venom Engine.
And finally,
MZ almost buried in snow.
The above photo is the CB200. The previous day, on the way home, in sub zero temperatures, with snow already drifting down, the front brake decided to lock, luckily off rather than on. When the snow melted, so did the ice inside the mechanically operated front brake calliper. I found that out when I disassembled the brake to find out WTHWH.
All the photos in this concoction were scanned using the best little scanner in the world. It is the Hewlett Packard SJ5p. It came out in 1997 though I got mine (cheap) in 1999. As an extended self test it will play Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy’! When MS suddenly prematurely cut support to Win98SE two years ago I was forced to XP (yes, I could have gone to Linux but my ISP doesn’t support that) and since no-one seemed to supply a driver for the SCSI card in XP the 5p was carefully packed away. In the fullness of time it was discovered that the SCSI driver for Win 2000 also worked in XP so I have disconnected the truly awful SJ2400 and reinstalled the 5p – ah heaven.
SCSI is not magic. There are sound scientific reasons why it is necessary to sacrifice a goat to your SCSI chain every now and again.
The End.
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