Eastern Block 2-Strokes

[stinkwheel]

Right, since we are having a spate of 'idiots guide to' threads and as threatened.

Picture this, you are at college or in a low paid job, you have no money and need some form of transport but you have a motorbike licence. A car is simply not an option. You reckon you can budget for maybe 3-400 quid. A troll through ebay and the free-ads paper reveals a succesion of high-mileage, clapped out jap bikes dating back to the 1970s. They are time-bombs, ready to let you down at every oppertunity having reached the limit of their built-in obsolescence.

This is where you should consider the purchase of an eastern-block 2-stroke. They are not fancy, they are not fast but they are cheap and built to get you from A to B on minimal money with simple and cheap maintainance. They were mass produced in the Communist era as cheap transport for the masses.

I wont mess you about, these are not performance machines and they do break down. The difference is that they will take a phenomenal amount of abuse/neglect and are designed to be user serviceable using basic tools. Many of the parts are repairable if they do break and spares are cheap to buy and easy to obtain.

I have owned many of these vehicles over the years and know people who own others of them. So...

Learner legal 125s
A bit of history will reveal that these almost all date back to a bike made by the German company DKW who designed a bike called the RT125 just before WW2. After the war the design of these bikes were stolen by both the british and the russians, the germans continued to make them too. They are all 2-stroke, air cooled singles and are made under a variety of names. The british version was by far the worst (the BSA bantam) and is only for massochists.

So, you have the choices.
The MZ 125s, earlier ones were the TS125 going on to the ETZ125. No longer in production but there are a lot of them out there. Some versions are pig-ugly later ones have disc brakes. They will sit at 55-60mph all day long and sip petrol. You can buy a good one for 2-300 pounds, a fixer-upper for 50 quid. If the engine runs without any severe clattering noises (which might suggest a dodgy bearing), chances are it is a good one. A 12v charging system is preferrable to the 6v one but both are reliable.

The ETZ 125

https://amicalemz.free.fr/amz/MOD-MZ125-150ETZ.jpg

The others
There are a variety of other ones, usually made by a factory in Bellarussia. They have been marketed as Cossack, Minsk, Voskhod, Regent, Motobeno, the czechoslovakian Jawa and CZ, Kalashnikov (yes, same factory as the guns) and Motbelo amongst others.

These are as basic as a 125 gets. pre-mix oiling (and lots of it) 55mph cruising speed and a somewhat agricultural 4-speed gearbox. You will get a good runner for 1-200 quid which usually require a decoke every so-often, a new plug and a change of gearbox oil in the way of servicing. Those with points ignition need fiddling with on a slightly more regular basis but points are easy and cheap. They are let down a bit by the fittings which are made to a budget so things like plug-caps are better replaced and some of the bolts are very soft, they don't cost much to replace with decent ones if you remove them though.

There are also some trailie versions of these bikes which are eminently capable, go to a country like vietnam or tailand and they are everywhere. Even the 'road' bikes will cope with moderate green-laning.

I ran a motobeno for three years and other than replacing a couple of bolts, never had any problems. Never failed to start and cost 500 quid brand new.
bog standard minsk road bike
https://www.minskclubvietnam.com/MinskHoanKiem.jpg

Bigger bikes
Foremost amongst these is the MZ again. The design dates back to the 1950s where they were used in International Six Day Trails competitions. They wiped the floor with everything else available at the time and are the direct ancestor of all japanese bikes. If the chief MZ designer had not defected to the suzuki motorcycle company, there would not be a japanese bike industry.

There are many versions of these bikes ranging from 250 to 350cc air-cooled singles. They will do about 70mph flat-out, maybe up to 80 Again either TS or ETZ ratings. Later models had innovations such as the disc brake, fairings and autolube. These bikes go on for ever on no maintainance. Again, try for 12v if you can get it. The only major problem I know of is a gearshift return spring which can break and leaves the lever flapping in the wind. This is easily replaced but you have to split the engine to do so (about a days work for a reasonable amateur mechanic) You will get a runner for 200 quid, some of the newer models can still push a grand. Again no longer in production by MZ but a turkish company is still knocking them out at rock bottom prices. Some of the 1960s /70s models are spectacularly ugly, there are many different models but they are all a variation on a theme.

If it runs and ticks over without clatters, you should be fine.

I would happily ride the length of the country on one and expect to get there (doing over 60mpg the whole way)

There are thousands of MZs running about out there, they are even favoured by some dispatch riders which is the ultimate accolade for cheapness and reliability.

They can be made to go fast, there is an active MZ race series currently.

Cooking ETZ301
https://zapf.fb15.uni-dortmund.de/~karalus/mz/pics/etz301.jpg

Jawa and CZ
Jawa have been making bikes since the 1920s. Famous for their crossers and speedway bikes, the road bikes are not in the same league, these are the definition of BASIC. The engineering is rough and ready but again, they will run on minimal money and maintainance for years. The CZ models are getting very old now, probably best avoided, as are the 250 jawas.

