Much comment on the poor old CZ singles reveals them as unreliable, poor handling heaps that only the very poor or ignorant would consider buying on one of their unlucky days. Well, I've owned a 1978 CZ175 from new and done 40000 miles with no major problems. Oh, for sure the electrics were dodgy - the bike had a front light that flashed on and off in a random manner and it kept blowing the rear bulbs. But it took only an afternoon to tear off all the old wires and completely rewire the bike. I was none too happy with the stock headlamp as it had a very weak pattern on dip beam and would still blow occasionally. The horn usually gave just a weak croak.
Engine performance isn’t arm wrenching - it'll just about hit 70mph on a good day, but the primary vibes from the single cylinder two stroke engine discourages such excesses, and as I’m rapidly approaching my seventieth birthday, I rarely broach 50mph, a speed at which the CZ Is entirely happy. One of the things I like about the bike is its light weight (230lbs) and rigid frame. The suspension isn’t A1 - a bit too harsh and no damping - but the bike has a nice feel to it, with feedback from the road that appears to be lacking in some of the commuter Japs.
As an old Brit bike hand, kickstarting isn’t difficult even at my advanced age, helped by the low compression ratio. My only problem is on wet days when it takes about ten kicks to fire up or a pre-heated spark plug. Every 8000 miles I have to fit new contact breakers or it refuses to start altogether. My most pleasurable moments are plodding down country lanes with the sun on my back and the motor burbling along like a good ’un, The most unfortunate moments came when the bike was going down steep hills with a bend at the bottom. I'd suddenly realise that the front brake had started to fade and I was going into the curve too quickly. With the front end locked up, the bike likes to plough straight on - it’s just as well that I don’t have any heart problems.
Fuel economy averaged 90mpg with a worst of 65mpg and a best of 110mpg. In fact, it seemed to use more oil than petrol, always the bike was followed by clouds of smoke. Chains lasted all of 13000 miles whilst both sets of brake shoes needed changing at 18000 miles. With 40102 miles on the clock, the engine is going to need a rebore soon and I hear some disturbing noises from the bottom end from time to time. But given the low cost of purchase I can’t complain about that, and, after all, parts are cheap and they’re easy to strip down and rebuild. In my earlier days I would probably have dismissed the CZ as beneath contempt, but I’ve found it the perfect companion to my more mature years.
Jack Wilson