MZ/MuZ Riders

Hello all,

Now my MZ is on the road, I fitted the pillion foot pegs so I can use both seats.
However I am finding the left one hinders the kick start operation even when folded up.
Has anyone else successfully fitted pillion pegs?
Or have I got the wrong style fitted perhaps or fitted them incorrectly?
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks as always.




Steve.

I never had much problem kicking my TS 125/150's even with a pillion on (I was only 22 - 25 years old) when I drove them two up.

Moving the Kickstarter lever a bit more towards the front did help though about two or so teeth. It did begin to buzz a bit when I changed gear a lot, mostly up though. You can use some other bikes kick start levers ( early Honda/Some Chinese copy's). Or make yours fold, or buy a Mz folding one. Or do what I did and either kick it before the pillion got on. Or kick it with my right leg standing on the left hand side.

Thanks for the considered replies.
Puffs - I can see that your kickstart is indeed more outboard than mine.
The bending modification may help. I like this idea. The chrome is already peeling so I won't lose much there.

I think the footrests are correct for the bike.
Unfortunately they are not rotatable because there is the mounting bolt and a second tab on the bracket which locates in a second hole in the frame.
I could grind this tab off of course, but it seems odd to need to do this on such a well thought out bike.

Gerryman. I will look at moving the kickstart round on the splines to see if it helps - good idea.
I'll try kicking off the bike too, you may be right that this may give more flexibility in terms of foot position; but actually I am left footed by preference so would like to kick on the bike if I can.
Cheers,

Hi Puffs,
You make an interesting observation on the side panel marks.
It reminded me that I had to bend the gear shifter outwards to straighten it when I rebuilt the engine.
I wonder if this means the bike had been dropped on its left, and consequently the kick start may have got bent in at the same time.
This could lead to marks on the side panel.
Going back to your original idea to bend the kickstart lever, perhaps this is what is needed to put it back where it should be.
I'll have a look at a friend's bike and see how different his is.

Mz never chromed the TS 125-150 Kickstarter lever, only heat treated it gray. You can shorten the rear (and front) foot rests. Just cut it down (easier to cut the rubber though) and drill a new hole. Quite easy to do, if you have use of a good vice and a sharp bastard of a file. I used a grinder for both. But not the rubber. And hope your pillions have a narrow left foot.


If you peg your Mz as I did. They will end up with Two narrow feet

Thanks for the continued help.
I am still no nearer understanding the cause, as Puffs said, it would be a common complaint if every bike was like mine.
That's an interesting comment about original kick starts being non-chromed Gerryman. Mine is chromed so perhaps it is from another bike.

In the end I have bent the kickstart out near the bottom and then again near the top to set the rubber bit horizontal again.
It is satisfactory and doesn't affect my left leg when seated on the bike.
This will do for me.
BTW - the chrome was already flaking off - it wasn't the bending that caused that!



Oh - I should add. I am not able to lean the bike far enough to scrape the pegs . Something in my instinct always gets in the way. I admire people who can.

As I said Mz never chromed the kickstart nor the gear change lever, as they were zinc coated and not polished. One of mine (this one in the photo) was made in 1985 and sold to me in 1986 the other one was made in 1978 a S plate, and both identical. They were a dull grey coating that did wear off. Where it rubbed the riders calf and ankle. Always a b`stard that kickstart, as it dragged you along the tarmac, when you fall off.

The kickstarters of the TS and ES 150 were never chromed. The ETZ Kickstarters were chromed or zinc plated.