“With age comes respect.”Anon.

When Wilf Green started importing East German manufactured 2 stroke MZ motorcycles into his Sheffield premises in the early 1970s, it was often quipped “I wouldn’t be seen dead on one of those”. Indeed, the phrase now adorns one of the Clubs Regalia T shirts. We don’t think that even Wilf Green could have foreseen, all those years ago, the following that the bikes would eventually get or how endurable they would be.
Over 40 years later, some of the early bikes are still to be seen in un-restored condition and being used regularly.
Of course, the MZ story doesn’t start with Wilf Green, it starts with DKW in 1916, but as few bikes were imported into the UK up until 1970 or so, (and non officially even so until after 1970), this section will concentrate on post 1970 machines, both 2 and 4 stroke.

Before anyone goes off on the 2t v 4t debate, let us just say now, if it says MZ on the tin, IT IS MZ in the tin. Whoever made the engine (the majority of MZ 4 strokes used Yamaha 660 or Rotax 500 engines), it is still an MZ. It was only post year 2000 that MZ made its own 125 single and 1000 parallel twin 4 stroke engines.

No matter how many strokes it has, an MZ is an MZ! So there...

The two pages (one and two)  following from this page are not meant to be a definitive history of what bike was made by MZ during what year but merely an overview.

For probably the most definitive account of how many bikes, of what size, were made in what year, of what weight etc., we can do no better but refer you to the excellent MZ Typen Kompass book by Andy Schweietzer, published by Motor Buch Verlag (ISBN 3-613-02121-8) written in German (you will get the hang of technical German in the end) which makes for very interesting bed time reading (always have a copy by the bed for easy reference!). If you want a copy of this excellent book then you might try Google or Amazon or scour German Ebay.

Meanwhile, if you are a 2 stroke fan here is some reading and for 4 stroke lovers, plenty to read here. Observations and corrections welcome. NB: Piccys of bikes will follow on these pages. Patience please.