The MZ Skorpion was made by MZ in Zschopau from 1994 to 2004. Conceived by the British design firm Seymour Powell and powered by a 660 cc Yamaha single, it was the first completely new MZ design of the post-communist era and was praised for being light, precise and affordable.
MZ Skorpion at a glance
| Maker | Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk GmbH, Zschopau (MuZ, from 2001 MZ) |
|---|---|
| Production | 1994–2004 (five variants to 2002 by the German source) |
| Class | roadster and sports tourer, single-cylinder |
| Engine | 660 cc four-stroke single, five valves, liquid-cooled |
| Power | 48 hp (36 kW) |
| Engine origin | Yamaha SZR 660 |
| Design | Seymour Powell |
| Running gear | Grimeca brakes, fork and rear suspension |
| Chassis | tubular beam frame, welded in production |
| Built | 4,152 in nine years |
| Racing | Skorpion Cup from 1996 |
The English article ends production in 2004, the German one in 2003 with five variants; both dates are given.
History of the MZ Skorpion
The Skorpion was the first new development of the old Zschopau firm after the end of the GDR. The design came from the British studio Seymour Powell, which proposed a 500 cc Rotax four-stroke in a light frame glued rather than welded from chrome-molybdenum tube; the prototypes were built that way, but the production frame was welded and much heavier. Engine, electrics and switches came from the Yamaha SZR 660, and the brakes, fork and rear suspension from the Italian supplier Grimeca.
The MuZ Skorpion was launched in 1994 in two versions: the Skorpion Sport, a café racer with a bikini fairing, clip-on handlebars and rear-set footrests, and the Skorpion Tour, a standard motorcycle with a more comfortable dual seat. Both could carry a pillion. The bike was well specified as standard, with adjustable bars and footpegs, alloy wheels, a stainless steel silencer, a rear hugger and braided brake lines.
In 1995 MZ marked its success in the single-cylinder Sound of Singles racing series with the Race Replica, based on the Sport. It had a full fairing, a light high-mounted Sebring twin exhaust, White Power upside-down forks and shock, Brembo double disc brakes and light Marchesini wheels, and 250 units were built; at 15,400 DM it cost little less than four-cylinder Japanese sports bikes with over 100 hp. The Skorpion Cup, offered for the one-make series started in 1996, was a stripped Sport with a full fairing and a single seat. The Traveller of 1996 was a fully faired Tour with a factory luggage system.
In 1998 the whole range was revised with better instruments, bridge-type handlebars for the Tour and Traveller and new colours; nothing further changed before production ended in 2003 by the German source or 2004 by the English one. The Sport was discontinued in 2002. A special Skorpion Fighter was built in ten examples, and the Sport Classic study of 1997, a naked Sport with wire wheels in tribute to the café racers of the 1960s, never got beyond two prototypes. The Skorpion also served the police and traffic authorities, with a Pichler fairing, Hepco & Becker panniers, crash bars, heated grips and a radio in place of the pillion seat; some were still in service in 2010. The one-make MZ-Cup, which began in 1996, celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021 and remains the longest-running single-make motorcycle cup in the world, and a works Skorpion took the Supermono European title in 2000 in the hands of Spencer Cook.
Design and features
- Yamaha single: the 660 cc five-valve engine of the SZR 660, 48 hp and tunable to 150 per cent of its output.
- Light and precise: a tubular beam frame with Grimeca suspension and brakes, noted for handling and braking.
- Good standard equipment: adjustable bars and footpegs, alloy wheels, stainless silencer and braided brake lines.
- Racing pedigree: works entries in Supermono and a one-make cup that outlasted the factory.
MZ Skorpion versions
- Skorpion Sport (1994–2002): café racer with bikini fairing, clip-ons and rear-set footrests.
- Skorpion Tour: the standard model with a comfortable dual seat.
- Skorpion Traveller (1996): fully faired sport tourer with Hepco & Becker panniers.
- Skorpion Cup: a stripped Sport with full fairing and single seat for the one-make series.
- Skorpion Replica: 250 units with 50 hp, upside-down forks, Brembo brakes and Marchesini wheels.
- Skorpion Fighter: ten examples combining Traveller bodywork with the Replica’s seat and exhaust.
The Skorpion was followed by the MZ Baghira on the same Yamaha engine, and later by the MZ 1000S. More are in the MZ collection.
Video: 1997 MZ Skorpion 660
Video on YouTube.
Sources
- MZ Skorpion, English Wikipedia: model range, specification, reception
- MZ Skorpion, German Wikipedia: variants, production total, racing, police version
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