Menus
Artist
Driving report MZ 1000 S (2003)
Upswing east
Former Federal Chancellor Helmut Kohl conjured him after the fall of the wall, MZ boss Petr Karel Korous as well, the upswing in the east. In Zschopau it now seems to be getting underway.
For a long time, MOTORRAD had been waiting eagerly for the first ride with the MZ 1000 S. After all, it doesn’t happen every day that a German manufacturer launches a completely redesigned two-cylinder big bike. But after the first presentation, MZ struggled with development difficulties. But true to the motto: miracles take a little longer, two pre-series MZ 1000 S have now found their way to the Hockenheim Motodrom. In addition, head of development Jurgen Meusel and some of his employees are waiting for the judgment of the MOTORRAD testers.
First finding: decent workmanship, moderate sitting position with a sporty, but by no means extreme posture of the upper body. Handlebars and footrests are in an ideal position. Nicely drawn instruments, handlebar fittings specially designed for MZ, nothing seems cheap, on the contrary: The MZ 1000 S exudes a new quality. Second finding: it runs. The two-cylinder in-line engine, which is inclined 40 degrees forwards, starts up spontaneously and answers in a thoroughly self-confident voice. Perhaps a little too strong for the sensitive hearing of the
Legislative, but according to Jurgen Meusel not too much should change in the tone.
That would be nice, because when you accelerate on the home straight, its pitch swells to that typical purring characteristic of the two-cylinder in-line engine with a 180 degree crank pin offset, which is rare these days. It is reminiscent of the blissful times of a Honda CB 450 or a Laverda 750 S. But with all the talent to be a concert musician, an engine must also drive. The 1000 series, which is equipped with injection and a regulated catalytic converter, is supposed to deliver 114 hp and a whopping 97 Nm of torque to the rear wheel.
The two test MZ, however, show different characteristics. While one of 2500 ?? underneath the twin jerks unwillingly? up to 5000 rpm rather
If it goes through unspectacularly, increases a bit above it and is steadily striving towards the 9000 mark, the second example looks even more restrained in the lower speed range, but from 7500 rpm up to the red range at almost 10000 rpm a much stronger wind blows and prepares more, especially on the racetrack Fun. The MZ team cannot explain that. The engine management maps have not yet been finalized anyway. There are also differences in the vibration behavior. With increasing speed, the tolerable tingling in the handlebars, on the tank and especially in the footrests increases on both motorcycles, but with different intensity.
There is agreement on the chassis setup. Both the fork and the directly hinged shock absorber work with a focus on comfort and responsiveness. Perhaps a little too soft for the racetrack, but this is not the MZ’s preferred area either. Thanks to its progressive suspension, the upside-down fork from Marzocchi easily copes with bumps when braking hard, without going into a block. Even if the rear swings and brings a little restlessness to the chassis, the steel chassis leaves an extremely stable, yet manageable impression.
There is still enough leeway for fine-tuning? The rear of both test machines was completely raised by means of the complex hydraulic spring base adjustment, which meant that there was not enough negative spring travel. Which, on the other hand, benefits the handiness and freedom from inclination. And that is beyond any doubt even at Hockenheim, as are the tires. The Metzeler Sportec M-1 harmonize perfectly with the chassis. Good steering precision paired with convincing liability reserves result in an all-round successful wellness package. The MZ is great for heating.
The brakes are not quite as convincing. They ask the har-
ten anchors on the racetrack have relatively high hand strength and could definitely improve in terms of controllability. A matter of friction pairing that deals with
other coverings can be easily improved. On the other hand, the developers were successful in designing the cladding. Although kept relatively flat, the disc with the small one offers
Spoiler neat wind protection for the crouched driver, the intensive work in the wind tunnel was worth it.
