[rob3662]

I picked up a Z50 today for my kids to use in a few years. It is in really good shape. The previous owners kids have been riding it for the last 5 years and he was riding it last week and messed something up with the shifter. It is stuck in third gear now, I will haul the right cover off and figure it out in the next few days hopefully. The shifter does disengage the clutch so I don't think there is much wrong with it.

There is also a small exhaust leak at the front of the muffler. I am assuming it is cracked at the weld. I got it for 300CAD, which is about 225USD. I did roll start it and it idles and run fine, minus the lack of shifting gears. There are a few small dents in the gas tank and a few paint chips. I am just going to clean it up and touch up the paint chips.

Since the kids are going to be riding it I don't see any point on restoring it until they are done with it, which will be many years from now. I am going to strip it down and paint the cylinder. I am very happy that I lucked in to this, it was a yard sale find that my fiancee's father told me about.

 

[Devious]

Probably a broken shifter star arm, mine broke in my Z and it wouldnt change gears.

 

[rob3662]

That is what I am hoping and assuming it is, given the symptoms.

 

[rob3662]

Just back from working on the bike for few hours. I got the shifting problem sorted out, the shift star bolt was a loose. and the drum rotated a bit too far to be grabbed by the shift arm. I also welded up the crack in the muffler and a hole that someone made when they cut off the exhaust stud. The muffler steel is very thing and it turned into a large hole that I needed to fill back in. The PO said he got a new set of rings put in it last year so I am assuming that is when the head pipe was cut. I am assuming that I am the first one to have the side cover off the bike because the screw heads were not damaged (no one around here knows what a JIS screw driver is, not even the local honda shop), and the oil screen and clutch were full of dirt. Then I took it for a little ride, it seems to be running fine.

That is all I did today. I need to adjust the cam chain, it is very loud, and adjust the clutch. I will do all of the normal maintenance when I get time. I still have at least another year before my daughter is big enough to ride it.

 

[loopiemclooperson]

Nice pick up man!

That is what I call deferred maintenance!

 

[rob3662]

I know, pretty ridiculous . I also picked up a CT110 yesterday too, which makes 4 little hondas, and I don't think any of them had the side cover taken off before I got them. It is now the first thing I do after making sure they run.

 

[rob3662]

Well it has been a long time since I worked on this bike. It has been sitting in storage for over three and a half years. I took it out each summer and changed the gas and added fuel stabilizer, then started it, drained the carb and put it back in storage. When I took it out this year it started with the first kick.

My daughter told me that she wanted to learn to ride this year, so we have started to get it ready. We stripped it down to the frame and cleaned everything. The carb needed a cleaning, but the only actual dirty part was the emulsion tube, everything else was clear and clean in there.

The bike is back together now minus the exhaust and the number plates. I need to get a few nuts and bolts to finish it. The muffler is in a bit rough shape, but I think I can save it. I sand blasted the muffler and heat shields today. I powder coated the heat shields to see if it will hold up to the heat. If it doesn't the I will paint them.

I also have to make some training wheels for the bike.

I am hoping to have it all done for next weekend so we can take it to the cabin for her to ride. I don't think she will need to training wheels for very long.

The only thing I had to buy for it was a new chain, sprockets, the o-ring for the intake side of the carb, the air filter, exhaust gasket and a few nuts and bolts. I have spent $450 canadian on it so far including the taxes and licence plate from motor vehicle. I will add some completed pictures when I am done the exhaust.

 

[rob3662]

The bike is all back together now. I patched the pin holes in the muffler, it has been repaired before, and the head pipe already had a section replaced. I Also had to weld on new nuts for the front heat shields, then sand blasted the welded areas and painted it with header paint.

Me and my daughter are going to look for a helmet tomorrow morning, then after that I am going to figure out the training wheels for the bike.

She is very excited to learn to ride it. I guess I will have to do a tune up on my CT70 or CT90 so I can ride around with her.

 

[Shawn0331]

Awesome! that thing is in great shape. I can only imagine how good of a deal you got on it 3 years ago compared to todays pit-bike craze.

 

[rob3662]

I got the training wheels made today and went to get a helmet and gloves with my daughter.

Tomorrow is going to be a nice day so we are going to go find somewhere for her to try it.

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[Darrie]

She will have a blast !!! I so enjoyed teaching my kids on our Z50, so much so I modded the kids bikes big time so they can still ride them now !.
I never know if training wheels are a good or bad thing, but IMO keep them on only for a few rides till she learns throttle control. Kids pick up balancing a Z so quickly especially in a big park, no obstacles and 1st gear only. Training wheels teach you a false way to turn like on a quad, motorbikes have to lean to turn. Just my opinion.
Gear her up well without the training wheels … kids don't know about hot engines/exhausts & when they fall over they don't take their legs out, put their hands on the hot bits to get up !
Enjoy !!!

 

[rob3662]

She has been out on it few times now. Only 10-15 minutes each time so her neck can get use to the helmet. We are going to a dirt area at the end of a parking lot.

She is doing very well with her throttle and brake control. Later this week or next weekend we will be going out to my parents cabin which has a large field. We will remove the training wheels out there.


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[rob3662]

I should have updated this thread a while ago.

After her third ride on the bike we took the training wheels off. I did some takeoff and stopping training with her for around ten minutes then let her start riding around on her own. I jogged jut behind her for a while but she got the hang of it pretty quick. She had one fall on it, but it wasn’t bad and it was on grass.

The bike is currently at my parents cabin and she rides it whenever we are out there, which is usually a night or two each week. The field is about 1 acre of mowed grass and around another 10 of tall grass/bog/old farm land. I removed everything I could from the field that she rides in including a rock that was about 10 inches across on the surface. It turned out to be an iceberg.

I also picked up a quad for the kids to ride around too so my son doesn’t feel left out. One stays in front of the cabin and the other behind it.


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[Darrie]

Cool as !!!....
I can recommend you go to these Chinese 8" knobbys, at least on the front :
https://www.scootercatalog.com/tire149-37.html

They have so much more traction on grass and dirt than the standard tires and will build her confidence way quicker. The front washes out easily on the Z's when you grab a handful of brake or turn too quick, these will keep her upright & build confidence.

Cheers
Darrie