Affordable Classic

want a cheapish classic bike which doesn’t need pampering? Try an MZ

MZ TWO-STROKES

In the late 1970s and 1980s, when 750, 900 and 1000cc fours became mainstream and sports bikes (race replicas as they were called) dominated the sales charts, one idiosyncratic motorcycle was apparently out of tune with the times. Yet it sold in big numbers and had surprisingly positive write-ups in an increasingly sports bike obsessed UK press.

What else but the MZ. Idiosyncratic yes, not to mention weird looking (ugly, some would say) and unashamedly utilitarian. It stuck with four speeds, drum brakes and pre-mix oiling long after the Japanese equivalents had all forged ahead into a more sophisticated future and was tuned for reliability rather than speed.

But the MZ 125, 150 and 250 two-strokes were cheap, costing between half and two-thirds as much as a Japanese 125 or 250. Better still, they were solid, well-made bikes with lots of highquality alloy parts, decent paint and practical touches like fork gaiters and a fully-enclosed drive chain. For all these reasons, and despite being seemingly outclassed, they sold well, securing a niche in the UK market for a simple, reliable bike.

And for all the same reasons, MZs make for a good affordable classic today. There are plenty around, partly because MZ made legions of the things – quarter of a million ES125s/250s, 140,000 Supa 5s – and also because their good-build quality means they’ve survived well into the bargain. In 125, 150 and especially 250cc form, they’re easily fast enough to keep up with modern traffic – I once did Lands End to John o’Groats with a group of low-powered bikes and the MZs had no problem. One nice thing about the 250 is that top gear (whether four- or five-speed) is relatively high, so it lopes along at 50-60mph quite happily – these are not peaky, picky two-strokes.

Maximum MZ street cred comes with the early models, complete with Earles forks and absolutely no concessions to Western capitalist excess. These look like nothing else and proudly wear their Eastern Bloc ethic. The later ES then TS bikes were the start of a compromise, with telescopic forks and slightly less voluminous mudguards, though sticking with pre-mix lubrication and six-volt electrics. The five-speed Supa5 250 was especially popular. But the Great Leap Forward came with the ETZ series in 1983, sporting 12 volts, a Mikuni oil pump and (for the 250s) a very effective front disc brake. A 300cc version followed (with little more power but a bit more torque) before production moved to Kanuni in Turkey. It’s thought that the MZ two-strokes finally ceased production in the early 2000s.

There are plenty of other things to recommend the MZ as an affordable classic. Prices are still reasonable, with £1000-£1500 buying a thoroughly rideable, useable example, which in classic terms these days is pretty cheap. Plus being small bikes they are cheap to run into the bargain. The MZ Riders Club is excellent – friendly, active and knowledgeable – and the spares back up is very good. If you want a simple, useable classic which won’t break the bank, you could do a lot worse.

Above Left:

early MZs have a certain Communist chic Above: MZs make great workhorses - this one did Lands end to John ‘o Groats

Above: east German affordable classic? You could do worse Right: Measuring out two-stroke oil, just part of the MZ experience

What’s your Affordable Classic? Do you own a bike more than 25 years old and generally available used for less than £3000? Tell us about it in 500 words (with a few high resolution pictures) and send to: editor@bmf.co.uk