Location
 |
A rare IFA – MZ border patrol motorcycle can be found at the iron curtain border museum at former checkpoint Alpha. The brand was once the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world – its still there with a battered history. Have a look.
IFA-MZ ETZ-250 Border patrol motorcycle
The museum at Checkpoint Alpha near Marienborn in the former DDR - Germany has a rare border patrol motorcycle on display;
 |
| IFA MZ ETZ-250 Border patrol motorcycle at Checkpoint Alpha Museum near Marienborn - Germany |
It’s a 250 CC single cylinder air-cooled motorcycle produced for the former DDR government.
IFA MZ motorcycle manufacturer in Germany
MZ means Motorradwerk Zschopau – which is the motorcycle factory at Zschopau in the Erzgebirge region of Saxony - Germany. The factory goes back to 1906 and started producing motorcycles in 1920 under the brand DKW. In 1929 it became the largest motorcycle factory in the world, producing 60.000 DKW motorcycles.
 |
|
| IFA MZ ETZ-250 Border patrol motorcycle at Checkpoint Alfa Museum near Marienborn - Germany |
|
The IFA-MZ ETZ-250 has disk brakes, the modern version of the popular MZ ETS 250.
 |
| IFA MZ brand on the motorcycle gastank |
After WWII it became a state owned enterprise named IFA. Later the brand was renamed to VEB Motorradwerk Zschopau – or in short MZ.
MZ motorcycle battered history
After the fall of the iron curtain in 1990, the MZ company is returned into private hands.
In 1993 MZ ran into financial trouble and the company was bought by the Turkish firm Kanuni.
 |
| IFA MZ 250 cc single cylinder air cooled engine |
In 1996 the MZ company is sold again to Malaysian Corporation Hong Leong Group continuing production upto 2008. Production was stopped due to financial loses and the factory was closed. In 2009 the MZ brand was reborn again and again produces motorcycles – though in a different market segment.
 |
| IFA MZ motorcycle speedometer and tachometer |
The IFA-MZ border patrol version has a headlight diffuser - just a little bit of light comes out used at operations at border patrol roads. Too bad the engine makes quite a bit of noise - the IFA MZ can be heard from far.
| IFA MZ headlight diffuser - blackout border patrol operations |
|
Have a look at the MZ motorwerke website
Previous owner of the MZ motorcycle factory:
Turkish motorcycle factory Kanuni
Malaysian Corporation Hong Leong Group
Like historic vehicles? Have a look at:
battered Ford 4000 Tractor in Morocco.
Sunbeam 'fat tire' police motor cycle
