Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128177
Intermot 2002, Part /I ~ _ _ ~ 't.~" '" ~v> T he so-called "big" manufacturers weren't the only ones to show progress at this year's Intermot Motorcycle Expo in Munich, Germany. Germany's other twin-cylinder motorcycle, the MZ 1000S launched two years ago in Munich, returned to Intermot 2002 in production-ready guise, ready to start manufacture in January for deliver\es in March around the world, including the USA. The liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, dohc, eight-valve, 998cc parallel-twin engine with 180-degree crank throws measures 96 x 69mm, and features the cylinders inclined forwards at 40 degrees to give a substantial degree of downdraft for the twin throttle bodies, plus a side-loading six-speed cassette gearbox indicating its eventual intention to hit the racetrack running - albeit in ProTwins racing rather than World Superbike. MZ quoted an output of 115 bhp at 9000 rpm for the fairly long-stroke motor, slotted into the distinctive tubular-steel twinspar frame matched to an aluminum Triumph Speedmaster OCTOBER 23. 2002' III U III • • "_ swingarm. Nissin brakes are now fitted instead of the Brembos on the show prototype of two years ago, and fully adjustable suspension front and rear, with the result clad in the dis- By ALAN CATHCART PHOTOS BY KYOICHI NAKAMURA 24 v . • • n • _. • ~_'''"''" - -:: • tinctive New Edge styling featuring four separate projector headlamps, penned by former BMW, Yamaha and Honda designer Peter Naumann. Whether this very distinctive type of looks, which sunk the Aprilia Futura in the sport touring sales charts around the world, will be accepted nonetheless by sportbike fans remains to be seen - but at any rate, to begin with, the MZ is targeted as an affordable sportbike for the costconscious customer, with a projected home market price of 12,500 Euros, making the German bike very competitive with its Italian - and American, and British - competition. In the wake of its disastrous fire last March, Triumph had a low-key display at Intermot, with only one completely new model on show in the form of the Bonneville Speedmaster, a sportier take on the tWin-cylinder cruiser market based on the strongselling Bonneville America. Lowered overall gearing delivers added zest to allow the 62-bhp Bonnie motor to live up to the Speedmaster monicker, combined with lower handlebars, a reshaped seat blending better into the lines of the bike, and cast-alloy wheels instead of wires. Reintroduced for 2003, however, is the three-cylinder Thunderbird Sport, which Triumph dropped for a year but has now relaunched with a single-pipe exhaust and considerably more power from the first-series 885cc engine, now producing a claimed 82 bhp at 8500 rpm, up from the old versio 's 69 bhp at 8000 rpm. But press day at lntermot had much greater significance for the