First test: MZ 1000SF

The fuel injection is still snatchy (though better than on the S) and can be confused with a big handful at low revs.

Vibration can prove intrusive and tiring and the generator cover can cook your leg when you stop at traffic lights and junctions.

But, on the whole, Wildee’s first impressions are that anyone who buys will feel they’ve landed a great value and great fun bike.

We’ll be adding video of his first ride in the next few days and a quick interview with him delivering his initial verdict, too.

MCN’s Matt Wildee is in Malaga, Spain for the world first test of the MZ1000SF.

Matt says it’s been dry and sunny today (Feb 9) but yesterday conditions were wet and slippery.

Even so, he says the parallel twin – which will cost just £6450 on the road – is a “real blast to ride.”

Read his full report in MCN – February 23, 2005. Until then – here are his first impressions:

“For those with preconceptions about MZs – this is actually very good! A lot ot the problems the S version of the bike had have been removed. New cams, new exhausts and remapped fuelling have given it more grunt.

“It’s a bit of a hooligan – wheelieing off the throttle in first.

“A stiffer rear spring (compared to the S) makes it feel taut and the wide bars make it easy to turn fast. Revised gearing makes it feel sharper and livelier than the S. That all goes to making it faster from A to B than the S.

Brakes are the same elderly Nissin calipers as used on the S (and also as used on the 1990 GSX-R750!