How turbulant is life with a CZ?

[All Things 414]

Hi guys. CZ's. What are they like to get bits for? In the couple of years I've been in the vintage (well twin-shock) scene I can't help but have my head turned by these remarkable machines.
Being a Monty man I'm more than used to scrounging world-wide for the bits that I've needed for my bikes (the 414 being a rare item) so I'm not nai've when it comes to the cost of getting certain bits or having to wait for that certain something.
I've been thinking that like the Monties, production would not have changed as often as when the Japs came onto the scene and that many items would be inter-changable. I'm only guessing here.
Also, was there a popular model from around the twin-shock era?
For the right bike, I'd even be prepared to let my little V 75 go as it wasn't the type of bike I was after and it sought of just fell into my lap.

[All Things 414]

Shy lot these Easteners........

[Doc]

a very quiet bunch indeed 414..maybe they're such a shy group they've decided to email you an answer instead  Eno in NZ is probably the man to talk to. I've pondered the question of another marque before also and not wishing another Japper I'd also pondered a CZ or even (insert gasping, unbelievable shock and total horror here) a Bultaco!!  yes you read it right!!..come the new year I may well be on the hunt..nothing flash but something rideable would be nice..the bike below got me going..the more I looked the more I thought "mmmm..I could go one of these."



 

[eno]

Hey you will never know till ya do it, just get a CZ, you won't regret it. I'm of a mind that you don't choose CZ's, rather they choose you.
The only turbulent part is lefthand kicking over an 11.5/1 compressed 400 like mine, if ya make it thru that test & she's cackling away there with that sort of staccato bark that CZ's have, hook it into gear with that long throw shift, gas it & big lumps of earth break free showering anyone behind, hook 2nd - same thing again & the front lofts clear of the deck, 3rd gear - you instinctively shift your weight forward to try & keep that front wheel in contact with the ground, 4th - holy crap! I'm gonna die, fortunately there usually is a corner in the way so ya don't have to stay in top. The brakes do work too.

Spares?...Hey getting things for a CZ is the easiest shopping you will ever do, just an e-mail & payment & parts are on ya doorstep approx 8 days later. Here is the list of CZ suppliers from the good ol' USA.

NorthWest Maico & CZ  http://www.nwmaicoandcz.com/ (what? they still haven't got that site up yet!) I get my parts from these guys, last time I mailed them it was [email protected]

CR High Performance products http://www.crhighperformance.com/ I haven't got stuff off these guys but have heard very good reports. Also good online window shopping.

Bertus http://www.geocities.com/bertuscz/bertus_cz.html (hey Bertus has a website?) Never spoken to this man but he has been with CZ forever & probably has the biggest parts inventory in the universe. Only way to contact is by fax.

The Holy Grail is the Twin Piper model - never ridden one myself, my personal favourite is the 73's thru to 75 models.

[Doc]

mmmm..thanks Eno..twin piper is the holiest of grails  that, or an RH67 twin piper eh!..little bit of a connection there Fortunately I'll not be hunting a big bore ceezee (or taco) when the time comes so my gumby knee is safe for the short term..a 250 at most but preferably a 125 would do the trick. What sort of money are the little CZ's pulling? Wouldn't want a resto but a complete disassembled bike or bike in need of repair would be my calling..

[eno]

Yep there are some wierd coincidental things that conect early Zooks to CZ.
Go for the 250, the 125(pre-75) uses same frame as 400 & 250, basically CZ's 125 was a sleeved/destroked 250...bet ya it's bulletproof.
I've got a 1979 type 511 125cc waiting in the rebuild queue, she's an ugly thang but I suspect has a heart of gold.

[firko]

CZ's are good honest bikes with more inbuilt personality than just about any other brand. Just yesterday I finished helping a mate rebuild his '75 Falta 250 engine and it was great to be reminded just how bulletproof they are. Even though I'm thought of as a Maico guy, I've raced a number of CZ's since the early seventies. I've had two during the vintage era and they're both still happily motoring along. Go on Doc, jump into into the dark chasm of Euro VMX, you'll soon wonder why you persevered with those pesky Japanese thingys for so long. Congrats also Doc on the recent TM125 resto BTW, Nice job, how DO you do it so quickly??

