Das MZ Forum für MZ Fahrer

Hello, you all.
I have 1974 TS250 four speed. Runs nice ,is a lot of fun.

Up shift and down shifts are noisy. Like dogs chattering
before they lock in . Changing shifting technique does not change sound.

Will the gearbox last ?
Can I do something to quiet the crunch/clatter ?

Thank you

Michael

Hi Michael,

first, a warm welcome.
About your problem, as far as I know is the gear changing in the 4-speed boxes a little bit noisie, thats the normal sound. I'm sure the experts will loose some words about it.
What you can check, is the clutch in a proper condition? Well setted? Check this and let us know what happens.


Uwe

-- Hinzugefügt: 21/3/2015, 18:56 --

There is another thing - the girls and boys here are mad keen on pics, please upload some pics of your bike(s).

A nicely Welcome to you.

Do you have your Bike longer times or do you have it just a while? Is the sound new or since longer times?

Is this Engine completely overhauled or original?
Than year of construction 1974 is it possible that sound´s get louder when nothing is made and running many times.

Give us just a little more input

The clutch is well bedded. 12thousand miles. Neutral is easy to find and the clutch does not drag when pulled in and idling hot or cold.

Waiting several seconds with clutch pulled in rewards you with a quiet 1rst gear engagement.

All new transmission and crankshaft bearings. New rings only. All else is original including the rod bearing and small end bearing.

New GL4 gear oil

Was sleeping since 1984, and I woke it up September 2014

A very nice ride

Michael

some noise is normal for the old engines, try to swich slowly oder a little bit faster but without force. once you get used to it, there shouldn´t be too much noise.

here you can listen the way it should be:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjjXt8rzaJ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFcjrHBg3EI

Hello Michael

Glad you made it so far:-)

Use this gearbox like a young sweet virgin. Feel the moving in your gearbox, use the gear shift with a gentle foot, but consistently until the end.

I found your pics... What a sweetheart.

Sieht die gut aus... Mit dem kleinen 12L-Tank der TS 150.

Welcome to mz-forum.com , your mz is very nice and in a good optical condition. There are interesting details at this American version, like the headlight and breakelight switch at the front wheel.
Are the flashlights and the tail- light the original parts? I gues they were exchanged sometime?

Lorchen hat geschrieben:Use this gearbox like a young sweet virgin. Feel the moving in your gearbox, use the gear shift with a gentle foot, but consistently until the end.

Great words from a real enthusiast

Hello Michael,
Yes beautiful. I have seen pictures before of the 250 TS with the small tank in the US. May be it is better for american preferences when I look at the Harley Sportster

Code: Alles auswählen

 a friend of mine has one. I remember a tour, when we were always looking for Gas Station

...it is like lorchen and the others wrote: the 4 gearbox is not comparable with any modern or even japanese Gearbox. Shifting is real oldschool, you have to take time and enjoy
Greetings Jürgen

I will continue to shift gentle and sure. Just want what is correct for the machine.....edit to add,
"It sounds like the green ES 250 Trophy in the video",
Thanks for that.

The lights and accessories are from our friend Guesi,
Who has really extended himself to get me on the road, because I was floundering in unfamiliar waters.

My heart desire is to make it all European, that's why the lights are changed soon it'll be the switches and hopefully and headlight and fuel tank.

Harly tank ?, ....I am mortified ( oh nooooo)

Much gratitude.

Michael

It's your decision, what you are doing with your bike. But you should store all exchanged parts- TS250 in this version are very rare and you should keep open the possibility to change back later

Michael,
I did not want to offend you!
I would regret it, if you would change your MZ into european style. it looks beautiful and I am happy to see that MZ has at least a few Fans in the US.
Your rare version is an enrichment to our forum

it never occurred to me that the Lucas parts that were hung on the bike for the American market were desirable.
I would hang on to them and preserve the looks of the bike as it is presently.
I assumed, and perhaps wrongly, assumed that the "American bikes" were
looked down upon as a redheaded stepchild.
No offence taken. Information noted.

