GP’s Classic Steel #52- 1992 CZ 125MX

For this week’s GP’s Classic Steel we are going to take a look back at the last gasp for one of the biggest names in seventies motocross, the 1992 CZ 125MX.

For this week’s GP’s Classic Steel we are going to take a look back at the last gasp for one of the biggest names in seventies motocross, the 1992 CZ 125MX.

In 1992, the Czechoslovakia firm Ceske Zavodny (CZ) made one last attempt at recapturing some of their lost glory with an all-new machine.  The 125MX looked to be thoroughly modern and competitive at a glance, but once you dug deeper, it became apparent that the little CZ was more of a paper tiger than a fire-breathing thoroughbred.

Today, most motocross fans have only the vaguest recollection of CZ motorcycles. Like rotary dial phones and Sony Walkmans’s, most of the internet generation knows they existed, but have probably never actually seen one in person. To them, they are relics of a bygone era. There was a time, however, when Ceske Zavodny motorcycles were the premier motocross bikes in the world.

Amazingly, the ’92 CZ 125MX featured a very modern engine. It was a liquid-cooled case-reed design, which even featured a variable exhaust port. On paper it looked impressive, but on the track it was a turd. It provided a lackluster spread of power that was more akin to a trail bike than a motocrosser.

CZ motorcycles started out as an offshoot division of the Česká Zbrojovka Corporation in Strakonice, Czechoslovakia.  Originally a weapons manufacturer,   Česká Zbrojovka branched out into making bicycle parts in the late 1920’s under the CZ brand. It would only take CZ a few years to start adding motors to their bicycles and quickly become the largest motorcycle manufacturer in Czechoslovakia. After a break from production due to the Second World War (CZ was converted by the NAZI’s to full-time weapons production during the war), CZ would merge with its biggest rival Jawa to form the second largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe.

I always wondered where Honda came up with their atrocious ‘92 CR graphics-now I know. Apparently they stole them from CZ.

In the fifties, CZ began competing in Grand Prix’s, but they were not up to challenging the more established brands at the time. In the sixties, however, CZ would become a motocross powerhouse. They would introduce the lightweight two-strokes that would change the face of the sport, and take riders like Roger DeCoster, Dave Bickers and Joel Robert to motocross stardom.  In the late sixties and early seventies, everybody who was anybody rode the bikes from Czechoslovakia.  In their heyday, CZ’s would win 13 World Motocross Titles, and play a major role in introduction of the sport to America. When you consider that this was all going on behind the restrictions of the Iron Curtain, CZ’s success was truly remarkable.

While the rest of the bike was remarkably crude in execution, the 125MX’s anemic motor was actually nicely finished. All of the castings were smooth, well designed and assembled with care. If only they had not forgotten to add the horsepower, it would have been an impressive accomplishment.

 Towards the later part of the seventies, the tide would turn for the Czech manufacturer. Their top riders would switch from CZ to the hot new Japanese machines both here and in Europe. On the home front, the restrictions of Cold War politics would make it difficult for CZ to keep up with the break-neck speed of development going on in the Far East. By the end of the decade, CZ’s motocross program would be on the ropes, a victim of the Japanese invasion.

In an odd engineering decision, the Czech factory decided to spec out an air filter from a leftover Soviet tractor for the MX125. Considering the paper filter was completely useless when introduced to water, it seemed an odd choice for an off-road machine.

In the eighties, CZ made a few stabs at making a comeback. In the early part of the decade, they produced a limited amount of single-shock bikes, but none of them were up to running with the best from Europe and Japan. In the later part of the decade, they made an attempt to lure riders back to the brand by offering a $1900 off- road bike that was little more than a ’76 model with minor refinements (covered in depth by Classic Steel #3). In the end, neither one of these attempts did much to resurrect the brand.  If they were going to truly keep Czechoslovakia on the motocross map, CZ would need to go back to the drawing board and come up with an all-new machine for the new decade.

At first glance, the rear swingarm on the 125MX appeared to be an ultra-trick Honda HRC rip-off. Under closer inspection, however, it was actually a heavy steel piece with big, poorly finished welds. At least it looked cool…

In 1992, CZ would introduce an all-new 125cc machine to take on the Japanese. The new Czech built 125 would feature a high tech motor, disc brakes front and rear, as well as a mono-shock rear suspension.  At a retail price of $3000, the bike looked to be competitively priced as well.  On paper the Ceske Zavodny 125 MX looked to be a winner, on the track, however, it left a lot to be desired.

In the front, the CZ used a set of badly under-sprung and poorly damped Czech built units. They were far too soft for any aerial work and better suited to trail riding than triple jumping.

