Can MZ hang on ?

[iceman]

OK,with the economy in a worldwide tailspin and everyone just trying to ride it out and hang on <ie..Italy and Greece ready to crash hard>I'm sure the UK are glad they never fell for the Euro.Even with the issues they also have.And forget the US as our leader is walking us off a cliff !!

OK here's my question at this rate of 1248 Euro for an electric scooter from MZ how long can the doors stay open ? I can't believe they are selling any.

Here's what it would cost without shipping to the US. 1,248.00 EUR = 1,694.41 USD 1 EUR = 1.35770 USD 1 USD = 0.736540 EUR

http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... 26hs%3D4fx

[iceman]

My point simply was that I think the electric scooter is overpriced and the wrong product at the wrong time.

But all the luck to them I hope they make it work.

http://nashville.craigslist.org/mcy/1585444970.html

[guitarzan]

Agreed. I really hope there is a market for the Charly. I'd love to see Anthony West riding one in an advertisement.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Anthony+West+on+MZ+bike

Maybe the Moto2 effort helps put MZ back in black some day!

[manumensa]

OK,with the economy in a worldwide tailspin and everyone just trying to ride it out and hang on <ie..Italy and Greece ready to crash hard>I'm sure the UK are glad they never fell for the Euro.Even with the issues they also have.And forget the US as our leader is walking us off a cliff !!

John, you don´t forget Spain and Portugal.
Remember one day before € the cafe price was 100 pesetas=0.60€, the € day same cafe in same bar 1€=166.386 pesetas.
Anyway I prefer the merchants than the warriors in Europe.

My opinion firstly must built "vintage" MZ bikes as built Triumph for create a cash flow to developed new bikes.

Agreed. I really hope there is a market for the Charly. I'd love to see Anthony West riding one in an advertisement.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Anth ... on+MZ+bike

Gitarzan, I think West bike only have MZ the stickers.

[guitarzan]

OK,with the economy in a worldwide tailspin and everyone just trying to ride it out and hang on <ie..Italy and Greece ready to crash hard>I'm sure the UK are glad they never fell for the Euro.Even with the issues they also have.And forget the US as our leader is walking us off a cliff !!

John, you don´t forget Spain and Portugal.
Remember one day before € the cafe price was 100 pesetas=0.60€, the € day same cafe in same bar 1€=166.386 pesetas.
Anyway I prefer the merchants than the warriors in Europe.

My opinion firstly must built "vintage" MZ bikes as built Triumph for create a cash flow to developed new bikes.

Agreed. I really hope there is a market for the Charly. I'd love to see Anthony West riding one in an advertisement.

http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2010/Anth ... on+MZ+bike

Gitarzan, I think West bike only have MZ the stickers.

Oh, I'm sure it's just stickers. But the public image is much more satisfying than the little electric scooter. Whatever works!

[manumensa]

Oh, I'm sure it's just stickers. But the public image is much more satisfying than the little electric scooter. Whatever works!

Mr. Franscisco Bultó before he was chief of Bultaco he worked in Montesa factory.
Because Montesa racing departament was closed and it was againt "Don Paco"(F.Bultó) filosophy
he decided create his own bike brand Bultaco.

Don Paco filosophy declaration was: "El mercado sigue a la bandera a cuadros".
My bad traslation: " The market follow the chequered flag".

Guitarzan, I agree with you.

[Anders]

My opinion firstly must built "vintage" MZ bikes as built Triumph for create a cash flow to developed new bikes.

You seem to have forgotten that Triumph started out the the other way around when they revived the brand. They first built modern bikes to prove to the public that they had products that one could rely on, then built "vintage" bikes when they had created a new market for the brand. For MZ it would be even more so important to re-invent the brand as a modern and viable alternative before they can return to their roots with retro styling.

Personally I think the 660 line was brilliant but from a marketing point of view they should have made it an inline four or at least a twin. The 1000cc bike was a step in the right direction but it was too much and too late.

[iceman]

My opinion firstly must built "vintage" MZ bikes as built Triumph for create a cash flow to developed new bikes.

