Service day

I’ve got a couple of longish trips lined up for next month, so I decided that it was time to give my MZ Skorpion Tour a bit of a service. Nothing too major, just the small routine stuff that need doing periodically. I also decided to take a look at my other Skorpion, a Sport, which hasn’t turned a wheel in a few years. Five, as it turned out, when I checked its last tax disc.

I mentioned my plans to Norrie and Terry and they both decided to come over and give me a hand. In fact, they both ended up elbowing me out of the way and doing much of the work between them (that’s why it’s me taking the photos). Thanks, guys. I guess that it’s not often you get the chance to dismantle someone else’s bike without repercussions.

"Damn! I've dropped a screwdriver in there somewhere"

Anyway, Saturday morning saw me haul both Skorpions out of the shed into the daylight. Easier said than done, I’m afraid to have to admit. I really do need to have a serious clear out over the summer months! The Tour held no great surprises as it has been getting some use recently, but the Sport was in a bit of a sorry state. The climate hasn’t been overly kind to its alloy, which had gone ‘furry’, and many of the fasteners were rusty, but nothing major, I hope. When the others arrived we set to it.

"Do you think that Mr. Combo will notice if I nick his stand?"

Actually, with all three of us familiar with servicing Skorpions it took less time than you would think to change the oil, the filters and plugs, and check the valve clearances on both bikes. One good thing about so many folk working on two different machines was that we didn’t really have to hang about too much. While the oil was draining from one we could move onto the other one and do something with that. Before you knew it we were finished.

Draining the old oil

Nice shiny new magnetic drain plug

Changing the oil filter

Checking the valve clearances

Now was time to see if the Sport would actually start. Without a battery of its own the simplest option was to borrow some jump leads and hook it up to my car. 

"Come, Igor. We have work to do"

With some fresh petrol it started after a little hesitation and eventually settled down to a nice quiet, healthy tick-over. I was, to be honest, frankly amazed that it was that simple after all this time. It looks like MZ knew what they were doing when they sourced the engines from Mr. Yamaha.

Now that I know it runs I’ll need to get it its own battery and tidy it up a bit before deciding if I want to keep it or to move it on.

Job done we adjourned to the house for tea and sandwiches and to plot our next move with regard to our trip to France in July – watch this space.