When CZ set about designing the 125 MX, it was pretty clear they used the Japanese as a blueprint. Unfortunately, something got lost in the translation. As was typical of most Eastern block products of the era, the new CZ took the ideas of others and found ways to make them heavier, slower and less efficient. With the 125MX, parts that would be made of lightweight aluminum on a CR125R were forged out of steel instead. The kickstarter, shifter, linkage, triple clamps, shock and even rear swingarm (which looked like a trick works Honda unit at first inspection) were all formed out of heavy steel.  All the plastic was of the thick, hard and poorly cast variety (anyone familiar with the Maier “indestructible” plastic from the 80’s knows the crappy stuff I’m talking about). Even the parts that were formed out of aluminum, like the brake calipers, appeared to have been created with no concern for weight or performance in mind. They were roughly cast and about three times bigger than they needed to be. On the CZ, about the only thing that did appeared to be well made was the motor.

The triple clamps on the 125MX were some of the oddest ever to make their way onto a motocross track. Instead of the small and light dual aluminum clamps seen on normal machines, the CZ used one large steel clamp that covered the entire top of the bike’s spindly forks. Light weight did not appear to be a high priority on the CZ 125.

Strangely, the engine was the one part that the Czechs seemed to actually put a little effort into. While the rest of the bike appeared to be based on pictures of Japanese bikes (who knows, this may not be far off from the truth), the motor looked to have been designed by an actual engineer. It featured the case-reed design that was de rigueur at the time and mated it to a thoroughly modern Mikuni mixer (early release 125MX’s came with a 36mm Jikov carb that was so poorly jetted that the bike would barely run). Unlike the rest of the bike (which looked to have been assembled in a high school shop class), the workmanship on the engine was first class. All the castings were smooth and of high quality. The liquid cooling worked well and appeared well thought out. The power plant even incorporated a variable exhaust port (very similar in design to Yamaha’s 1^st generation YPVS) to aid in power.

The CZ’s rear shock featured a steel body, shaft and reservoir for the maximum weight penalty possible.  On top of weighing a ton, it did a pathetic job of smoothing out the track. It was Soviet era engineering at its best, my friends.

While the motor itself appeared thoroughly modern, it was surrounded by other bits and details that let you know this bike was not your father’s Yamaha. Once you took off the seat and inspected the airbox, you were greeted with a paper air filter. As in the kind of filter that completely closes up when exposed to any water. While this might work on a Toyota Corolla, it is not the hot set up on a dirt bike. In another odd bit of engineering unknown to Western civilization, CZ chose to equip their 125MX with two petcocks for no apparent reason. This, of course, created both added complexity and the opportunity for failure where none previously existed. Even better, they both leaked.  In perhaps the biggest vote of confidence of all on the MX125, CZ saw fit to add a drain screw to the bottom of the crankcase of the motor. This screw was not for draining the transmission, by the way. This drain was to clear out the bottom end of the crankcase if the crappy Jikov carb let fuel seep into the motor and load it up. Never let it be said the Czech’s were not prepared for every eventuality.

Although most of the bike was heavy and crude in nature, the zerks on the rear linkage were a nice touch.

In terms of performance…there was very little to speak of. The little CZ punched out an anemic spread that would have had a hard time outrunning a KX60. It offered no appreciable hit and felt more akin to a 125 dual sport machine than a fire breathing motocross race bike. While it seemed to have all the ingredients to make decent power, the little Czech mill was just not up to competing with anything more powerful than an XR200.

Although the disc brakes on the CZ would stop the bike, they felt wooden and offered no feedback to the rider.  Both the caliper and carrier appeared big enough to have been stolen off an unsuspecting Škoda sedan

Unfortunately for CZ, the leaf-blower motor turned out to be the high point of the MX125. In the suspension department, the Czech made forks left a lot to be desired. They were barely stiff enough to hold up the substantial weight of the machine when stationary, much less when in motion. They offered absolutely no damping whatsoever and bounced up and down like a ’76 Caddy with blown shocks. In the rear, the shock was similarly under-sprung and completely unsuitable for any motocross work. In short, if you wanted to keep yourself and the bike in one piece, jumps and whoops were best avoided at all costs. If the MX125 had been priced closer to $2000, it might have seemed like a great deal for someone looking for an inexpensive trail mount. At $3000, however, it was only a few hundred less than the 125 offerings from Japan and a hard sell in ’92.

Compared to their previous offerings, the CZ 125MX was a state-of-the-art motocross weapon. It had all the technology buzz words covered and at a reasonable price. If only it had not been soft, heavy and unable to outrun an XR200, it might have given the Japanese a run for their money. As it was, it was merely another example of the poor engineering and execution that brought down the Iron Curtain.

Shortly after the introduction of the MX125, CZ’s motorcycle business was sold to Italian motorcycle manufacturer Cagiva (the same brand that had bought out Husky in 1987). They intended to use the CZ factories to produce their machines, as well as new CZ’s and Jawa bikes for the European market. Unfortunately, a few years later Cagiva would suffer their own financial problems and CZ’s motorcycle division would be shuttered for good. The 1992 CZ 125 MX turned out to be one last gasp from a once proud marque. It was a decent play bike, but no race machine and certainly not the bike that Ceske Zavodny needed to make them relevant again in the cut throat world of nineties motocross.