The Kneeslider

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MZ Motorcycles Scheduled to Close This Year

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MZ motorcyclesMZ Motorcycles (Motorcycle Works Zschopau), the long standing but now long troubled motorcycle manufacturer from East Germany will be closing its doors at the end of this year. Hong Leong Industries, which has owned the company since 1996 has been incurring losses on the MZ operation since that time. According to the Freie Presse newspaper from the nearby city of Chemnitz, MZ will shut down December 31st.

MZ stopped selling in the U.S. several years ago and will now close its doors entirely.

The closure had been widely anticipated, as this is the date when subsidies from the state of Saxony end. Some 40 workers at the concern are set to lose their jobs.

Link: DW-World

Posted on Filed Under: Motorcycle Business

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Comments

  1. Too bad. They were doing OK when they had something unique to offer like the 660 Skorpion singles. They weren’t exactly top sellers but they were well respected and had a strong following. When they stopped selling those it all went down hill. Right about the same time I could afford to buy a new bike the Sport was no longer available. I still keep an eye out for a good condition Sport or Sport Cup. Like FZR400’s they seem to have all been turned into racers.

    This would be a good opportunity for VW to get into the motorcycle business if they were to buy it up.

    -todd

  3. Its sad when a motorcycle business that makes “REAL” motorcycles is lost, Being replaced with ugly bastards like the Vmax.

  5. They sold a little Indonesian made, water cooled, fuel injected, 125cc street bike. They were expensive for an Asian import and parts were a big problem. I looked at a couple on Ebay. They wanted more than I would pay. They will be cheap now!

  6. Man – it’s a perfect opportunity for the VW Group to acquire a motorcycle brand and bring everything in -house (as opposed to the stuff I’ve heard about them working with KTM).

    I’m guessing that it won’t happen though.

  7. DKW was a start-up right after WW1. By the mid-1930s they reportedly ran the world’s largest motorcycle factory, had developed a supercharged two stroke Gran Prix racer (they were argueably the world leader in two strokes at the time) and their signature bike was the famous RT125.

    They were in tall cotton – and then it all started to go down hill.

    After WWII, the factory wound up in Soviet held East Germany and became MZ. The design rights to the fabulous little RT125 were taken as war reparations (and built by BSA, Harley-Davidson, Yamaha and others). DKW, no longer possessing either their factory or intelectual property, was absorbed and disapeared.

    Despite communist management, MZ continued to develop advanced two stroke science and was a dominant player in international off road racing – until their top rider defected WITH one of their race bikes, which he sold to Suzuki.

    In our lifetimes MZ was mostly known for smokey, blocky Eastern European motorcycles that made one appreciate freedom and democracy. Since the fall of the wall and reunification there were flashes of hope. The 660cc Skorpion series bikes were wonderful – so good in fact they inspired BMW, with their far greater capital and branding, to create the F650 three years later.

    I suspect the “MZ” name will be purchaed by an Asian motorcycle manufacturer and used to market their bikes in Europe. The tooling for the very, very nice little modern era RT125 might possibly wind up in India or China, where it could blossom once relieved of the expense of German manufacture. The old factory in Zschopau will surely close, and with it the story of one of the world’s great motorcycle marques.

  9. “I suspect the “MZ” name will be purchaed by an Asian motorcycle manufacturer and used to market their bikes in Europe. ”

    That already happened…and they are closing it down. Hong Leong cannot afford to continue to run MZ at a loss.

    Also I suspect any brand equity the marque once had is long gone.

  10. If Hong Leong has any motocycle manufacturing ability resident in Asia I’m unable to find it. They seem mostly to be a finacial house. They have never sold an Asain manufactured bike in Europe as an MZ that one could also buy in Asia as a Hong Leong. MZ sold Taiwanese built motor scooters, but those were brought in, not manufactured by parent Hong Leong. Asain management and investment is different from Asian manufacturing.

