Have I gone mental? - Old motorcycles

[RhynoCZ]

Hello, you know I like CZ motorcycles, hence my username, but I never made my self to buy one. Today, I found a nice exemplar of a '49 CZ125t after recent renovation that's worth about the same as my ZXR. The CZ has MOT and is fully road legal. Is such a motorcycle still useable in modern traffic? I've never had a motorcycle this old before. I do not commute on motorcycle so the motorcycle doesn't have to be really everyday use friendly.
My question for you is: would you swap a ''proper, modern'' superbike for your dream bike, even if it meant you'd get disappointed/bored of it in a while? When does a motorcycle get too old for road use?

Specs - cz 125t (1948-1949) - dry weight 76kg, does 60 miles per 2.5L (94.09 MPG(US)) of petrol and has aircooled single cylinder engine doing about 4.2hp @ 4200rpm combined with three speed gearbox doing about 80kph/50mph. Also 6v electrics and 12L tank.

https://images.motoinzerce.cz/m/i/799/799990_1.jpg
https://images.motoinzerce.cz/m/i/799/799990_2.jpg
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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

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[tony_d123]

Those figures are similar to a 1970's sports moped, so expect similar performance.

If you want to just potter about it will be fine. If you want go on a decent run then you will have to take your time. I ride a classic bike but with 60bhp. Much more useable!

[map]

That would be an ideal machine if you wanted to organise a Distinguished Gentleman's Ride

My view, life's too short for what ifs. Get it and use it. Even if it's not what you expect you've learnt from the experience.
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[stinkwheel]

Ride it. It's what they're for.

A friend of mine used to commute around Edinburghon a pre-war BSA flat-tanker with an exposed flywheel, hand gearshift and rim brakes.

I used to run around town on a 1968 Honda PC50 which was a pedal and go moped. Not a single fuck given.
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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.

[hmmmnz]

yeah go for it, i used to go every where on my little b120 and a100 bikes they could only do 80kmh tops, but were more than enough in traffic, on the open road they are a bit sluggish, but you just stick to "b" roads and thats fine
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[Chuffin Nora]

Pukka.

Very together-looking . . .

Built before the time when 'top brass at CZ discovered that Sellotape was a damn sight cheaper than producing stuff that actually held its own.

And, for all its capital lack of oomph, has still managed to overtake a communist takeover! Happy days.

May you find yourselves forever merrily stuck with each other, never finding the end of the roll.

[RhynoCZ]

I like the idea of having 40's bike but going back from 120+hp/280kph to 4.2hp/80kph for the same money just feels odd.

If it had more power I wouldn't have hesitated. I talked to my mate about it and he said the '49 CZ would be way worse than the MZ 150ETZ he lends me every now and then.
The bikes you've posted lads are way faster than the '49 CZ. I know top speed is not everything, but not even doing the speed limit is a bit discouraging.
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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

[RhynoCZ]

[GSTEEL32]

So its a bike with bugger-all power and the worst electrics known to man ?.....

.... but I bet you its probably the best looking bike anyone here posts a picture of for a long long time, its great...

Tell me how you get on with it... I've always fancied something like this at some point.....

[tony_d123]

[stinkwheel]

[Ariel Badger]

I used a 1930 bike as everyday transport for about five years in a busy city.
Hand change two up through city centre rush hour traffic, no problem.
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[Polarbear]

Is that a horn or a blunderbus on the headlight Mr Badger?
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[Lone-Wolf]

Wotcha.

I use a BSA Bantam on a regular basis - even venturing as far as London and back . . . .so I see no problem with using a bike which is more or less the same as an early D1 Bantam.
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Cheers.
^..^
L.W. - www.moonshiners.org.uk

[Ariel Badger]

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

I have visions of you with a push button mic on a lead, "VOTE BADGER - YOUR LOCAL CANDIDATE - I REPEAT, VOTE BADGER TODAY!"
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[DieselASFC]

I've always preferred the older cars/bikes to modern ones. Modern stuff all looks samey. If I could ever afford it, I'd lover to own a Rover 90. Beautiful. For what it's worth, I think the bike looks amazing, although the seat looks like it could be uncomfortable.

[stinkwheel]

[RhynoCZ]

[stinkwheel]

You ever see MZ BK350s over there?

That would be very near the top of my most-wanted, communist-era 2-stroke motorcycles list.
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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.

[RhynoCZ]

I've never seen one before. All you can get from MZ here is 125/150/251/301 (ETZ) and sometimes MZ ES 125/150/250 (Trophy).
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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

[RhynoCZ]

Interesting, the lad who's selling the 125t just changed pictures and dropped 400 pounds. Also changed it to 1947.
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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