MZ Riders Club

Hints and Tips : General

Page updated : 28/04/2007

Site designed by Mike

In no particular order

Control Cable Lubrication: (Keith Steyert) I have found that it is well worth taking the time to work oil through a new cable before fitting it as this markedly improves the smoothness of operation and makes the control lighter. After this, a couple of drops of oil applied to the exposed ends of the cable on a regular basis helps maintain the smooth action.  In winter, salt and water can seep into cables. I find a quick spray with WD 40 followed by a few drops of oil does the trick. It's a simple operation, but easily neglected.

Spark Plugs: if you've ever been abroad and needed to buy a spark plug then you'll realise that you can't always get an NGK or Nippon Denso one over the counter. To help you out Trebor has kindly worked out a list of equivalent grade plugs from other manufacturers. Click here for the full list.

Cruise-control: ever fancied fitting cruise-control to your bike for those long motorway journeys but thought that it was too expensive? A cheap and effective alternative means of achieving the cruise-control effect is to simply fit a set of bar-end weights to your MZ. If you fit one snug against the throttle grip it acts like a friction damper and stops the throttle snapping shut whenever you remove your hand from the bar. Not exactly the same as cruise-control I grant you but it means that, amongst other things, you can now scratch your nose without the bike grinding to a halt. It’s easy to do, relatively cheap and completely reversible. Both of my bikes are tricked out like this and it’s really useful for long trips to rallies etc. Try it and see.

Top box: put an old rubber car mat (or one cut to size) in the bottom of your top-box. It will protect things from rattling about inside, will give you some thing dry to sit on at campsite and to kneel on when fixing the bike at the side of the road, and can also be used as a prayer mat if you can’t repair it (remember to face towards Zschopau when praying for your bike to repair itself). Old bits of carpet or foam sleeping mats do the job just as well.

Misting visors: Forget all the fancy anti-misting products that claim to stop your visor misting up. Just put a SMALL blob of washing-up liquid on the inside of your visor and smear it all over the surface with your finger. Allow to dry, and then polish it up with kitchen roll (or bog paper if you want more Zed Cred). It should stop misting up for about a week of nasty weather. And it’s CHEAP! I always use this method and it won’t steam up even if I breathe on the visor directly. However, never do this to the outside of your visor as you’re likely to be shot by armed police for being a rabid biker when it rains and it looks like you're foaming at the mouth.

Gloves: Heavy-duty rubber gloves are excellent rain wear for the hands, an oft-neglected but critical part of the anatomy when it comes to suiting up for wet weather. Buy an extra large size to fit over your leather gloves. They come in fetching shades of pink and yellow for those of you who never do the washing-up. Also you can keep a pair of thin latex disposable gloves somewhere on your bike. They will work in a pinch, but are especially good for keeping hands clean when working on oily bits like the chain. Also, those thin plastic bags that you get in the vegetable and meat sections of your local supermarket will keep your feet dry as emergency rain wear. Just take off your shoes, slip the bags over your socks, and put your shoes on over them. Your shoes will get wet but you will have dry, if a tad smelly, feet at the end of your trip.

Safety Tip: Packing up for a motorcycle rally is nearly as much  fun as taking the trip. What to take, what to leave behind? But before leaving your driveway, sit on the loaded bike and get a feel for the extra weight. Check for any changes in balance it has caused, then take a couple of trips around the block to get accustomed to the bike's new feel with a full load of gear. Don't be afraid to repack a few times to get the weight balanced, and double check that the load is secure each time you pack up.

On Tour: (Motorcycle Sport & Leisure) Save t-shirts, socks, underwear etc. that is getting a bit tatty for taking away with you on holiday. Wear them once more, then bin them. Coming home you now have room in your luggage for gifts, souvenirs and bottles of plonk, plus you’re not faced with a pile of washing when you get in the door.

Petrol: (Mike) Many years ago I used to work for the oil company ESSO. So, believe me when I tell you that you should never, ever, fill up in a petrol station if there’s a tanker lorry on the forecourt. The reason? Well, over the years the station’s underground fuel tanks get all sorts of contaminants in them - water, rust, sand etc. When the tanker off-loads its fuel all that rubbish gets stirred up from the bottom of the tank where it has settled and goes swirling around in the fuel. If you fill up at this point all of that rubbish ends up in your bike. So, be warned!

Bike Boots: (Mike) Many folk swear by boots from Messrs. Alt-Berg, manufacturers of both walking and motorcycle boots (see Links page). Their HQ is in Richmond, North Yorkshire, near Scotch Corner, and they can often be found at the Scottish Motorcycle Show at Ingliston for those of you who would like a closer look at their products. You can get yourself a pair of made to measure boots, if you are prepared to wait for about 12 weeks, or you can try their mail order service. However, as it's not too far away on 'nice' roads, it's on the edge of Wensleydale (pack the crackers, Gromit), you might want to take a trip down to the factory and get your boots the hard way. You can get a pair of boots ‘off-the-shelf’ there and then at their shop or at the factory. It’s likely that you’ll save enough with the factory price to pay for the wee trip. Well built (CE marked for crash protection), waterproof, and comfortable enough to walk about in. They sell for the sort of money that a crap pair of ‘motorcycle boots’ will set you back in your local bike shop.