You seem to have forgotten that Triumph started out the the other way around when they revived the brand. They first built modern bikes to prove to the public that they had products that one could rely on, then built "vintage" bikes when they had created a new market for the brand. For MZ it would be even more so important to re-invent the brand as a modern and viable alternative before they can return to their roots with retro styling.

Personally I think the 660 line was brilliant but from a marketing point of view they should have made it an inline four or at least a twin. The 1000cc bike was a step in the right direction but it was too much and too late.

Anders,
I agree with the first paragraph but the second one not so much.Here in the states there are and were so many 650 twins and fours that MZ wouldn't have had any presence here.I think because it was a single and different the 660 sold here.Look at Hyosung.They have lots of money and have had a hard time trying to sell 650 twins for about the last four years or so. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/07-Hyosu ... 439d5d4f6b Just too many players in that game IMO .OH and the 1000cc was too late but not too much.

[manumensa]

You seem to have forgotten that Triumph started out the the other way around when they revived the brand. They first built modern bikes to prove to the public that they had products that one could rely on, then built "vintage" bikes when they had created a new market for the brand. For MZ it would be even more so important to re-invent the brand as a modern and viable alternative before they can return to their roots with retro styling

Hello Anders,

Mr. Bloor inyected some million pounds to re-started Triumph 20 years ago.
The vintage or retro is only a few years ago fashion. I see in my city 3 Triumph, 2 are retro and 1 modern.
Ducati also sell retro models.

The big motorcycles companies didn´t bought the brand MZ because MZ isn´t a real menace.
MZ never be the big factory they was in the past -hope I eat all this words in a next future-.

Perhaps MZ need an unorthodox business way as old racing replicas. Calendar at least in Europe are full
of classic races.

[Anders]

The 1000cc is certainly a great bike, non too many sold in my part of th world though. Partly because (i think) the step up from the 660 street single was too big for the potential customer base.

The problem with a reviving a brand with a big street single is that it is 50 odd years since it was the thing to ride in Europe at least. The success of the singles in Japan for instance is partly due to that you are by law supposed to demosnstrate that you can get the bike back on ywo whhels by yourself if you drop it. Sure the Yamaha SR500 was a moderate success outside of Japan but the SRX600 and SZR660 fell well short of its marketing intent, both great bikes non the less.

I used to ride 1100cc Suzukis in the better part of 80's and 90's before I was convinced that a lightweight singel has plenty more charm than most things avaliable out there, and the fun factor is definatlely not proportional to the number of cylinders.

[mzsrus]

its mz own chassis, new lighter one being made now.
rear subframe, brakes, suspsension and exhaust all being patented as we speak. mz's own design.

Not just a bike with mz stickers,

21 part time emplyees at present, 6 in race dept, 4 in spares dept that i know off.

rt 125 series ready to come back into production pending bank loan/ state help which is 50/50 at moment but at present Martin Wimmer said looking up on few mths back on last thursday. They need hlep to start producing before they can generate new models. a rt 250 series is ready to go also in the fall.

Sold 35 charlys last week.

Mz moto2 def in spanish championship if dont get into full moto 2, thats a fact and into moto 2 in 2011 because fia already promised mz gmbh that in writing in nov 2009.

[comanche91]

Thanks very much for the update and we all wish MZ the best. In the meantime we'll try to keep our rigs going the best we can.

Question: Why do the Cubans in Miami seem to have an unlimited supply of MZ spares for nearly any MZ model? I've been in some of these guy's warehouses and there are more MZ parts there than in some of the other motorcycle brands local dealerships. This isn't all stuff that's been sitting for years either; most parts they can order on request. Some secret pipeline via Cuba?

[DAVID THOMPSON]

only bike they could get in Cuba for many years....
so when they move to the usa the brand loyalty stayed
and they made a point to find the parts
the common ground is a lot of East Germans and Cubans speak Russian
making it easy to talk to some one that knows who has the unobtainable
just my thought on it
dave

[comanche91]

Could be Dave. They can order supposedly unobtainium stuff like the regulation Rotax chain gaiters (not the smaller ETZ ones) and have it within two weeks. Of course they wouldn't tell me how they got their parts so quickly, except to say they have lots of amigos in Germany.

[Nozz]

The MZNA warehouse was in FL, plus the cuban connection is for real. Lots of MZs over there from the eastern bloc days.