Have any of you ever tried the rear shocks from an MZ 250 ETZ on a Locost. I happen to have a pair in my loft, along with the rest of the bike as one does ( this one does anyway) and wondered if they would be suitable. They are the correct length but are they stiff enough? The damping could be increased by using thicker oil and the springs have three settings. If the spring on stiffest setting still weren't enough there is a stiffer sidecar spring available.
The German manual for the MZ rates the standard spring as Spring Constant N/mm 15.23 and the sidecar spring at 17.304. Ron Champion in our Holy Book states that a spring rate of 180/220 lbs is needed. Does anyone know how to convert the German figures to compare with Rons? Any views on using these shocks would be appreciated, or anyone willing to try them within range of Lancaster is welcome.

15.23 N/mm is about 87 lbf/in.

Perhaps a tad on the light side.

Cheers,

Colin

Thanks for the maths. Nowhere near up to the job are they. Damn I'll have to put the bike back together before starting Locost. I loath having to finish unfinished projects before I start the next one. Shame though cos the bike only cost £30 so if you got two it would have sorted the shocks, headlights and indicators plus horn for sixty quid plus two nice Brembo
calipers that I'm sure could be made to fit.
Many thanks,
S. Kodaman