MZ again

Thought I'd try my luck, as it's been sitting under a tarp for the last
two or three weeks.

Fuel on, choke on, kick over twice, choke off, ignition on, and...

Kick....

And...

....it started first kick! Result.

 

The sneaky bastard is just lulling you into a false sense of security.

Spent the afternoon playing MIG on the Bantam centrestand, A bit of
extra metal to replace the wear and the back wheel now comes off the
ground.

With any luck the new gearshift spring and some gaskets should be here
on monday.

 

Saw some LE's at Kempton Park today and thought of you.

They truly are one fucked up motorcycle.

 

But the eciloP absolutely loved them.

 

In those days, they didn't carry guns, villains put up their hands and
said: "It's a fair cop, guv," if they shouted "STOP!", Plod cars did
45mph and little old ladies always made them cups of tea. Having an
ineffectual motorcycle was just one more thing on the list.

 

In concept and layout, yes, absolutely.

In engineering and quality, very much of their time, I'm afraid.

 

They were a complete revolution in their day, massively over engineered
and good for at least 100,000 miles. Nobody else would think of making
a 200cc water cooled shaft driven boxer.
They later put the same machine into a conventional frame and called it
the Valiant. Pretty little bike but horribly expensive for a 200.

 

The police requirement was for a quiet urban patrol machine. The copper
on the beat needed a pushbike replacement to potter around the streets
at night without waking people. Bantams etc were too noisy and soon fell
apart carting 15 stone of copper around every day. The LE was the ideal
tool for the job, 50mph was more than plenty.

By modern standards they perform about as well as a modern 125, so still
a credible city commuter. How many CG125s will make it to 60 years old ?.

 

Indeed, basically the same mechanics with air cooled OHV barrels grafted on.

 

As the earliest ones are now over 30 years old, I'd say plenty. Trouble
is, it's abuse and neglect that kills bikes like that, not any inherent
defect in the machine itself.

<Makes Sign of Holy Pushrods>

 

My in-laws used to regularly travel Ayrshire to/from Berkshire on the
LE. I can't say I fancy the time it took to do this trip, but it seemed
to work for them at the time.

 

MSOHP is not a laughing matter and putting "LOL" after it may require
your appearance before the ecclesiastical court.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Tim

<sharpens pitchfork>

Who's got the flaming torches?

--
Wicked Uncle Nigel - "He's hopeless, but he's honest"

I have already made the greatest contribution to the fight against climate
change that I can make: I have decided not to breed. Now quit bugging me and
go and talk to the Catholics.

 

The Sign of Holy Pushrods is probably the oldest (and certainly the
Holiest) genuflection belonging to ukrm.

It is made by pointing the index fingers on each hand, held in close
parallel, to the sky and then moving them up and down in imitation of
the aforesaid pushrods.

It is chiefly intended as a sign of homage to the Holy Honda CG125, a
machine of great significance.

 

It's a sign of your lack of grip on reality, is what it is.

 

The Older Gentleman wrote:

Wotcha.

.... and this is news ?


They all do that, Sir.




(Sometimes)

 

I took the 301 out for its inaugural test blat today.

On the whole I was relatively pleased by it. It appears
to be able to hold 70-80mph, no problem. The handling was
light, neutral and predictable. The brakes were adequate
and the electrics all functioned properly. I quite liked
ring-dinging my way about the countryside, it turned out
to be a nice bimble in pleasant weather round the Wyre
forest.

On the not so good side, the centre stand return springs
are useless and every attempt at spirited cornering was
accompanied by a clattering sound as the centre stand kept
hitting the deck.

The bust gear change return spring is annoying if you are
trying to hustle the thing.

The forks are not in as good a condition as I first thought.
Whilst there is no corrosion on the sliders, they appear to
be worn to the point that even the brand new oil seals I'd
fitted were unable to stop fork oil weeing out down the fork
legs and then backwards over everything else.
Ho hum, replacement sliders/forks required methinks.

The rear shocks are also showing their age and whilst there
is some damping, they are beginning to lose the battle.
Work required.

The "Golden boy" tyres left me feeling a little cautious
in the corners, whilst OK on a nice dry day, I'd not want
to test the limits of adhesion in the wet.
Does anyone have any recommendations for decent rubber for
these bikes? Bearing in mind the rear wheel on the Saxon
301 VE is a 16" item.

 

I reckon the most likely comparison is the C90. Of which Honda have made
(albeit in several variants) a rather silly number.

Mind, later CGs are not the same either. Dunno how much different counts as
"not the same machine" - the latest one is nothing like the original, either
the CG or the C90.

 

<Nods in approval>

 

The *what*???