Just like the first date with the
MZ 1000 S: a solidly made two-cylinder, which in terms of performance clearly ranks above the level of a Honda VTR 1000 F or BMW R 1100 S and acoustically stands out from the V2 competition. With a full tank of 210 kilograms, it belongs
MZ is one of the lightest in its class and has a stable chassis that easily does justice to the 114 hp it offers. Too little, one hears the advocates of super-sporty twins, while the representatives of the white-and-blue two-cylinder faction secretly dream of so much performance. Enough for driving fun on the country road. It is much more important that potential MZ customers can finally enjoy it. And that should actually be the case in November, according to sales manager Karl Schmitt. Then the upswing would be east,
zAt least when it comes to two-wheelers, we have come a long way.
Technical data – MZ 1000 S
Engine: water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, a balancer shaft, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, wet sump lubrication, electronic intake manifold injection, Ø 52 mm, engine management, regulated catalytic converter, electric starter. Bore x stroke 96.0 x 69.0 mm Displacement 999 cm3 Compression ratio 11: 1 Rated output 84 kW (114 PS) at 9000 rpm Max. Torque 98 Nm (10 kpm) at 7000 rpm Power transmission: primary drive via gear wheels, hydraulically operated multi-disc oil bath clutch, six-speed gearbox, O-ring chain, secondary ratio 42:17. Chassis: bridge frame made of tubular steel, bolted rear frame, upside-down fork, Slide tube diameter 43 mm, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum profiles, central spring strut with lever system, adjustable spring base, rebound and compression damping, double disc brake at the front, floating brake discs, Ø 320 mm, four-piston calipers, rear disc brake, Ø 240 mm, two-piston caliper. Cast aluminum wheels 3.50 x 17; 5.50 x 17 tires 120/70 ZR 17; 180/70 ZR 17 Chassis data: wheelbase 1425 mm, steering head angle 65 degrees, caster 103 mm, spring travel f / h 120/120 mm. Dimensions and weights: Seat height 820 mm, weight with a full tank of 210 kg, permissible total weight 400 kg, payload 190 kg, tank capacity / Reserve 20/5 liters. Colors silver, black Price without additional costs 11990 euros
Related articles
-
Innovations 2004: Driving report Kawasaki KX 250 F
fact novelties 2004: Driving report Kawasaki KX 250 F late bloomer With a significant delay, Kawasaki is now jumping on the four-stroke train, the Yamaha …
-
Technology and driving reports: Tuning-VTR 1000 F
Technology and driving reports: Tuning-VTR 1000 F One, two, three The world awaited the Japanese 916 fighter, the world got a Japanese …
-
Artist 27 photos KTM 1/27 First pictures of the prototype. KTM 2/27 KTM 3/27 KTM 4/27 KTM develops a super sports car: V2 with 1150 cubic meters. KTM…
-
Driving report: Triumph America-Speedmaster
Archive driving report: Triumph America / Speedmaster Chrompaktklasse – Triumph America / Speedmaster The America has been in the model range of …
-
Driving report Yamaha XT 660 Z Tenere
2snap 23 pictures Yamaha 1/23 Yamaha 2/23 Yamaha 3/23 Yamaha 4/23 Yamaha 5/23 Yamaha 6/23 Yamaha 7/23 Yamaha 8/23 Yamaha 9/23 Yamaha 10/23 Yamaha 11/23 …
-
Driving report CCM R 30 Happy Birthday Hand on heart. Ever heard of CCM? At the latest the R 30, which the British luxury forge on the occasion of its …
-
Driving report Buell XB12R-XB12S
fact driving report Buell XB12R / XB12S The twelve Buell strikes. When it comes to displacement. Firebolt and Lightning are now also available with a good 1200 cm3. Thunder…
-
Photo: manufacturer 7th photos Manufacturer 1/7 The new KTM 390 Duke at Eicma. Manufacturer 2/7 The new KTM 390 Duke at Eicma. Manufacturer 3/7 The new…
-
Driving report: GG-Moto Guzzi Spartaco
Driving report: GG-Moto Guzzi Spartaco fire and Ice In the snowy northern Switzerland, MOTORRAD was allowed to move a very special kind of fire chair:…
-
Driving report Honda Hornet 600
Gargolov Driving report Honda Hornet 600 Another world The completely renewed Honda Hornet 600 is brave, stylish and powerfully active. In addition to…