Regards

Michael

...maybe there are different views to this bike in Amerika and Germany. Otherwise in Germany it were similar. In BRD, in a market full of nice bikes from many manufacturers, MZ for most people were also a redheaded stepchild, in GDR MZ as single manufacturer were a important part of peoples mobilization. After 1989/90 people in east Germany also get the open market with modern , fast and nice bikes, a lot of MZ- bikes were scrapped in the following years, because eberybody wants to have a new car or one of these seductive new bikes.
Today there are people like we are and one of our goals is, that some of the MZ- Bikes survives for longer time For us it's nice to see, that tere are other people all over the world, they have the same goal, and we are delighted when we see such comparatively rare MZ's like yours

Some facts at the end:

- all in all from 1956 to 1975 only 3703 motorbikes left the MZ - factory with destination United States

- 2516 of them were TS250 (9 in 1973, 2431 im 1974 and 76 in 1975

- Your bike is one of them, and one of the last MZ- Bikes, which were officially exported to USA (after 1975 export stopped)

Harley goes through the curves like a big fat grandma.
MZ TS 250 goes like a sweet young virg...

Problem is that they don´t have curves over there. Only straight highways and wind

Hi Michael,

I got my first 4-gear MZ (ES175/2) on the road last year. Just like you I was a little confused about the complete other sound
of the gear box in the beginning.
It didn´t remember dogs but - as a Beatles fan - more "Bang Bang Maxwell´s Silver Hammer ..." while switching the gears.
Now I know it´s the normal sound. Complete other sound than the gear of the small (125/150) MZs.

15 years ago we heard about an exciting story what went on with the exported TS to USA and where and how they has been
stored all the years. About that I wrote a short report here in the forum: http://pic.mz-forum.com/lothar/TS250/TS250.htm
Do you know where you TS came from? Maybe out of the bike pool from the docks?

Regards
Lothar

I just found your photos too really nice bike, and the US version is very rare (headlight with chrome, brake pad wear indicator?, different tank, brake lamp switch at the front, only the few things I saw at first sight)
congratulation for this bike in USA!

Guys ,you must have a look at Michaels pictures again. In between he has outed himself as a Moto Morini fan too. There must be sume curves over there

morinisti hat geschrieben: he has outed himself as a Moto Morini fan too.

Ach, das kleine Foto mit dem Kind auf dem Tank. Konnte nicht erkennen, was es für eine Maschine ist. Danke!

Selling the Moto-Morini was the dumbest thing I ever did.
(except that 2nd gear wheele whith H2 Kawa.down hill and in to the trees) ahem.

In the north east (New England) is tight twisty roads.in Virginia (Old Dominion) is
very tight roads.
Missoura (Confederate name for Missouri) is like runway at airport. (Great plains area)
South of me in the Ozarks is tight roads.

That big Yamaha is handy to run to the next city for errand. 50 miles away
and 75 mph allowed before law looks you over. Add to that head wind and machines work
hard. When (if) i move again I hope the roads will be curvacious.

Regards,
Michael

MichaelTorre hat geschrieben:Selling the Moto-Morini was the dumbest thing I ever did.
l

i did the same mistake
but life goes on and alternatives will come

i dont understand "curvacious"

MichaelTorre hat geschrieben:...is tight twisty roads,,,

that s the thing with the klischee: america is nothing but wide prairie and motorcycling has to look always an everywhere like this

Michael, you seem to be very exotic

Ugg.
I followed your link.
There is to much of that kind of mongrols out here.
Loud noise is all there good for.
Best thing about them if the weather is above 90°f of below 65°f the go home.

I have a bad habit of colourful speech.
Curvacious = curvey , the lustfull kind.

I didn't find the brake pad wear indicator, maybe I am missing something obvious ?
I would at least hope to put the German switches on the handlebars.
The Lucas equipment leaves something to be desired.......


Regards,
Michael.

MichaelTorre hat geschrieben:Missoura (Confederate name for Missouri)

Ah, thanks for the explanation. I was already wondering if this was a typing error.

MichaelTorre hat geschrieben:I didn't find the brake pad wear indicator, maybe I am missing something obvious ?

Well, I don´t think that such an indicator exists in MZs...

I think its confusion becausee of the cable to the front drum. Its for breaklight shifter?

-- Hinzugefügt: 23. März 2015 12:18 --

lothar hat geschrieben:15 years ago we heard about an exciting story what went on with the exported TS to USA and where and how they has been
stored all the years. About that I wrote a short report here in the forum: http://pic.mz-forum.com/lothar/TS250/TS250.htm
Do you know where you TS came from? Maybe out of the bike pool from the docks?

