I'm not so sure that's all bad Keith. From my limited experience of the MZ marque (one of the 250's in the 1980's and now a Skorpion) there are 2 types of owner.
1. The guy who find a cheapo smoker and rides it until it's knackered - then moves on for another bargain ....
2. The bloke who finds an unusual bike and who decides to find out more about it, how to fix it, how to restore it.
I can remember back when every cafe cowboy in the UK had an AJS or a Matchless or a BSA - they were almost 'worthless' as a result. Now? They're priceless.
IMHO German stuff tends to be very well made, and East German stuff tends to be big and durable (by and large). I have a Skorpion (a proud owner of 1 month) and from what I can see (A Japanese pedigree engine, parts that come from other marques .....) folks that can wield a welder and a lathe - engineers like thee and me - will do rather well in the long term.
I offer you M und Z - The German antwort to Triumph/AJS/Norton!