At some point in the last three decades, the MB5 must have been crashed. Hard. As it turns out, both Comstar wheels and the beautiful powder-coated X-frame are badly bent.
The frame and fork have been perched on the center stand in my living room for several weeks now, and the wife has finally taken exception. In an effort to get the project moving and mobile I decided it was time to mount the wheels. There aren’t many 18-inch motorcycle tires available, and of the few options Michelin Gazzelles seem to be the most popular. They’re the tire of choice on mopedarmy.com, and they’ve received solid reviews on online retailer’s websites. I ordered a pair, and after mounting them I put the front wheel on the balancing stand and gave it a spin. It wobbled so bad it nearly grazed the edges of the stand.
Upon inspection I found some rash on the front rim. Was the bike put into a curb, a telephone pole, or worse? Perhaps the bike was laid down at the hand of a young Pauline A. Jackson. I found her name inscribed on page 31 of the MB5’s owner’s manual. Did she crash it, and was she hurt? Was it her first bike, and did she like it? I’ve often wondered about the bike’s history as I work on it. I Googled “Pauline Jackson”, but nothing useful came up. I found several Pauline Jacksons on Facebook, but none of them have responded to my messages inquiring about past ownership. Perhaps she’ll Google her own name one of these days and find this blog, and fill me in on all the details.
The runout on the rear wheel is tolerable, so I slid the axle in place. That’s when I noticed that things weren’t lining up (click the pic to the left for a larger image, and sight a line along the tire edges). Putting the engine up to the frame confirmed my worst fears; the mounting holes on the engine case don’t match up with those on the frame. The whole thing is tweaked.
Aside from the scuff on the front rim and some rash on the speedometer shroud, there’s no other evidence of a crash. The forks are straight, and the tank isn’t dented. Maybe the wheels and frame are just weak, and things bent progressively during years of hard riding. Or maybe the parts were whacked out of shape as they were jostled around the previous owner’s garage. I’ll probably never know for sure, but what I do know is this project is going nowhere with the rolling stock and skeleton knocked out of whack.
Resources:
Michelin Tires
-Gazzelle moped tires
www.michelinmotorcycle.com
Caswell Plating
-Epoxy tank sealant – the best there is!
www.caswellplating.com
Treatland.tv
-Malossi 70cc kit. Moped parts superstore.
www.treatland.tv
Perk LLC
-Case gaskets and technical advice. Supplier of hard-to-find moped parts.
www.perkllc.com
(317) 371-8530
Rusteco
-Rust removal treatment for the MB5′s gas tank.
www.rusteco.com
(800) 787-8326
Haynes Manuals
-Invaluable technical information and diagrams.
www.haynes.com
(800) 242-4637
Huntington Beach Honda
-Various OE parts such as gaskets, grommets, and seals.
www.hbhonda.com
(714) 842-5533
Just arrived? Check out earlier posts from the series:
Mechanical Meditations: Part VII
Mechanical Meditations: Part VI
Mechanical Meditations: Part V
Mechancial Meditations: Part IV
Mechanical Meditations: Part III
Mechanical Meditations: Part II
Mechanical Meditations: Part I
Most Commented Posts