MZ 250cc model history
In very general terms there are only a handful of UK 250 MZS if we overlook basic and deluxe submodels. First off from the earliest days of importation is the Trophy, aka the ES 250/2. With a headlamp built in line with and fixed to the tank, leading link front forks and 16in wheels its looks are, shall we say, unique. Quirky beyond belief and more than a little agricultural, the few that remain command surprising money. Oh and they handle much better that you might expect. Next up is the Trophy Sport with telescopic forks and elephantine fuel tank; again these are quite sought after. A host of detailed revisions delivered the TS250 as tested here followed by the TS 250/1 aka the Supa 5. This was the bike that really put MZ on the map in the UK and allowed the importer Wilf Green to leverage detailed changes and improvements with the factory over the ensuing years. The very fact that much was made of the five-speed transmission in the period adverts and road tests says a lot about the lack of frills on the previous models. The arrival of the ETZ 250 heralded a more modern approach to giving the customer what they wanted. Finally the bike had 12v electrics and oil injection. The commissars behind The Wall approved the purchase of Mikuni oil pumps and Brembo hydraulic brake setups; the long-serving BVF carb was finally revised with decent jetting. Even more amazing was that the bike could now be set up to tickover. At last MZS actually stopped when the front brake was applied and premix was a thing of the past. The ETZ also heralded a new approach to the bike’s very nature. Revised porting saw the bike graced with substantially more pep even if the fuel consumption changed from 75 to 50mpg… such is the price of progress. The ETZ 251 was a substantial styling revision of the ETZ 250 that utilised many components from the ETZ 150 in a move to reduce costs. A decade after its competitors fitted it, MZ finally went over to electronic ignition. Upping the ante in 1990 an ETZ 301 was announced running a 291cc unit which effectively took the engine out to its maximum capacity. On the back of German reunification a prototype ETZ 252 came to light. With reed valve induction and water cooling it brought the design bank up to date but sadly the bike never made it into production. In 1995 the Turkish importer of MZS, Kanuni, took over pretty much all of the two-stroke manufacture but by then the writing was on the wall. Very few wanted a 250cc stroker single and the brand, model and concept disappeared pretty much like two-stroke smoke on a windy day.
“The way an MZ 250 makes its power is a revelation if your benchmark is Japanese strokers in general and twins in particular. There’s an almost relentless delivery that’s more akin to an electric motor!”