The MZ Skorpion was the machine with which the Zschopau firm returned to sporting motorcycles in the 1990s. Built from 1994 to 2004, it paired a 660 cc five-valve Yamaha single with a light chassis styled by the British firm Seymour Powell, and it earned a devoted following in club racing.
MZ Skorpion at a glance
| Maker | MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk, Zschopau, Germany |
|---|---|
| Production | 1994–2004 |
| Engine | liquid-cooled four-stroke single, five valves |
| Displacement | 660 cc |
| Power | 48 bhp (36 kW) |
| Engine origin | Yamaha SZR660 |
| Design | Seymour Powell |
| Brakes and suspension | Grimeca |
| Frame | tubular beam |
| Wheels | alloy |
| Racing | Skorpion Cup from 1996 |
History of the MZ Skorpion
The MZ Skorpion was made from 1994 to 2004 by MZ in former East Germany. It is powered by a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, five-valve 660 cc single-cylinder engine with 48 brake horsepower. Skorpions are light motorcycles, noted for their precise handling and excellent braking, and they remain a popular mount for club racing; the Yamaha-based engine can be reliably tuned to 150 percent of its original performance, at which stage it can become competitive in Supermono as well as single- and twin-cylinder or even historic racing classes. In their review, Motorcycle News called the Skorpion „a refreshingly able antidote to Japanese fours in the mid-to-late 90s“, light, lithe, affordable and reassuringly practical.
Development
The Skorpion was the result of an international collaboration, conceived by the British design firm Seymour Powell. Its engine, electrics and switches came from the Yamaha SZR660, and Grimeca of Italy supplied the brakes, forks and rear suspension. The prototypes were fitted with a lightweight 500 cc Austrian Rotax engine. The lightweight tubular beam frame was unusual in using aircraft adhesives to save weight, but production versions came with a much heavier welded frame. The Skorpions were well specified as standard, with adjustable handlebars and footpegs, alloy wheels, a stainless steel silencer, a rear hugger fender and braided brake lines.
Model range
The MuZ Skorpion was launched in 1994 in two versions: the Skorpion Sport, a café racer with a bikini fairing, clip-on bars and rear-set footrests, and the Skorpion Tour, a standard motorcycle. Both had provision for a pillion passenger, the Tour with a more comfortable dual seat. In 2001 the bikes were rebadged as MZ and a third model joined the range, the Skorpion Traveller, a fully faired sport tourer with Hepco & Becker panniers. The Sport was discontinued in 2002, the other models finishing in 2004. Two specialist versions were also made: the Skorpion Cup, essentially a Skorpion Sport stripped of road equipment but with a full fairing and a single seat, and the Skorpion Replica, a rare and much more expensive version of the Cup with a 50 bhp engine, upside-down forks, upgraded brakes, a full fairing and a special frame; a half-faired version of the Replica was also built.
Skorpion Cup
The Skorpion Cup received its own racing series in several countries from 1996. Based in Germany, the low-budget one-make MZ-Cup for standard or mildly tuned Skorpions celebrated its 25th jubilee in 2021, nineteen years after the end of the base model’s production and thirteen years after the factory’s final closure. This makes the MZ-Cup the oldest and longest-lasting one-brand, one-make cup for motorcycles in the world. From 2022 it has also been open to guest participation by other selected single-cylinder bikes.
Design and features
- Yamaha heart: a 660 cc five-valve single from the Yamaha SZR660 giving 48 bhp and tunable to 150 percent.
- Light and precise: a tubular beam frame, alloy wheels and Grimeca suspension and brakes.
- Well equipped: adjustable bars and footpegs, stainless silencer, rear hugger and braided brake lines as standard.
- Cup pedigree: a one-make racing series from 1996 that is still running.
MZ Skorpion versions
- Skorpion Sport (1994–2002): café racer with bikini fairing, clip-on bars and rear-set footrests.
- Skorpion Tour (1994–2004): the standard model with a more comfortable dual seat.
- Skorpion Traveller (from 2001): fully faired sport tourer with Hepco & Becker panniers.
- Skorpion Cup: a Sport stripped of road equipment, with a full fairing and a single seat.
- Skorpion Replica: 50 bhp, upside-down forks, upgraded brakes and a special frame.
The Skorpion was the four-stroke successor to the MZ ETZ two-strokes and grew out of the tradition of the MZ 125. More in the Muz collection.
Video: Muz Skorpion TT Assen
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- MZ Skorpion, English Wikipedia: engine, versions, cup, development
- MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk, English Wikipedia: company background and the MuZ period
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