Help, my 71 rickman wont start anymore!

[rickmanryder]

Ok, so This is a bit of a long story but here it goes. So about a year ago I found a 1971 Zundapp Rickman, 125cc 2-stroke in my buddies barn, and they didn't want it so they gave it to me for free. The bike was partially seized and was missing cables and such. So The first thing I did was free up the motor and get it to shift and such. This went ok but, but when I took the head off of the motor I accidently snapped the ring. Finding a replacement ring was almost impossible so instead I had the piston machined to fit 2 new standard 54 mm rings, and I had the cylinder honed out. I put the motor all back together and started turning it over but it wouldn't pop. Finally I found that the bike needed a new ignition stator so I got lucky and found one on ebay and bought it. I installed it on the bike and it fired right up however when I turned it off it wouldn't start again. Checked the spark, and that wasn't it so I decided to clean the carb. finally after much effort it started again and I turned it off to see if it would start again. It fired up again but the next day I couldn't get it to start. So I decided to get all the cables and the chain to push start it but after all that work it would start to fire but as soon as I stop running, even if I hold in the clutch it won't continue to run. since then I have bought a new Lectron power jet carb and tried using that, (cause my Bing 53 carb has a hole in the bowl), and even though its a different carb the bike almost starts when I push it but it just won't run anymore. im totally out of ideas and im tired off all this guess and check, the bike has spark, ok compression and gas, and it has ran 4 times but once i turn it off I spend weeks trying to get it to start agian. If you have any information, methods, or know where I can get another motor possibly please reply.

[Yamaguy55]

I'd start by calling someone that does this sort of thing all the time, such as Sudco. They can set up a carb for anything rational.

Being that it is a Zundapp engine, if it doesn't improve, and you don't want to spend forever on it, put in a different engine. I dimly recall these having other engines as well, I think they offered them with 125 Yamahas and maybe a few others.

BMWs used Bing Carbs in the 60s, that may be a source of parts for you.

If you decide to retain the Zundapp engine, I'd stock up on spares, I doubt there's much left.

Rickman was sort of an early Bimota in they offered uprated chassis for the era, but used other's engines. They did it for street bikes as well. In their day, they were very highly regarded.

[rickmanryder]

I was thinking of getting a different motor but I just can't bring myself to do it after finding that ignition stator.

[cloggy]

If the frame is for a Zundapp it's worth far more as is. The aussies would snap it up up and ship it. They are up for this stuff; or ship it back to the UK. We pay over double what you do {well double nothing is still nothing}

Changing carbs is unlikely to work as the carb jet variations are enormous. You'd have more luck randomnly opening a bible at the correct page. Most likely thing is the carb is gummed up or just the float sticking. Find a specialist and get it properly cleaned or just buy some carb cleaner and use it If it fires and dies after emptying a small bit of twostroke fuel down the plug hole it's most probably the carb. Have you got the correct heat range plug?

http://ozvmx.com has an excellent forum. Much more on the ball than anything else in the world.

[huskyfrk]

there is a guy in the san diego area who has a lot of NOS parts for zundapps. don't have a link, thou. he also deals in scooters from zundapp anad dkw... i would get the stock carb sorted, they used to work quite well . I owned a 72. they only came w zundapps from the factory. it will b worth a lot more w the zundapp motor. You honed the cyl ?? it should have had a chrome bore. zundapp being about 25 years ahead of the japs in this dept. do you have the G.P. barrel and head ??? you might want to post up a photo..... ??

[rickmanryder]

Yeah its been honed out, but I may need a whole new motor cause not only does it refuse to run but the clutch wont disengage and it takes like a million trys to get the bike to shift gears. everytime I turn it over it pops but it just doesn't keep running anymore and I can't stand it anymore. If you know how I could get a hold of that guy in san diago I could really use the help.

[sporthog93]

The clutch plates are stuck together from sitting. You'll have to take apart the clutch and scuff the plates up a little and put it back together. No offense but it sounds like it is a little out of our expertise range(thats' ok we all have had to learn somehow). i would jb weld the hole in the original bowl and use it. You know that the standard jetting is close to what should make it run. If it was partially stuck from rust your main bearings are probably rusty also. Beside piston compression your crankcase has to hold pressure and vacuum. it the bearings are loose your crank seals are sucking air. When you had your piston machined did the put pins in to locate the rings? A 2 stroke piston can't have the rings floating around. You may have a broken ring again.