    Chinese manufacturer Qingqi is using the old German marque Kreidler’s name for branding their motorcycles in the EU:

    http://mot.kreidler.net/Kreidler_Mot_5.html

  11. The late model 15 hp RT-125 (with SuperMoto, SuperX, and FunX models) were designed and built entirely in-house, i.e. Germany. The RT is capable of 75 MPH and is a well built, relatively full size bike. If they could have continued its development into larger capacities (eventually replacing the Yamaha sourced 660 single) they would have had a nice range of bikes. In some countries -not so much the US- the brand equity is still quite high; higher than NSU (if VW were to resurrect it).

    -todd

  13. I too am really sorry to see MZ go down. I had
    a 1997 Skorpian Traveler. It was a great bike,
    very trouble free. That said, having a bike that rare can be a pain sometimes. Nobody makes anything for it.
    Maintenance was time consuming. Had to pull the radeator off just to ajust the exhaust valves.
    Oil filling was very slow with the tank under the
    seat.
    Still , I wish I still had it.

  14. If you have an MZ Skorpion I would not worry to much about parts. Except for the main frame and air filter everything else seems to be from somebody else’s parts bin. Even the swinging arm is purported to be from Yamaha, as is the light unit. Wheels and brakes bits can be found at Italian bike dealers and the engine bits are obviously Yamaha.

    I have personally spotted the rear light unit on a Buell and the indicators on a Triumph.

  16. I will be happy if somebody buy ‘MZ’ and start to be one of the best motorcycles in EUROPE

  18. how sad. i have a lovely little ts 125, bought for 100 quid which i bring out on sunny days. unique bikes, great fun

  19. Its a shame to hear of the MuZ marques’s demise. My 13 year old rides a 2002 125 over the hills in Tennessee, USA. What a great bike. We won’t be letting it go anytime soon. Aftermarket parts will do. Let’s all pray that someone scoops the brand up and keeps up the manufacturing in Germany. Semper Fidelis from Coyota Canyon.

  20. Actually, if you have a Skorpion, you should be a bit concerned. While several parts can be found in other parts bins, the engine and (especially) the transmission require some serious searching to find parts for.

    While the 660 engine was made by Yamaha, specifically for the SZR 660 (motorcycle) and the 660 4-wheelers, several of the parts are not the same. Gaskets, I am finding, are particularly hard to come by. Fortunately, I have found some in the UK.

    There are several Skorpion specific parts not easy to find. This, however, is not entirely bad as it leaves room for some customization. I designed and built my own instrument cluster and expect to need to do the same for some other parts Specifically, the upper fairing stay.

  22. I have a 1994 MZ country 500 enduro . I have not been able to find part’s for ( a cam belt to be exact) Does anyone have any idea’s? This has the rotax motor, before they went to the 660 yamaha. I love the bike and am sad to here they closed shop.

  24. I have a lot of information about alternate parts and accessories for MZ Skorpion Traveller and Tour. I also have some parts that I would like to sell. If interested please e-mail

  26. I have a 97 660 Skorpion, rgv 250 rims go in no prob, and are 9 kilos each less in weight, the MZ will live on i thank, go the MZ moto tt . co.nz

  27. I own a track/race bike 2002 MZ skorpion 660cc, i am always looking for extra parts email if you have anything, especially stock or race bits

    thanks
    Vince

  28. The 1000s was a testerone driven disaster. Evolution of existing models would have saved the company. For example Burwins of London UK did an excellent 301 to 404 conversion; this was the bike MZ should have made instead trying to compete in the over-crowded supersport market. What a tradgedy for a company to go under due managerial stupidity.
    Ian Brown

  29. I am sad to hear this closure. I have a 1994 MZ Silverstar With the factory combo sidecar. It has 8k miles on it and is a great bike but needs a few parts. I cannot locate anything anywhere anymore. I am all for anyone buying this company and keeping it going. It may have been more successful if they had better marketing. Overall good bikes and the Rotax runs forever.