New member intro and TS250 fuel tank size question.

[R1100purist]

Hi All!

I’m a new member who just picked up a beautiful 1974 TS 250 that I’m planning on cleaning up a bit and then riding as much as I can, as the previous owner did a really nice job sorting it out mechanically.

I have a question about the tank size though, in the manual it says it’s either a 12.5 or 17.5 liter tank. How do I know one do I have?

I have a Puch twingle that uses tcw3 spec 2 stroke oil, can I also use this in the MZ or is simple TC spec better...assuming 50:1 mixture ratio.

Thanks!
Owen

[DAVID THOMPSON]

i guess you are in the USA almost all 2 smoker mz bikes seem to be 1974 models
some one must have filled a ship to overload
and sent it state side
have fun with it
every 2 cycle mz i have ever seen in the USA has been a 1974 model
dave
the 74 mz has a parts supply
a 1974 Japanese bike would be very hard to find parts for

[Guesi]

The tank on this picture has 12,5 Liter.
The 17,5 Liter tank looks like this:

[R1100purist]

Thanks Guesi! So it looks like I have the 12.5 liter tank on my ts250. Is it a fair assumption that only the ts250/1 “supa 5” came with the 17.5 liter tank?

Thanks again.

[Guesi]

No.

The 12,5 Liter tank was on the US Export models.
The "original" TS 250 and TS 250/1 all had 17,5 Liter tanks.

Your 12,5 Liter tank was originally from the TS 150 Model.

[Puffs]

Nice bike!

IMO the small tank looks a lot better, but if fuel consumption is anything like in the later ETZ's (which have about 13L for the 125/150 & 17L for the 250/300's) you'd want the big one for the range. Of course range might not be an issue in your case.

I do not know what tcw3 spec is, I'm using an API TC/JASO FD spec semi synth in my old 2-strokes (a bit richer, though I recognise that 1:50 is the factory recommendation for the TS).

[R1100purist]

Okay I found some TC grade 2T oil (Lucas semi synthetic) and going to run that on 40:1 based on previous owners recommendation. Now I just need to figure out a solution to carrying around/measuring the oil While on the bike.

[Guesi]

MZ recommends 1: 50 with the "bad" GDR oil.
With modern oil you can mix 1: 60 or 1: 70 without problems.
In the case of mixing it is NOT true that the more oil the better....

For ETZ 250 MZ allowed 1: 100 with Castrol Biolube.

Comparable oil brands should be available. I don´t know if Castrol Biolube is still on the market.

[Puffs]

Removed

[Blurredman]

Yup. US models seem to have the smaller tanks on.


I use 30:1 whatever oil.

[breakwellmz]

If the MZ designers recommended 50:1 when 2 stroke oil was`nt as technically advanced as it is now i can`t see why anyone would want to run their engine on getting on for twice as much as recommended.

[Puffs]

Well, so far nobody mentioned using 1:25 in an MZ, but the reason is: because people have different objectives.

[Puffs]

Incidentally, it is true that the technology in lube oils has changed over the years, and possibly (on this I'm not sure) the DDR was a bit more backward in this, compared to the west, but the 1:50 recommendation lasted till the end of the 2T's, early-mid 90's (my 251 is from '89). Since that time there has not been any significant development/ improvement in 2T oils. So that 1:50 recommendation also pertains to modern oils.

And the other thing is that oil development has mainly delivered higher temperature stability. Modern oils (synth and good semi synth) do not degrade (= chains/molecules braking down) as quickly as the older (mineral) oils at elevated temperatures, and the chains can withstand much higher temperatures before they break down. Though film strength might have improved a bit too, modern oils do not really lubricate significantly better. To corroborate that: for 2T race bikes, Yamaha prescribed 1:20 - 1:24 with top quality 2T oil, even 1:12 - 1:14 during break-in. They did that well into the 90's, not sure they ever changed it.

It's all about objectives, as ever.

[Blurredman]

Does anyone know hat the oil ratio is on the pump at full bike chat and throttle pretty much all the way open on the etz's? Pretty sure it delivers more oil than 50:1.


The ES250 book recommends 33:1. And there is very little design difference betwixt ES and TS. It is well documented in regards to the excessive miles British people used to put on their TS's when they were first released and would find main bearing failure when the milometer was still reading in the teens of thousands. The lean oil ratio was what was blamed at the time in the late 70's. I have heard, as Ironic as it might sound that the leaner oil ratio was used to reduce emissions. After all, so many more vehicles were now on the roads by 1980 - pretty much all 2t's.


Only a summer rider who only puts 500 miles on his bike every year would never see any fault of using 50:1, if that was what he used.
That said, I don't stick to 30:1 religiously to the ounce. I also only buy the cheapest oil, because I'm cheap


The fascination some owners have trying to remove any running smoke is the exactly opposite fascination that teenagers have trying to make their bikes as smokey as possible.

There is a LOT of documentation and argument both ways regarding quantity of oil alone, leave be the perceived 'quality' of it and it doesn't apply to 2t's.. Just look at any vehicle forum and the most common topic to appear with always be "What oil..?"

I myself will stick to the 30:1. More oil can be better, but there is a point when it can go too far, depending on the application, as Puffs says.

[breakwellmz]

Okay I found some TC grade 2T oil (Lucas semi synthetic) and going to run that on 40:1 based on previous owners recommendation. Now I just need to figure out a solution to carrying around/measuring the oil While on the bike.

All my two stroke MZs (I`ve had five of them) had a measuring pot on the underside of the filler cap marked 33:1 or 50:1 depending on engine size, doesn`t yours? Carried a bottle of oil behind a side panel.
Mine certainly all had long and hard lives, be it hard road miles or (in the case of the trail bike versions) Low speed running with cooling fins clogged with mud, all good.
Remember, they are relatively low revving engines NOT racing ones and the more oil you add the leaner you are making the mixture.
Each to their own at the end of the day but i think the manufacturer have more idea than us mere amateurs.