[rickmanryder]

The clutch plates are stuck together from sitting. You'll have to take apart the clutch and scuff the plates up a little and put it back together. No offense but it sounds like it is a little out of our expertise range(thats' ok we all have had to learn somehow). i would jb weld the hole in the original bowl and use it. You know that the standard jetting is close to what should make it run. If it was partially stuck from rust your main bearings are probably rusty also. Beside piston compression your crankcase has to hold pressure and vacuum. it the bearings are loose your crank seals are sucking air. When you had your piston machined did the put pins in to locate the rings? A 2 stroke piston can't have the rings floating around. You may have a broken ring again.

I actually tried that with the clutch, guess I didn't get it good enough, um on the subject of the carb I can't weld it cause it's either aluminum or zinc, (can't remember), and my machine shop said it would probably melt so. Not sure about the crankcase but I can tell you that the piston does have pins in place so the rings are ok.

[yamaha_sasquatch]

use JB weld on the carb it is an epoxy based cold weld it works on all sorts of metals and requires no heat

[rickmanryder]

Would anybody here know the proper fuel to oil mixture for this bike. Iv'e been mixing 50 to one and think I need to go thicker. BTW, I also found that my carb is too shot to work properly so I need a new bing 53 carb. Or at least a rebuild kit. Any info is appreciated.

[Steve69SS396]

Would anybody here know the proper fuel to oil mixture for this bike. Iv'e been mixing 50 to one and think I need to go thicker. BTW, I also found that my carb is too shot to work properly so I need a new bing 53 carb. Or at least a rebuild kit. Any info is appreciated.

I had a '71 Rickman with the Zundapp engine back in the 70's. I ran Blendzall at 32:1.

[rickmanryder]

I had a '71 Rickman with the Zundapp engine back in the 70's. I ran Blendzall at 32:1.

Thanks, this bike sure is hard to find info on. but it's worth it.

[Dwight_Rudder]

NEVER USE GASOHOL IN THE BIKE. The alcohol will eat the rubber Orings and seals. Destroy the carb also. Makes the bike run lean. If you can get non ethanol 93 octane. If not, get non oxygenated race gas. Last resort use 100LL AvGas or better yet a blend of 3-4 gallons of AvGas to 1-2 gallons of race gas.

[firstplacephoto]

If it still has stock the metal spark plug cap,get rid of it!!! It was a pressed sheet metal unit,if i remember correctly.Any wet grass or mud that goes from the cap to the head will short it out. The caps were terrible and made you crazy riding in wet conditions til you figured it out and replaced them with a modern one.

[rickmanryder]

NEVER USE GASOHOL IN THE BIKE. The alcohol will eat the rubber Orings and seals. Destroy the carb also. Makes the bike run lean. If you can get non ethanol 93 octane. If not, get non oxygenated race gas. Last resort use 100LL AvGas or better yet a blend of 3-4 gallons of AvGas to 1-2 gallons of race gas.

Not sure if I can avoid it, I've been running 92 octane W/ a mixture of between 20:1 and 32:1. So far the bike seems fine. My carb is already shot anyway so there is no worry there. and the bike only wants to start with an excessive amount of fuel. so I think were ok on the lean issue. Thanks though.

[rickmanryder]

If it still has stock the metal spark plug cap,get rid of it!!! It was a pressed sheet metal unit,if i remember correctly.Any wet grass or mud that goes from the cap to the head will short it out. The caps were terrible and made you crazy riding in wet conditions til you figured it out and replaced them with a modern one.

thanks for the tip

[cloggy]

There are guys who resleeve Bings. Just don't know if there are any in the USA

[rickmanryder]

Ok so I managed to get the bike to start up, but it will only do it when there is no carb or exhaust hooked up to it. If I poor a little gas into the inlet port and turn the bike over a few times, it fires right up. But as soon as I put on the exhaust or the carburetor, or both, it won't even spudder, not even with starter spray. I blew air into the exhaust and there doesn't seem to be any blockage, any ideas? I'm wondering if theirs something wrong with the airflow of the motor. However if there was it probably wouldn't run at all. Also, should I bother to buy the manual? There is a guy selling photocopies of the shop service manuals for $22 bucks, but I don't know if it would help me any.

[rob the snail]

$22 for a manual is a cheap investment. takes out a lot of the guessing

good luck with the zundapp

Hans Applegren used to race them in west australia in the early 70s and i think he is still around bikes on the east coast of australia

[79yamdt]

Yes, you do. Atleast 32:1.