http://www.muz.de/en/enduro was scrolling through the results of the German enduro scene and saw an MZ listed, then saw the machine and pilot on the offroad champions site. very cool to see another vintage marque back on the scene! This time from Germany! http://www.muz.de/en/enduro then read the latest MZ history, Waldmann and Wimmer (both former GP racers) bought and own the company, very cool stuff.
weird looking bike. BMW front plastic. KX rad shrouds, odd motor, and I have seen that swingarm before.
check this , here is the actual race bike,this looks more in line with the competition. Its in the 125cc 4 stroke class among HM Hondas and Fantic comp 125s. I hope they make it and move into other classes. They even fielded a Moto2 team for 2010 http://www.muz.de/en/enduro/gallery?func=detail&id=263 liquid cooled 125 engine source? in house? Japanese? Rotax?
That is a weird and huge looking motor for a 125. I don't get taking a motor, building a frame, tossing on some plastic from various bikes and calling it something. There really is nothing CZ about that bike. Anyone could build such and thing. Source a motor and have someone build a frame. EZ.
That is one squared motor in front ... Looks like a very big cylinder to be a 125 ... And tall seat also ... EU style with plenty of ground clearance .. Why add any liquid other than oil?
Kelly, MZ, DKW , the Auto Union, (not CZ thats a Czech company), lots o history, gotta restart somewhere. imagine modern earls forks ala DKW!! The shop was shutdown after being taken over from an overseas asian company. With the new bosses they may have a future, they all ready preach homeland pride with their Moto2 team being the only German manufacturer in the series (I know, Honda spec motors) but they build their own chassis unlike most of the other teams, including our partner team. EZ? in theory , but I dont see any US folks building anything that comes close to competitive in any series of racing , I still dont get that. Me I am just always excited to see more moto stuff especially from historic marques, shoot KTM used sachs and rotax motors for a long time, Aprilia sourced Rotax, Rieju uses Yamaha, Fantic and HM Honda use sourced 4t and 2T motors in their bikes, Gas Gas had TM engines, even Husky sources the little 2 stroke and the new 125 4 stroke motor. Plus on euro machines most all the ancilliary stuff is sourced (brembo,domino,tommaselli,Magura, kokusan, etc),, including the chassis (verlicchi) on alot of major manufacturers machines, its common biz practice unlike the Asian brands that OEM stamp most everything even if they do locally source things. MZ news for 2011 http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/moto2-max-neukirchner-mz-in-2011 I will regain my Husky focus again, no sweat. ( even that Gas Gas 300 got me sidetracked!!) PS the MZ has been beaten constantly by the HM Honda and Fantics in the euro 125 4T standings.
good point Ray Ray... typical small Euro practice with using plastic from other brands, surprised they didn't go all the way and enclose the chain like the old days.
Robert, your post was good and I'm all for looking and new stuff. Was not a hit against you or the post i just see all there small companies building frames and tacking other stuff they find on and slapping their name on the side. I do not see that ever really working with the customer. I know two local frame builders that would build a great frame around anything you want to bring them. To build a bike like this on a limited budget would be EZ. Russ Fletcher was building a custom framed XR400 motored bike last time i was in his shop. Looked sweet and any config you want.
Good news, good post Robert. On a side note, and in all seriousness, I wish Honda would import their CT 110 again. Australia gets them. I want a brand new one darn it. http://hondampe.com.au/repository/m...f-road/agricultural/ct110ag/introduction.aspx
Neat ! I have 3 MZ in my garage. A ISDT MZ 250 G5, TS250 and TS150 street bikes also. I remember running against them at the ISDT and ISDE events in Europe. Strong reliable machines. I remember after the brutal 1982 Czechoslovakia ISDE how bad everyones bikes sounded at the final MX test, .... EXCEPT for the MZ team bikes that sounded just as good as they did when they started the event. Smooth as sewing machines. Not even the Jawa bikes sounded good.
I run into a Colorado/SanDiego guy out in our riding zone almost every saturday (he and bud are always there). He was a Honda dealer back in Colorado (retired now). He has so many 110 stories about his crew with a group of 110s conquering Colorado mountain passes that guys on more macho bikes were stuck on. He paints a great picture of a bunch(up to a dozen) of guys and gals being laughed at by the "real" bike guys, then hours later passing those same guys trying to drag their "real' bikes up the side of the mountain, with 110s chugging along way up into the altitude (he also said he had some set up with high compression pistons to deal with the altitude). Great 110 stories from him.
From the manufactures of the bike. Complete in house design outsorced for the build, nothing new and not using a generic off the shelf motor and slapping a frame on it. Thats WAY different IMHO. Like I said I'm not apposed to the idea I just have trouble understanding how you gain name recognition for YOUR product when all your really doing is cobbling together a bike with a bunch of parts and slapping your name on it. Beta seems to be successful at it but they started with a well proven and much loves motor (KTM RFS) GG and TM used the Yamaha 250F motor in a few models. I get it. But if your are trying to carve out a name and resurrect a brand i would think you need something new for people to get on board with. Just thinking out loud. I do wish them success and always thought the brand was cool.
About 10 or so years ago I had just started to ride the amazing Gifford area. Real technical stuff and scary in sections at the time. I was riding with a friend and we felt like we were WAY out there and in some crazy technical stuff (ride this stuff all the time now and don't even think about it) and we had got to an area called Devils Staircase (scary huh?) We started up it, nasty switchbacks on a steep cliff side. We get about 3/4th the way up, buddy Adam behind me and calling out to turn around. He hikes up to where I am and we discuss a plan. then we here a noise... is that a bike? Dude on a CT90, in hiking boots, by himself, no helmet and a gun over his shoulder rolls down Devils, does not even stop, says "hi" and rolls on by. Were like WTF just happened? We thought we were all hard core and this dude rolls by obviously just another part of the hunting path for him. He putts away and we never see him again. that was humbling.
MZ have had a hard time of it ever since re-unification. The West German government handed the company over to BMW who did their best to close it down. Then there were a series of under financed takeovers before they closed down ... just as they had two of the best bikes ever built on the market. The 1.000cc tourer was voted best in a year long competition by Motorrad magazine and the 125 is still unsurpassed. MAICO and MZ are two European marques that I´d give anything to see revived (have owned both!)
thanks for the info, had no idea. and after looking closely at their motor, I think I get it, its very short from front to rear, its a little tall but most of the weight (crank and gears) is very mass central almost like the Yamaha rear lean cylinder. The cyl is stacked onto the gearbox/engine case. allows more fore and aft positioning of the engine into the chassis to get a good setting/balance. this design keeps the cg of the motor very centered. Agree? my dream garage now includes 3 enduro 125 4 strokes HM Honda (not a honda motor) Fantic (not a Fantic motor) and MZ (MZ motor) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MZ_Motorrad-_und_Zweiradwerk lots o history. That is why it was originally posted, Kaadens 2 widely copied 2 stroke tech, the Degner/Suzuki marriage. MZ hope to see a DKW in the future. maybe like the KTM/Husberg type thing.
A line of engine mod parts for the MZ 125 is listed here. http://translate.google.com/transla...sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&prmd=ivfd Stroker cranks, flat slide carbs and big bore kits. These little bikes are a ton of fun. I've got built up Honda CRF150 with the aircooled 2V engine. It was a lot of fun to build and ride. Makes a fun trail bike, especially in the tight stuff. Limiting factor is the peg height due to the 16/19 wheel combo. Otherwise, this bike will climb just about anything and surprise guys riding the bigger bikes.
