Muz Skorpion Tour

MuZ Skorpion Tour

A SINGLE WITH A LOT OF SPORT IN ITS BLOOD

IS THIS BIKE'S NAME SPELLED FUNNY, OR NOT? MuZ? Skorpion? Well, nevermind. Spell it any way you want, even spell it "660cc Single," and it still is a surprisingly effective piece of hardware.

With the arrival of its Skorpion Sport and Tour, MuZ—the recently revitalized German motorcycle factory located in the eastern German province of Saxony—has truly entered into the ’90s motorcycle marketplace. Both Skorpion models are identical mechanically throughout their chassis and drivetrains. Such parts commonality is company doctrine, and is an echo of the parity displayed by the four 500cc Rotax-powered MuZ models (see “Simple Singles,” Cycle World, March). Price, styling and riding position are what distinguish one Skorpion from the other.

At first glance, the Sport would appear to pack much more sting than the Tour, thanks to the former’s bikini fairing, rearset pegs, low bars, up-swept pipe and a solo-like rear seat section. Don’t be fooled by the name; don’t think the unfaired Skorpion is only in its element when traveling the superslab. For starters, it matches the Sport in performance and handling. Even better, it embraces the classic standard concept of comfortable ergonomics and simplicity at a reasonable price.

While the Skorpion’s most distinguishing feature, its frame made of large-diameter steel tubing, is built in-house, the vast majority of Skorpion chassis components and electrics are sourced from Italy. The early prototype was a true Eurobike, in that it was powered by an Austrian-built Rotax air-cooled Single. In final production form, however, Skorpions get their sting from a Yamaha 660cc sohc fivevalve Single. Having recently sampled a handful of Rotaxpowered MZs (we’ll drop the “u,” everyone else does), the editorial staff here at Cycle world cast its votes in favor of the Yamaha mill. It runs much more smoothly than the Rotax engine does, it produces less mechanical noise and it has a slick-shifting five-speed gearbox.

CYCLE WORLD TEST

This is a motor you'll love from the moment you hit the starter button. A twist of the bar-mounted choke lever takes the chill out of cold starts, and a gear-driven counter-balancer does much toward taming the hand-numbing vibration so common among big Singles. Power delivery is linear, with no dips or flat spots as the revs climb, and carburetion is crisp, indicating that factory tuners got the jetting right.

They didn't get everything right, though. We found during a dyno run that the Skorpion's electronic tachometer was very optimistic. The one on our testbike registered 500 rpm higher than actual revs in the lower rpm ranges, and as much as 1000 rpm optimistic up near peak revs. This means that peak horsepower is achieved with the tach needle swept well beyond the display’s 6800-rpm indicated redline. Good to keep in mind. Also good to keep in mind is that hitting the rev limiter-which cuts in at a true 7000 rpm-is easy to do when the throttle is twisted to the stops while in first gear.

So, how docs the Skorpion stack up against Yamaha’s SRX600, the last great street Single sold in the U.S. market?

It’s pretty much a rout, as the Skorpion clocked a 13.59-second quarter-mile run w ith a 93.13-mph trap speed.

The SRX Cycle World tested in 1986 ran 14.33 seconds at 90.64 mph. Top gear roll-ons of 5.0 seconds from 40-60 mph and 5.7 from 60-80 mph saw the MZ rolling over the 6.8and 9.7second passes posted by the SRX. As expected, the MZ’s top speed of 1 10 mph was well clear o f t h e 1 0 3 - m p h SRX. As for shedding speed, the MZ’s single-disk front brake trounced the dual disk SRX, stopping the bike in 107 feet from 60 mph, 20 feet shorter than the SRX’s stopping distance.

Because the Skorpion comes with such a fat torque delivery, spinning the engine much beyond 5000 rpm is seldom called for. And here’s another reason for short-shifting: Engine vibration increases dramatically in the upper third of the rev range. At freewaycruise speeds, the modest level of vibration seeping through the bars, pegs and seat offers a subtle but ever-present reminder that you are, after all, riding a four-stroke Single.

Along with their tractable powder, another benefit Singles typically offer over multicylindered machines is light weight, which generally translates into improved handling.

