Closer inspection 1

Let's have a closer inspection of  'Blauwe Muis' now the little fellow is back at 'The Old Sidevalve Bar'.     Start getting together a list of Likes and Dislikes, and a list of To Do's and It'll Do's

Cracking engine casing gasket our Grommet.  Somehow thinking that may be the work of a previous owner. Works a treat at holding the oil back in the engine but could be liable to catching sidewinds and blowing me off course. Let's call that a 'To Do' replacement required. Note to self -start now looking for a suitable corn-flakes packet, the best gasket material known to man.

A proper czechoslovakia spark plug. Bet that puts out hell of a spark even in sub-zero winter temperatures. That 'aint no copy NGK from china. I like it.

Painted wheels. Look ok from a distance and on the ebay advert but not good. Rust brewing underneath the paint. A splash of paint stripper proved it wasn't adhered very well. So, off with it. Let's get them wheels showing their age and stop any further deteriation. Going to call that another 'To Do'

Fuel tank re-sprayed, but that's ok. Previous owner having masked around the original tank side decals. I've checked prices of new decals and it 'aint much but glad they weren't replaced.That's a like.

 Will keep you readers posted on further gems of originality or spoilers but now its beer o'clock and I've a waiting flagon full of a frothy stout homebrew needing attention.

 Albert Crackleport here. You may have come across some of my jottings on the interweb before. Look out for vintafaker.blogspot.com and oilyracer.blogspot.com They're full of shed engineering and tales of derring-do. Let's face it, the majority of stuff posted online is proper bollocks so why shouldn't I add to it? Anyway I'm a Vintafaker, onion pickler, brewer of rhubarb falling down juice and sometimes known as a 'complaining old bugger; Don't care! Fettling old mechanical crap back to usefulness is what I do, and spending little coinage doing it is the additional challenge.

This blogspot hopefully will be a diary of progress on 'Blauwe Muis'. A CZ 175cc motorcycle of 1973 vintage that will one day attack the Trans Euro Trail. (transeurotrail.org) A couple of major incidents happening at the moment allow me the luxury of having time to give 'Blauwe Muis' a good looking over and try make sure reliability is as good as it can be... Last road legal in 1978. It's a sleeper that's gonna have hell of a wake up call!!!! First point of attack is on Belgium soil. Mr Koen my good friend from Oilyracer Arcade and fellow riding companion has told me the route through Flanders is tougher than the Paris Dakar.

Major incidents? Pandemic for one. Your scribe is currently 'locked down'. Covid19 is raging, spreading like wild fire among those that treat the virus with contempt. (Students mainly! Their underpants are full of it!!!!) Then there's Brexit!!  That could go so badly wrong that the Trans Euro Trail will be out of bounds for all Blighty passport holders....Particularly the french trails if Blighty keeps all the fish... Phuuufff,  Closer to my gaff  there's T.E.T routes running through Wales but they don't want any Blighty visitors, got enough covid germs of their own, and Scotland may have some rough roads but little Jimmy Krankie Sturgeon has firmly shut her border to the highlands and glens, Ock Aye away wi ya! Ainlie laddies wi' kilts allowed oan mah munroes! so that's out too.  Never mind, continue as planned. 

Anyway more about 'Blauwe Muis'. Bought on ebay. Collected from Sheffield. Plan was to do nothing in the way of restoration, just ride as is. But......Couldn't help myself having started on the thorough mechanical and safety checks to just tickle a few of the previous restoration attempts. NOT BLING! Just more eye pleasing. Will keep you posted on progress, in the meantime here's the 'Blauwe muis' as advertised.