MZ TS 250 or Jawa 350?

[snomag]

It's all in the title, really, but here's the longer version :p

I had to sell my superduke to put the money towards something else. But as I don't want to be without a bike for too long, I have been thinking
about getting something that's dirt cheap and has a character. And for whatever reason, I actually like the looks and sound of these bikes.

So I'm looking for some advice on which one to choose, as they are pretty much in the same price range, and I have
found several that even comes with a sidecar. Which I think is cool, eventho I'm fully aware of it's drawbacks.

The question is: Which one would you recommend? Based on the stuff I read so far I'm leaning towards the MZ as people seem
to say it's put together better, but it would be great if someone with a bit more hands on experience could share his thoughts.

[MarJay]

Neither.

Go with a well maintained MZ ETZ 251 or 301. The Jawa is built terribly. Just ask Stinkwheel. He found that the cylinders were different lengths meaning that the head gasket would not seal if I recall correctly.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[snomag]

[MarJay]

[RhynoCZ]

Well, MZ150 goes like Jawa 350, both bikes are fun to ride, but I'd say MZ, if you want something made in the wrong side of europe

By the way, Jawa is going to sell their 350/640 again for short period of time, they somehow managed to fulfill EURO 3 emission standard. I've never been on a 640 but people say it's good enough for the money. They are also talking about their 1000cc project, their own in-line twin cylinder is going to be the most powerfull production Jawa ever built.

EDIT: I don't want to take over your topic, but I found the magic behind Jawa 640 fulfilling EURO 3, quite funny, the first I'd do, I'd swap the exhaust for standard two-chamber exhaust. It also has longer gear box and some mods in the carburetorhttps://img.aktualne.centrum.cz/583/19/5831953-jawa.jpg
Source: https://auto.aktualne.centrum.cz/clanek.phtml?id=786183
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[snomag]

[RhynoCZ]

The performance of brakes goes: drum brake with one lever, drum brake with two levers, jawa/MZ disc brake. Disc brakes have the same performance but Jawa's got worse suspension so in the end the MZ wins.

Gearbox, Jawa's got 4 speeds, MZ 5 speeds, but the fifth on 150ETZ I've been on was so long that I couldn't really use it that much, it's there to keep the fuel consumption down.

Next difference I'm aware of is clutch, Jawa wins this one.

And the last thing is ignition, MZ's got better ignition from factory but there's VAPE ignition set for Jawa's that'd make it even.

Parts are everywhere if you pick right model of MZ or Jawa.

That's about it, well I'd take CZ, because I'm a big fan of CZ factory These bikes are not about speed nor performance, you've got to be keen on it
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[snomag]

Thanks RhynoCZ, very helpful post

[Cheeseybeaner]

[RhynoCZ]

You should also know it's not quite safe to ride these on public roads. These bikes are slow, very slow and you've got to pre-rev it to take off. You're gonna also have to think much ahead. One more thing, say good bye to overtaking other cars. You can make the bike swifter with your clutch but then you will be changing the plates much earlier.

I miss the certainty of a ''modern'' four stroke

EDIT: Maybe, the 250/300 would be a bit better than the 150ETZ, but I don't think the difference is that dramatic.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[bladerunner]

Mz if you had to! Jawa if you lug a side car around....but plz don't!
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Current bikes...cbr929, KDX200's, Rd125lc mk2, RGV250's

[Cheeseybeaner]

[stinkwheel]

No contest. If you have a choice between a roadgoing Jawa 2-stroke and pretty much anything else. Buy something else. They are total shite. I should know.

I'm trying to think of a worse bike you could buy.

Errr. A GPz305, a VF750, a Bimota V-due (actually, you can't buy one following a 100% recall so they're worth a fortune)... An SV650...
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“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.

[Efes123]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[temeluchus]

[snomag]

Thanks for all the comments so far

I only have now one more question, and that's related to these bikes with sidecars.

Anyone has any experience with them? I would be mainly interested in figuring out, how feasible it is to have an MZ 250 with a sidecar and give a grown up man a lift every now and then. Or would it struggle to get going due to the lack of performance?

[temeluchus]

[snomag]

Okay, so here's an update

After spending quite a bit of a time on looking at bikes and asking people's opinion about what would be the most sensible way to go about this whole old bike buying business - I went out and did exactly the opposite as what most suggested, and I bought myself this:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3807/9525258554_2aed33da8c_b.jpg

I know, I know...

But I couldn't help it. I went to see this bike, started it up, went for a quick testride and I simply felt like I had to buy it. I guess this is called love at first sight

It's mostly okay, but as it's been standing for quite a few years in a shed, there are - obviously - some issues with it. So it'll spend the next week or two on getting fixed up to make sure it can go through it's "MOT".

Hopefully the good weather will still be around by then :p

[snomag]

Oh and it costs around 7pounds to insure for a year..which's a bonus.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

Just the thing for popping to the allotment on.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[stinkwheel]

Wow. That appears to be a Jawa oilmaster with a velorex chair attached. Perhaps the most failworthy combination of motorcycle and sidecar ever to grace the roads.

They are truly awful contraptions, just when you think you've got the hang of it, it'll throw you off or into a parked car. I have scars to prove it.

Welcome to interesting times. It'll either make you or break you.

Keep plenty of weight in the chair (bag of sand, couple of 56lb weights or similar). Mark and check the sidecar couplings for movement before every journey (I'd suggest a dab of paint on the nut where it meets the threaded section, if the paint is broken or moved, check the alignment).

Fit a steering damper, turn it all the way up and get some square cross section tyres on it as soon as possible (Avon do "safety mileage" and "triple duty sidecar" tyres). Some people manage to find car spacesaver tyres which will fit, you're not going to be going over 55mph and they are usually free from breakers. If any of the tyres are "Barum" brand treat their replacement as urgent.

It would be a mistake to assume the oil pump is delivering what it says it is. Do a drip count (there should be x-number of drips at y-rpm with the oil feed tube removed, I don't know what that figure is though) or blank the carb port off, route the oil hose back into the oil tank so it's still circulating oil and doesn't seize and premix it at a MINIMUM of 50:1.

I think that might be one of the models that has a grease nipple on the front of the crankcase to lubricate the centre main bearing. Don't forget to do this periodically or it'll seize.

Always carry two spare sparkplugs, a plug spanner, a small wire brush, a set of points and condenser, a clutch cable and a spare dynamo brush holder.

Oh, and if you know someone who can make cables, get them to make you up a front brake cable out of car handbrake cable. A Kawasaki cable clutch lever (I used a GPZ500 one) flipped upside down and used as a brake lever will enormously increase the amount of braking effort you can apply. The idiot switch can be wired in as a brake light switch.
____________________
“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.

[Vincent]

May Saint Monica* be with you




























* St Monica, the patron saint of patience.
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Space Is Deep

[stinkwheel]

[Shaft]

Isn't the chair on the wrong side?
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035