16 Miles – 2005 MZ 1000S

Post Listing Update: This MZ did not get any interest at the opening ask of $5,000.

4-9-18 Update: An additional two years later and this MZ is still available. The seller clarified my question about mileage in the comments below, so you can now find it with an unmet opening bid of $5,000 or a BIN of $11,000

2-20-16 Update: Almost exactly a year later, this MZ is back up for sale. However, now the seller says the bike has zero miles, so he’s either using the same photos to sell a different bike or he was legitimately mistaken the first time around. Either way, find this 1000S with an unmet opening bid of $1,000 or a BIN of $8,500

Once the world’s biggest producer of motorcycles, MZ went bankrupt in May of 2013. The last decade of its history was full of financial troubles, but the varying ownership had MZ constantly trying new things. In 1996, a Malaysian group took over and resolved to build MZ’s first superbike. The MV 1000S was born – a 140 mph parallel twin rarity, of which only 30 were brought to the US.

Despite the initial claims, the MZ 1000S ended up more as a sport-tourer. The 999cc engine produced 117 horsepower and 72 ft-lb of torque. The decent 40 mpg gave you a tank range of 170 miles, helping with the sport-tourer role. Though it’s very rare here, this bike was reasonably successful in Europe, and it spawned a touring model as well as a naked variant. OEM components weren’t bad, as you got Marzocchi adjustable forks and a Sachs rear shock. You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that parts availability would be a nightmare, however Graham’s Motorcycles in Britain has assumed the role of worldwide distributor, and you can get nearly everything you need in a week’s time.

This specific MZ 1000S has just 16 miles and is claimed to basically be brand new and of museum quality. The owner had a few motorcycle dealerships and just rotated this as a display bike between them. The seller claims it’s the last brand new MZ 1000S in the world, and he’s probably right.