Jawa 350 Style

[moilami]

At work chatted with one customer who have a new Lada and who has got MZ and now he have, darn me!, I don't remember the manufacturer, but some Soviet Union two stroker 350 cm³, which can use MZ's pistons. He have had several Eastern two strokers and we both agreed that MZ is the best bike in the world

Still a bit disappointed I did not buy the brand new MZ straight from DDR, huh, once in a lifetime chance missed, but such is life. Some things come and go, and of some things one never gets even to hold on.

I visually checked the room in Jawa for Continental tires and it looked like in the rear there would be plenty of room for a bigger tire. In the front there is lack of space between front forks for 3.5" tires, I estimated about 0.5cm space would had been between a fork tube and tire. That was rather annoying because Jawa have 2.5 inch wheel rims in both rear and front. I would had bought 3.5" Heidenaus for the front too, but the lack of space disturbed me even though there could had been enough space for the tire. Now I am concerned about how the Continental tire fits under the front fender, but I think if lucky it should fit even without rising the front fender because the current Mitas is a huge fat tire height wise.


Regarding the Woman, can't help it, I am hopelessly fallen in love and I think that what I have learned on life is that certain feelings should not be tuned down nor chained a bit That is, if no third party is not going to get hurt on the way.

[moilami]

Alright, Margareth got about 1100 km today, and so I changed the front suspension oil. Had to drive additional 100 km to buy a tool for the job. Now have done all maintenance the Jawa Operator's Manual recommends, except haven't adjusted the clutch, haven't done anything to chain (it is well greased), haven't done anything to brakes, and haven't really tightened any bolts or nuts because all were tight. So what Jawa has got during the first 1200 km is new transmission and suspension oil and some lubrication

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[Zorge]

Please, don't call her Margareth. Choose something Czech, like Miroslava or Milena.

I must to tell you something.

This morning, just after 7 O'clock I was riding my lil' tiller across my village - to the grocery, to acquaintance and then, to another friend and back home. Morning was a bit chilly (some 10 deg. Celsius), foggy and moist. Little bastard didn't manage to warm up all the way and he was choking like asthmatic - too cold for him, and to tell you the truth, even for me it was... not pleasant ride. Just to pass annual technical inspection in nearby town on Monday or Tuesday, and bike goes to winter hibernation.

What I wanted to tell you?

My today's experience convicted me that you are one crazy Finn, if you are really gonna ride "Jawa" when temperature hits zero degrees.

[moilami]

Well, I can't even imagine to not drive during the winter. Motorcycling is the connection between you, the iron lady, and the elements: simply said motorcycling is the connection between you and The World, with what you enjoy merrily both uphills and downhills like in a good relationship. The winter is not a reason at all to disconnect of that connection.

The day before yesterday, when I went to buy the tool needed in changing the fork oil, was rainy and cold. On highway I kept the wind guard on my helmet closed, which protected my eyes from rain. On the villages I kept the wind guard open and enjoyed of the cold rain on my face. What was the problem? There was no problem. Everything was as it should be, or better said, nothing could had been better. I was connected with the elements and the world, my motorcycle faithfully purring between my legs, making it easy for me to move around and experience and enjoy of The World as it was.

* * *

Got today the winter tires. They are in box, haven't opened it yet. Now need to only find a shop who have the tools and skills to install spikes on the tires.

They say a loved child have many names. My Jawa have some: Iron Lady, Margareth, and Miroslava

[moilami]

I would say that a Jawa abandoned during the winter is a sad Jawa

[moilami]

Ok, the time for bad update came rather soon.

Jawa has been acting a lot lately. It has been very rainy early winter here because this November has been the most warm November ever in Finland. We only had snow for about two days so far. This was awesome in a way that I had no need to change tires to winter tires. However, all that rain and moisture annoyed Miroslava a helluva big time, and so she refused to let turning lights to flash properly. She behaves like this: in the morning when started up, no turning signal lights. Then after a few kilometers they begun to work. And more: she begun to refuse to give light from head light at times. No signal lights was not a biggie, but no head light is like game over in winter in Finland when there is no snow. That is, it is very dark here, and moist tarmac eats all the light there is.

Also, the settings on the carburator travel a lot. When I tune the carburator for warm engine the next time the engine is warm the settings wont do anymore. I have either insufficient idle or heavily over eager idle. This issue caused a small engine damage, I believe. I tuned the carburetor after driving for the warm engine. When I started the engine next time it revved madly to 5000 giving heart breaking screeeeetch. I turned the electircity away and tuned the carburator, after which the screeeetch came back for s short moment, then idled without screeching. Now I have strange small and fast "tic-tic-tic-tic-tic" on the engine at acceleration and cruise speeds. Huh, so well it purred before, and now she whines all the time!

And like all this would not be enough, she refused to take the winter tire I got to the front. Oh well. The best for her would be to drain her empty of all fluids and push to the living room as a model of a motorcycle. Good piece of legacy art!

[Zorge]

It's about time!

Even Miroslava discreetly announced to you that it is time for her to go to winter hibernation.

Don't worry. Old Czech farm girl will be OK after some tweaking.

About first issue, blinkers and headlight: it looks to me like battery is dying. Is this battery one which came with Miroslava? Same is with my lil' tiller (except, my headlight is getting juice straight from the coils). Add in equation that battery capacity depletes on low temperature an you got... what you got.

One thing that I know about winter is that humidity rises beyond belief and water condensation constant. And Miroslava's wire loom is not water-tight...

All you know about carb tuning - you can throw away on a cold and humid day. Plus, aforementioned condensation can make cruel joke with air filter (what you have - paper or foam filter?) and "enrich" content of your fuel tank. Simply, there are to much factors that can go wrong and as a result - to give you a headache.

Man, I wish I could hear how you try to explain (on Finnish, naturally) to herra Simpanen how this "tic-tic-tic" started. I imagine that even C-3PO could not catch what you said.

But jokes aside - that "ticking" worries me most. I hope that "thermal group" (cylinder, pistons, piston rings and pins) is OK. All the rest you can fix without digging spare parts...

But let's not anticipate things. Winter just started and you have at least four months to see what happened to Miroslava.

[moilami]

I bought the battery, it is brand new and supposedly should be above average battery. I thought about reduced battery capacity because of cold weather, but when the headlight turned off first time after about 10 km drive I questioned the theory. That said, the air filter is made of paper, and maybe it has clogged because of moisture (did not think about that, good point, thanks!). It can be possible also that there is some crap on fuel jets in carburator.

I agree the ticking engine is the biggest issue. I wishfully think that something is rattling on the motorcycle outside of the engine.

Can't, however, put the bike on rest for the winter. Will have to work on the issues.

[Zorge]

Man, where are you?

Did you sign up for "Soldiers of Odin" and start to patrol across town, or you go to Norwegian oil rig, to make some money to repair Miroslava?

[Zorge]