Regards
Lothar

Hi Lothar, i remember about three or two years ago appeared a yellow "NOS"TS 250 like Michaels on ebay USA in original Box
with only few damages from stock. The price was about 6000$. I thin, we had a thread here, I did not find yet.

Martin H. hat geschrieben:

MichaelTorre hat geschrieben:I didn't find the brake pad wear indicator, maybe I am missing something obvious ?

Well, I don´t think that such an indicator exists in MZs...

It is not a real indicator, it is only an little spyhole in the "brake anchor plate". I know it only at the front wheel and only for export-models. It was shown in an old GDR-motor-magazine (Der Deutsche Straßenverkehr). Perhaps i find it (the magazine) an i´ll upload a picture of it.

EmmasPapa hat geschrieben:
It is not a real indicator, it is only an little spyhole in the "brake anchor plate". I know it only at the front wheel and only for export-models.

If I am allowed to use your photo....? have a look at the rear wheel, there is this small hole at the top:

gallery/image.php?album_id=3225&image_id=24968

ea2873 hat geschrieben:

EmmasPapa hat geschrieben:
It is not a real indicator, it is only an little spyhole in the "brake anchor plate". I know it only at the front wheel and only for export-models.

If I am allowed to use your photo....? have a look at the rear wheel, there is this small hole at the top:

gallery/image.php?album_id=3225&image_id=24968

There it is! And at the rear wheel! Thats news for me. So Michael, plaese look at the front wheel and tell us!



add: I found it in our forum, scroll a bit down, there ist the pic of the indicator at the front wheel: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=49822

morinisti hat geschrieben:Hi Lothar, i remember about three or two years ago appeared a yellow "NOS"TS 250 like Michaels on ebay USA in original Box
with only few damages from stock. The price was about 6000$. I thin, we had a thread here, I did not find yet.

This one ...?
viewtopic.php?p=1257376#p1257376

Oh, yes.
It is a spy hole that will enable you to ascertain the condition of the brake shoes.

I remember marveling at the detail the engineers thought of. The front brake does have
a contact in it , exactly like the rear. In fact the parts are interchange.

Regards,
Michael

MichaelTorre hat geschrieben:... kind of mongrols ...

never heard this term before but I found a description .

MichaelTorre hat geschrieben:I have a bad habit of colourful speech.
Curvacious = curvey , the lustfull kind.

Well, I thinks thats not a bad habbit, a colourful speech, that makes words fly and minds running - thats why written words work and sometimes move people.
So what, go on to tell us about bikes and biker in the US, about mongrols on the highways and other things. It's a pleasure to read your posts, I'm looking forward to the next one.


Regards

Uwe

A little history,
Some smaller Motorbike dealers were selling the
MZ TS250 in a crate for $450 USD in 1983, to 1986.
Where they came from I know not.

My bike was bought in thelate '70s by a young collage student.
He went to Buffalo State (N.Y.) till at least 1984, were he then
paked the bike in eastern New York. It was given to me in 1994 as
part of a clean up.

I looked it over, sighed and said "some day later" and sprayed it down with oil
on the outside and in the cylinder.

I moved in 95, to Virginia taking this old filthy bike with me and selling my large collection
of 2 strokes Morinis, and dirt bike. Sprayed with oil and wheeled in a barn.

in 2012 I move to Missoura, and wheeled the very very dirty bike out of storage and into
a garage. in 2013, I said, "I hope to hear her run."

August of 2014 she barked her first noise since 1984, but not without new seals, and bearings
as a precaution.

Strange.... the bike followed me for so many years.

Regards,
Michael

like a german shephard...

loyal and sometimes barking.

Hi Michael,

nice story that's what I asked for.
It makes me smile to here similar storys from different countries.

Well, I've got a MZ story too.

In the early 80's, I was 18 years old, I had a dream. A brandnew MZ model was dropped to the market, the ETZ 250 - this bike was my goal. The problem was, I had no money in my pockets. So I asked my father. He told me: " A bike? Cut the crap!"
Ok, I borrowed some money from my brother, sold my trusty 50ccm Simson and took some small jobs.
1984 I bought a brandnew MZ ETZ 250. We had some very good years, I crashed the bike two times, rebuilt it.
Many years my MZ slept in a garage - in 2005 I pulled it out, changed some parts and had much fun with this old, trusty and sometimes bitchy bike.

Well, that's the story of my MZ. Today I'm sure, I'll never sell it.


Regards

Uwe