The Skorpion's chassis does not disappoint in this area, delivering a superb blend of solid stability and light steering. Front and rear suspension spring and damping rates are well calibrated for a w ide variety of road and riding conditions. The non-adjustable Italian-built Paioli fork offers a smooth ride, and it doesn't bottom over bumps when compressed under heavy braking. Likewise, the German-built Bilstein shock delivers a controlled ride and has a convenient fourposition ramp-type preload adjuster.

Other Italian components include Gremica wheels and brakes, sticky Pirelli radial tires, a Domino clutch lever assembly and CEV handlebar switch gear. The switchgear, throttle housing and rubber handgrips are all closely pattemed after that of late-model Honda CBR sportbikes. One complaint here is that the reach to the levers is extreme, and may pose a problem for those with smaller hands.

The Tour’s riding position is quite flexible thanks to its Paoli Tarozzi high-rise clip-on handlebars. These are adjustable in three planes including width. The Tour’s sharp handling encourages spirited, toe-grinding lean angles in the curves. If this becomes a problem, the footrest brackets also are adjustable. These can be raised an inch, using a second set of mounting lugs welded to the frame. The peg bracket also has a second peg-mounting hole, making it possible to move the pegs rearward 1.5 inches to the location used by the Skorpion Spoil. Relocating the left-side peg to the rear mounting hole will require the use of the Spoil model's longer shift-linkage rod, while moving the right one aft calls for the rear-brake master cylinder to be flip-flopped so that it faces rearward.

Cornering the Skorpion is so entertaining that your boot toes may very well wear thin. But as the name w'ould imply, the Tour's w'ell-shaped and padded seat and its relaxed riding position won't wear you down. The more time you spend on the Tour, the more you learn to appreciate the simpler things in life-and also in motorcycling. As the hours tick away on the dash-mounted clock and the miles flow by, you soon realize that the MZ Skorpion Tour is as well-balanced a package as any motorcycle going, big or small. E3

MZ

SKORPION TOUR

$6895

EDITORS' NOTES

THE MZ SKORPION IS EVERYTHING Till KTM l)uke isn't: practical in most every way. Sure, there's a lot of sport in the Tour, but the riding positionaided by well-dialed suspension Se' tings-is almost ideal. It sits at a deli cate point that allows comfort during both tame commuting and aggressive backroad riding. Complementing the excellent ergonomics is a motor thati

puts out pulses of torque, underscoring the fact that there's a motor bolted to the frame and not just some run-of-themill powerplant.

So what is wrong with this bike? Well, for someone like me who likes to tinker with things, nothing. I'd fix the long reach to the levers, beef up the shifting linkage (it's a little too flexy for my tastes) and maybe even pump up that fivevalve motor just a little.

But, then, I’d also need a KTM Duke in my garage for those times when 1 really wanted to be bad

Jimmy Lewis, Off-Road Editor

DESPITE THE MZ SKORPION Toun's standardish ergonomics and nakedbike appearance, within the first two miles of twisties my senses were detecting strong signs of sportbike. And I do like the effect sporting Singles have on my senses. Combine the Skorpion's light weight, sharp han dling and tractable power, mix in the rhythmic beating of its exhaust note, and it all adds up to big-time fun both in town or on your favorite stretch of curves.

Unfortunately, the Tour’s $6895 asking price is a bit too steep, particularly when 1 consider that another great and versatile motorcycle, Honda’s ’96-model CBR600F3, is within $800. It’s going to take a true Singles devotee to part with that kind of cash.

So, go ahead, call me shallow, but I'm just not enough of a Singles kinda guy to look beyond supersport-winning performance for something as obviously unique and full of character as the MZ Skorpion.

Don Canet, Road Test Editor

AN INTERESTING MIX OF CLEVER AND cornball, this new MZ. Clever in the form of spot-on suspension calibra tions, height-adjustable footpegs and an anywhere-adjustable handlebar set up that should be studied by every other bike-maker. Cornball comes in via a sidestand and centerstand that look like they were glopped together by your kid in shop class (bonus points for having both, though). The lumpy Yamaha-built motor is not exactly a triumph of aesthetics, either, especially on the right side, where the waterpump hangs out in the breeze for all to see. Nor was there a lot of effort put into integrating the radiator into the MZ’s overall design (see son-in-shopclass reference, above).

Still, this is a surprisingly good motorcycle. Yes, it’s too expensive, but if you’re in the market for a sporty and versatile single-cylinder roadbike, the Skorpion is the only game in town right now. -David Edwards, Editor-in-Chief