[cyclegod]

There's a 400 for sale out in W.A.  $4500
http://vmxwa.com/component/option,com_adsmanager/page,show_ad/adid,46/catid,1/Itemid,37/

[All Things 414]

Ok. They do actually look easier to get aftermarket bits for than a Monty. Is there a Falta model that's Pre 75 (the biggest dissapointment with my V 75 is that it has to be raced Pre 78. Not a chance!)? Or getting back to my original question, is there a twin-shock era bike?

[Doc]

Firko thanks mate but that TM is not really a resto..it's more a finalization of a bike  that's been sitting at 80% for the past 6 months (or more actually..it's the roller that Bill used at the Nats in May)..now at 100% complete I can concentrate on another..I want (like) to build an RM125S powered TM125 for pre78 dirt track and keep that bike just finished for MX. I seriously am starting to look away from Japan for my next purchase but I've a few more zooks to finish before I can look for anything half seriously..I have nothing in the way of parts (except zook) so my guess is I'll be looking for a cheaper but mostly complete bike. I'd go a 250 in a pinch but I'd prefer the 125..I remember seeing them at Brisk Sales in the 70's at give away prices but that was 30 years ago 

[firko]

Doc....CZ125's are practically indestructible for the reasons that Eno stated, they are basically a 250 with a smaller bore. It's funny but the 125CZ is actually slightly heavier than the 250 due mainly to the extra metal in the barrel. As bulletproof and understressed as they are, they are pitifully slow.
At the Dick Mann meeting in California in 1986 the guys that lent me the CZ to race pulled a swifty on me in one race by giving me a 125 with 250 plates to race in the 250 class. I remember thinking as I doodled around, that this bike was sadly in need of some work, I thought it was rooted. When I came in they were pissing themselves. Apparently it was a bit of an in joke where they would lend the bike to overseas riders to check out if they could ride or not. I must have passed muster because they gave me a very trick blue tank '73 (?) 250 for the next race.
The Suzuki-CZ connection is strong mainly based on the defections of Robert, DeCoster and Geboers from CZ to Suzuki and bringing some technology with them. According to Roger DeCoster those early RH/RNs had many little CZ quirks like CZ copy forks and power characteristics to help make the transaction easy (The frame was a straight rippoff of the Cheney as well). You're a little bloke Doc so you'd get more result out of a CZ 125 than I would!! Don't even consider a Maico 125 as they are expensive, fragile and have a gearbox you need a masters degree in mechanical engineering to understand. Any of the Spanish 125's are OK especially the hard to find VA125 Monty. I once briefly rode Gary O'Briens and was impressed. My tip for a Euro 125 however is a Husky. They're bulletproof like the CZ for the same reasons but are really quite competitive if ridden smart.
In reality though the Japs made better 125s in the pre 75/78 eras so I'd be looking for a 250 CZ if I was you.

[All Things 414]

And me?

[firko]

414..If you want a CZ for pre 78 you are pretty much limited to the '75 Falta as there were'nt too many CZ's that left Czechoslovakia after '75. The post Falta bikes were terribly outdated and no importer saw any reason to bring them in. The 1983 type 513(250) and 514(400) were released here at bargain basement prices in the early 90's and even though they look like the pre '78 works bikes, they too were sadly outdated. They're legal for Evo but you'd be stretching to get one into pre 78, even with that close resemblence to the pre 78 factory racers. Sadly, as good as CZ's are their clock had pretty much stopped ticking by 1975. The Falta CZ was a good bike in an era of great bikes. If the Falta had been released three years earlier, the story may have a different ending.

the 1983 Type 513/514

[All Things 414]

Ok. Dammit. I'm going for something pre-when -I -was-born class! Just for something totally different.....

[lms6201]

isn,t it amazing , when i was young euro bikes were on the scrap heap , with parts hard to get , now i can get parts for the bully,s easier than my nissan patrol , go pre 70 , i,ve almost got my mk 2 finished , those ranks need more riders !