The 350 jawas have been about for years and are an air-cooled twin. The 12v models are definatley preferrable as they have a field-coil alternator which is very good, the 6v dynamos were never really up to the job. They will cruise at 70mph but are happier at 60. The faired models tend to overheat due to lack of air-flow and the 1970s 'oilmaster' autolube was considered dodgy even then, pre-mix is the way. Electrical niggles are almost always due to loose spade connectors or worn alternator brushes (2.50 to replace in ten minutes). The points ignitions need constant fiddling with (about every 500 miles) but no big deal to do. Electronic ignition and disc brake on the later models. Retro-fit kits are available for both these items.

Some of the older (early 70s) ones have a grease nipple for lubing the centre main bearing...do not neglect this, it was responsible for the bad reputation the bikes got in the 70s, they were all seizing the cranks because noone greased them.

They are still in production but are not being officially imported any more to my knowledge.

Expect to pay up to 350 quid for one but you might even be given a good runner for free! Look for easy starting on both cylinders and a steady tickover. A little clattering of the primary chain (left side engine casing) is normal, especially when hot.

I bought one for 250 quid ten years ago and it is still on the road!

They also made one with a 500cc rotax engine which by all accounts is a complete dog, but if you happened accross one it would be VERY cheap and should be reliable.

Jawa 350 model 638
https://www.top-design.cz/dragons/motorkari/jawa/350_638/otis.jpg


All of these bikes have active owners clubs who are very helpful when it comes to maintainance, hints and tips. They also ride their bikes all over the country.

Parts are cheap and easy to come by from a company called MZ-b in Germany, they dispatch by return of post and speak excellent English. A friend of mine is restoring a 1952 jawa grasstracker and they had conrod kits IN STOCK for it (20 quid each), arrived within 48h!

Not an exhaustive list, there are many different marques but they are pretty much variations on a theme.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[mr.z]

Great stuff

They are the perfect rat bikers bike...

Do you think one would make a good spare bike? big two stroke would be lovely to upset the locals with every so often

I know ural are still makeing circa 1940s bmw engined wolfs too, not two stroke but more that a bit ratty... cheep, and most maintainance can be done with a good sized house brick.

I remember seeing somebody on ratbike.org doing indepth engine surgery with a spanner on a garden table i'm 99% sure it was a jawa...
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[stinkwheel]

[Demonic69]

So Stinky, I've changed plug, coil, condenser and battery, so what's making my TS125 have a weak spark?
____________________
Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[stinkwheel]

HT lead unscrewing itself and scorching the end of the copper wire, cut it back + start again. Wrong sparkplug and/or cap, many eastern block 2-strokes don't like supressor plug caps and/or resistor plugs. Loose plug cap not making proper contact. Improperly gapped plug (few people check plug gaps these days), incorrect points gap. Loose spade connector on the coil. Oil fling onto the points surfaces off the cam felt. Dodgy plug (new does not mean good especially with NGK!)

Have you tried it with the ignition in 'emergency' position?

Is the spark really weak (ie. is it running ok)?
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Big Pete]

Despite my well known dislike of 2 strokes I don`t to rain on Stinks parade, but bikes are not the ultra cheap transport they once were, 300-400 will get a reasonable (for a poverty stricken student) car with tax and MOT, that (with some cheap maintenace) will last at least a couple of years. Secondhand vehicle prices have plunged in the last couple of years, second hand cars are dirt cheap.
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Trust me, I`m an engineer
GarageOfPower.co.uk

[stinkwheel]

A fair point, but you have failed to take into account the fact that the insurance even on something like a clapped out ford fiesta for an 18 year old student with no no-claims will be somewhere in the region of 800 quid TPO.

I would be very surprised if you couldn't insure a group 2, MZ 125 for a learner for less than 200 pounds..
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[iCraig]

£800?

My brother is 23 with a 1997 VW Polo, and he's looking at £700TPFT!

If I wanted to get insured on the same car (me being 20, 0 NCB) It'd be more like £1100.

Hence why I own a bike, £321 TPFT on a GPZ500S .

[Demonic69]

Tried all those Stinky. It was running fine, then just died all of a sudden. Now it just puts out a feeble spark and wont ignite.
____________________
Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[iCraig]

[MaSh]

[mr.z]

[stinkwheel]

[Hex]

Is it possible the timing has slipped somehow?
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The BCF's very own Party boy! Though he's getting old and feeling it!
Monkey hanger, Born and bred
My little photo portfolio

[Demonic69]

[stinkwheel]

Failing everything, you could always get a replacement self-generating ignition system from MZ-b. You just take everything off the right hand end of the crank and bolt the pre keyed-in MZ-b unit in its place. Makes its own spark on fixed CDI timing, powers the lights, the lot. No need for a battery.
____________________
“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.