MZ / MuZ 1000SF

MZ / MuZ 1000SF
Manufacturer	MZ / MuZ
Production	2005 - 07
Engine	Four stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder
Compression ratio	12.5:1
Top Speed	146.8 mph
Ignition	Electric CDI
Transmission	6 Speed
Frame	Dual tube bridge frame
Suspension	Front: Marzocchi Upside-down fork Rear: Sachs Monoshock
Brakes	Front: 2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers Rear: Single 240mm disc 2 piston caliper
Front Tire	120/70-17
Rear Tire	180/55-17
Wheelbase	1445 mm / 56.9 in
Seat Height	820 mm / 32.3 lbs
Weight	210.0 kg / 463.0 lbs (dry),
Fuel Capacity	20 Liters / 5.2 US gal
Manuals	Service Manual

It could reach a top speed of 146.8 mph.

Engine

The engine was a Liquid cooled cooled Four stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder. The engine featured a 12.5:1 compression ratio.

Drive

Power was moderated via the Wet multi-plate hydraulic.

Chassis

It came with a 120/70-17 front tire and a 180/55-17 rear tire. Stopping was achieved via 2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers in the front and a Single 240mm disc 2 piston caliper in the rear. The front suspension was a Marzocchi Upside-down fork while the rear was equipped with a Sachs Monoshock. The 1000SF was fitted with a 20 Liters / 5.2 US gal fuel tank. The bike weighed just 210.0 kg / 463.0 lbs. The wheelbase was 1445 mm / 56.9 in long.

Photos

Overview

MZ 1000SF

A quick glimpse of the new MZ 1000SF might incline you to agree.

When MZ's regional sales representative offered me the keys to the blazing orange bike, I immediately snapped them up, but not before I got him to agree to snap some pictures so I might share my brief, 10-mile riding impression with you, the MO readership. For those of you unfamiliar with the brand, MZ started back in 1922 as DkW. Shortly thereafter, DkW, which manufactured cars as well as motorcycles, was absorbed by Auto-Union, and was represented by one of the four rings of the present-day Audi logo. After WWII, it was reorganized as the state-run Zschopau Motorcycle Factory (Motorradwerks Zschopau), or MZ. Over two million clunky two-stroke motorcycles were cranked out over the decades, until MZ was reorganized and changed hands in 1992. With new ownership came plenty of money to design new products, especially after Malaysian finance giant Hong Leong purchased the company in 1996. Work began designing a modern 1000cc powerplant, and a mere nine years later the 1000S sport model arrived in the USA. The world wasn't really crying out for a liter-sized parallel twin, but somebody thought it was a good idea. The resulting 999cc unit truly is a modern unit, with excellent counterbalancing, cassette-type gearbox, wide, flat torque curve, and over 115 HP at the rear wheel in the latest magazine tests. I had ridden the fully-faired 1000S previously and was impressed with how smooth and quiet the motor was, along with wind protection so good it felt like the bike was going much slower than it actually was. It also felt very long and heavy, even for a GT-type open class sportbike.

2The 'Super Fighter', as MZ Deutschland calls it, looks a little smaller than the 1000S, but not much. It is however, a dramatic presentation with the large, bulbous tank, bright orange paint, and stark, industrial shapes in the frame and motor. The jangling elements are offset by the swank-looking gold suspension bits and pro taper-styled superbike bar. Swinging a leg over it puts your ass on a high but broad and comfortable seat. Switching on the ignition produces the mandatory speedometer and tach needle dance, and a touch of the starter button produces a flat, throaty idle that's not quite a V-twin, not quite an inline-four. Think EX500 that's been bitten by a radioactive spider. It snaps easily into gear, and the clutch is smooth and nice. The bike roars down the street with a very unique feel: it doesn't have the immediate snap of the big V-twin, but you don't have to give it as much gas as a large inline-four, either. This might be how a (weak) gas-turbine engine would feel, as the powerband is remarkably flat.

Until you hit 6,000 RPM, that is. Hopefully you're on the freeway by then, because the bike snaps forward with strong acceleration. The vestigial nose fairing does nothing to slow the air blasting your chest, since the wide bars put your arms in the air, making you a perfect sail. However, this motor makes a lot of power, deceptively: it doesn't feel like 115HP, until you look at the optimistic speedometer and see you are blasting a man-shaped hole through the air at 80 or 90 mph.

The wind blast was so severe that the front end felt a bit unsteady because of steering inputs through my shoulders and chest. But the long, heavy chassis still made the bike feel as steady as any streetfighter has a right to feel at triple-digit speeds. And that wide gold handlebar made lane changing a quick and dirty affair. When it came time to slow for corners or slow-poke drivers, the dual four-piston Nissan calipers rewarded a two-finger squeeze with good feel and bite.

Suspension quality is top-notch, although it still felt a little jouncy and could've used a bit of dialing in. Fortunately, the fully adjustable Marzocchi fork and Sachs rear shock allow plenty of fine-tuning. Overall, the bike felt like a big, heavy street-fighter with tons of character and reasonably light handling. Build quality is equal to any European company, with no paint flaws, mismatched parts or glaring  production problems. MZ's standard two year, unlimited mileage warranty should banish any fears of the relatively small company having reliability issues. A ten-mile blast around San Francisco's busy freeways is hardly a comprehensive test, but the 1000SF feels like a real contender in the big streetfighter category, and should be a charismatic and unique choice for the rider who might have had a big Norton or Laverda in the 70's, or someone who wants a European bike that's just that much different from the rest.

The 1000SF will be in MZ dealers soon at an MSRP of $10,995. Available colors are orange and er... well orange.

Source Motorcycle.com

Make Model	MZ 1000SF
Year	2005 - 07
Engine Type	Four stroke, parallel twin cylinder, DOHC, 4 valve per cylinder
Displacement	996 cc / 60.9 cu-in
Bore X Stroke	96 X 69 mm
Cooling System	Liquid cooled
Compression	12.5:1
Exhaust	Euro 2 / 2 Catalytic converter
Induction	Electronic Fuel Injection
Ignition	Electric CDI
Starting	Electric
Max Power	117 hp / 83.8 kW @ 8000 rpm
Max Torque	98 Nm / 71 lb-ft @ 7000 rpm
Clutch	Wet multi-plate hydraulic
Transmission	6 Speed
Final Drive	Chain
Frame	Dual tube bridge frame
Front Suspension	Marzocchi Upside-down fork
Front Wheel Travel	120 mm / 4.7 in
Rear Suspension	Sachs Monoshock
Rear Wheel Travel	120 mm / 4.7 in
Front Brakes	2x 320mm discs 4 piston calipers
Rear Brakes	Single 240mm disc 2 piston caliper
Front Tire	120/70-17
Rear Tire	180/55-17
Rake	24.5°
Trail	98 mm / 3.9 in
Wheelbase	1445 mm / 56.9 in
Seat Height	820 mm / 32.3 lbs
Dry Weight	210.0 kg / 463.0 lbs
Fuel Capacity	20 Liters / 5.2 US gal
Standing ¼ Mile	10.9 sec / 119.5 mph
Top Speed	146.8 mph