Troubled Traveller update

Black Panther/Street Moto, Baghira, Enduro, Mastiff, Skorpion Traveller and Tour.

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Troubled Traveller update

Postby fxaz » Sun Nov 20, 2016 3:13 pm

I dropped in a couple months ago with some questions about my 1999 Skorpion Traveller. Dave Thompson, edfmaniac and others wrote back with some helpful information. Thanks to all.

First, a little background: I really have no information or history for this bike. I picked it up for a friend over a year ago. He had owned one years ago and always regretted letting it go. He lives about 2500 miles from me and found this one online relatively close that he wanted me to check out for him.
I drove the 3 hours to look at it, took it for a short test ride. knowing little about what it should be like, I picked it up, put it in my garage. planning to ship it to him. In the mean time his circumstances changed and it became clear that the bike would be mine, at least for the time being. I already have 2 big singles in my garage, a BMW F650 and an Aprilia Pegaso, along with multiple BMW Airheads and K-Bikes, an old Norton and a smattering of random J-Bikes.

Eventually, I started digging into it to see what I have. As mentioned earlier it had seen a lot of questionable work by previous owners.

I managed to get the tank off with plenty of twisting, pulling and prying along with an appropriate level of verbal abuse. As Dave recommended I left the horseshoe bracket attached to the tank. With it out of the way I removed the K&N Air cleaner and was met with a glop of Foreign Object Debris inside the carb bell. The carb turned out to be a Mikuni flat side unit of unknown origin, at least as of this point. The air cleaner was on tight and appears to be intact with no holes or tears so I don't know how the gunk got there. I haven't taken the carb off or gotten any deeper so I don't know how it looks inside yet.

If it eventually runs well enough with this setup I will probably stay with it rather than try to hunt down an original carb and airbox. I am including a couple pictures of what I have now. I am sure I will have more questions as time goes on. Thanks in advance for any help or suggestions.

-Jim
Attachments
Mikuni.jpg
MZ_Carb_Bell.jpg
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby DAVID THOMPSON » Sun Nov 20, 2016 4:39 pm

stay with the carb thats there and sort it out...

the originals are a pain

dave
Dave 2002 MZ RT125+1995 Saxon Tour(500cc)
1997 MZ 660 Traveller+6/13/09 WV USA
"IN the end times the IDIOTS will be in charge
of everything"
"I like the road less traveled if it's PAVED!"
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby droy » Sun Nov 20, 2016 8:05 pm

Thats a single carb conversion that was done by Bikewoks (Galen) - rare piece.
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby fxaz » Mon Nov 21, 2016 8:17 pm

That is good to know, Droy. Since I have this setup now and tracking down the stock carb, airbox and everything will be troublesome and expensive, I guess I will keep this one as it is, especially if the stock unit can be a pain. I am not trying to restore this one as original.

I called Bikeworx to ask what model of Mikuni they used in their kit and he said it was an HSM 42. I have not been able to find that listed anywhere but the more I look around the more it sounds like it is an HSR or TM, which may be about the same. I need to verify that when I order a rebuild kit.

thanks,

-Jim
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby tigcraft » Sat Nov 26, 2016 3:19 pm

Fxaz, that's a real interesting way into MuZ ownership. It'll be nice once running well for you to compare with the other thumpers you have?
ETZ250, ts150, ts250, Other toys.....Trx850...Bonneville SE...Bmw f800gt bmw Rockster ...X7...GSX250KATANA ...TL1000
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby fxaz » Thu Dec 08, 2016 9:25 pm

So, here's what has been happening with my Skorpion.

As I mentioned earlier, I have not real history or experience with this bike. When I got the Mikuni carb off and broke it open I could guess that it had been sitting for a very long time. It was the worst mess I had ever seen in any carb.

-Jim
Attachments
Mikuni_horror.jpg
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby fxaz » Thu Dec 08, 2016 9:27 pm

With a heavy application of nasty chemicals, elbow grease and time, I was able to find a carb under all that mess.

-Jim
Attachments
Mikuni_bits.jpg
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby fxaz » Thu Dec 08, 2016 9:29 pm

And finally, I was able to put in a new Mikuni rebuild kit and get things back together.

Next step is to get it put on the bike and see how it works.

-Jim
Attachments
Mikuni_done.jpg
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby DAVID THOMPSON » Thu Dec 08, 2016 10:55 pm

that was a lot of work ...looks nice
dave
Dave 2002 MZ RT125+1995 Saxon Tour(500cc)
1997 MZ 660 Traveller+6/13/09 WV USA
"IN the end times the IDIOTS will be in charge
of everything"
"I like the road less traveled if it's PAVED!"
wd8cyv at yahoo dot com
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Re: Troubled Traveller update

Postby billr » Tue Dec 13, 2016 5:35 pm

fxaz wrote:So, here's what has been happening with my Skorpion.

As I mentioned earlier, I have not real history or experience with this bike. When I got the Mikuni carb off and broke it open I could guess that it had been sitting for a very long time. It was the worst mess I had ever seen in any carb.

-Jim

Now that was just NASTY. Never saw one like that and we had some old farm equipment that could make a huge mess if left to lay around.
It did clean up pretty, though.
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