After seeing endless variations and thousands of big inch V-twin custom motorcycles, this builder, Floris, from the Netherlands, decided to take a different route. He thought, why not go with a small single? Why not a 2 stroke? Without waiting for an answer he bought an old 1964 MZ RT125. These bikes, built in East Germany, were nothing very special to begin with, being a sort of poor man’s motorcycle, but they were tough enough to be used by the East German army and border troops so Floris figured it would make a nice start for his custom.
At first, a few MZ purists said it was a classic bike that should be restored but he would have none of that and tore it apart to see what he had. What he found was the bike was small, really small in proportion to all of the regular custom and chopper pieces available so everything had to be built by hand.
His father, Bennie, welded up a custom fuel tank in the vintage tracker style. Floris used pieces of the original fender to begin and then added more metal until he had a rear fender that looked right. Continuing with the vintage board tracker look he built a set of dropped handlebars. He goes on:
A lot of old stock MZ parts, like handles, handgrips and foot controls, are re-used because it looked old, used and greasy (I loved that!). Remember that it’s more than 40 years old now! The saddle was saved from the trash heap and comes from an antique bicycle and has worn-out looks too. It was fully modified to fit on this bike. The simple electronic-unit is re-used and it’s mounted, out of sight, in the battery box.
The 125cc single cylinder engine has homemade pipes and a modified MZ muffler. The 3 speed gearbox can be either hand or foot shifted. Start is by kick or push.
Wheels are 19 inch spokes on both ends, drum brakes, too, to keep the vintage style.
After starting out with a full spray can black paint job he thought it would look better with something a bit nicer and let KustomBart do it up right.
The end result of all of his work shows you don’t need a big inch twin with a 300 rear tire to have a really nice custom, you just need some imagination and a bit of work. Nice job, Floris!
Photos: Sabine Welte
More photos below:
Chris says
Love the bars. Don’t so much love the suicide shifter. Putting it on the right *really* emphasizes its suicidal nature, and the engineer in me says it’s just extra weight since it’s not practical to use if you value your life.
Overall, that bike is pretty cool. I’d like to see a person on it just to get some idea of scale, especially with the comment in the text that it’s very small.
cl
Shaine says
What a beautiful bike. I wish more builders would make rides like this. I’m building a tradition hot rod pickup; and when I’m done that I plan on building a bike in this style… The only thing that needs polishing on this bike is the leather on the seat… No chrome FTW
Phoebe says
Looks like it would fit me perfectly 😉
I love it!
Martin says
Gotta love it. Great site, great bikes. Think I’d better get off my bum and grease up my elbows too. With a bike like this, there is just no excuse anymore. Thanks for the motivation.
OMMAG says
That made me grin and chuckle a bit….
I’ve ridden a few old timey trackers and scramblers ….that thing is so true to the essence!
Great find….
Erik says
I’m not usually a fan of custom build bikes because they do seem to be cookie cutter customs but this one is different and has a very cool style to it. I’m not crazy about the bars but I like the rest of the bike quite a bit.
greer says
that things cool
scott says
I’ll hold my hands up and say I was one of the people who said the bike should be left standard (although NOT restored I would like to stress). It was found as if it had been parked up in 1965 and forgotten about.
I’ll admit I have more or less eaten my words because DKW/MZ probably would have built a bike like that had they thought they could race one in GDR colours.
I would however like to take issue with the articles claim that they were “Nothing special to begin with” as the RT125 is the great grandfather of the modern 2-stroke engine. It’s probably one of the most copied engine designs in the history of motorcycling.
kneeslider says
Scott, for some reason I wasn’t thinking of the MZ DKW relationship so I stand corrected because that was indeed, just as you state, one of the most copied engines ever. In fact, I had a story earlier about how Yamaha got its start copying the DKW.
OMMAG says
You know … That’s a really interesting observation.
Good find! But what about the Italian’s …. I always thought the East Europeans copied from them throughout the 50’s and 60’s
Earl says
That’s one neat looking motorcycle.
tom says
The partitioning of Germany left DKW’s management in the West and the huge factory in the East; the factory was lost to the GDR and became MZ. DKW was further forced to surender the design rights for their RT125 as “war reparations”. This “nothing special” bike was picked up and copied – as the BSA Bantam (highest production numbers British bike ever – and Evel Knievel’s first motorcycle), the Moto Morini 125 (Moto Morini’s first bike), the Yamaha YA-1 (both their first bike and one they built for some 20 years), the Russian Mockba M1A and the Harley Davidson Hummer. (It’s true – and Harley still uses the DKW RT125’s peanut tank design on the Sportster!) And although both companies would just as soon nobody remembered, the RT’s two stroke engine also powered Harley’s Topper and Triumph’s Tigress motors scooters.
Best,
Tom
NitroMax says
Chris – in the first post – wants to see a person next to the bike to see it’s proportions. Better not ask Floris ( who built it ) to stand next to it, still wouldn’t give a good perspective as he’s not too tall himself 😉
I’ve seen pics of this bike on chopperstyle.nl and really love it.
See you soon Floris 😉
Tom Tailor says
I know Floris and I know he has a some kind of creepy taste how bikes should be build. ( Mostly I agree with him..:-).) And by looking at the MZ one can only admire the taste he has, cause with someone with a more ” conventional ” taste about building choppers, the MZ wouldn,t be so beautifull….
Hail for the people that can leave the already flat ridden path…
wim kuipers says
Nice project. I followed the proces, cause I was the owner before Floris.
iTs a pitty, that he has lost one gear on the way.
It s a 4 gear.
greets Stitch
kim scholer says
I reckon even Walter Kaaden would have liked it…
OMMAG says
tom Says:
January 24th, 2008 at 9:10 am
The partitioning of Germany left DKW’s management in the West and the huge factory in the East;……
Thank you Tom … I’ve been looking for info that relates to this post on the DKW ….
What you say makes a lot of sense ….. I wonder what Spanish bikes got the motor??
john says
how did you do the DDR symbol on the tank? stensil?..its an intricate design thats why i ask! and yes the MZ rocks!
frank says
i own a 1984 moto morini kanguro 125 4stroke. according to the moto morini shop in coalville there is only 3 of the same model in the country.