MZ TS 250

The motorcycles of the MZ TS 250 series were built at the VEB Motorradwerk Zschopau between 1973 and 1976. The manufacturer presented the newly developed TS 250 to the public for the first time at the Leipzig Autumn Fair in 1972 and began mass production in April 1973. In June of the same year, the TS series was supplemented by the MZ TS 125 and TS 150.

On September 1, 1976, the series production of the successor model TS 250/1 began, which featured a few changes compared to the TS 250. The motorcycle was presented at the Leipzig Autumn Fair that started on September 5, 1976.

The abbreviation TS in the model name stood for Teleskopgabel, Schwinge (english: Telescopic fork, Swingarm).

The chassis is a parallel tube backbone frame with a telescopic fork at the front and a long swing arm at the rear. The design principle of the frame was derived from the ETS 250/G, which had already been tried and tested for 10 years in Enduro. The rear section is also made of tubes. The manufacturer MZ particularly highlighted the increased bending stiffness in the longitudinal axis of 50% and the torsional stiffness of 35% compared to the ETS 250/G. In contrast to the street machine ETS 250, the rim size (16 inches) is the same at the front and rear. The telescopic fork has exposed guide tubes.

A new modern engine had already been developed for the newly designed frame at the end of the 1960s. The housing was divided horizontally, which simplified the assembly of the crankshaft and 5-speed gearbox. The drive unit also had 12-volt electrics, an optional electric starter and separate lubrication. However, the investments in tools and machines required for series production were not approved by the government of the GDR.

This meant that the MM 250/2 engine from the ES and ETS models had to be used. It was slightly further developed and called MM 250/3. This engine is a airstream-cooled single cylinder Two-Stroke. The fuel-to-oil ratio could reduced from 30 : 1 to 50 : 1. The kickstart and gear lever as well as the alternator cover were changed. A new development was the elastic engine suspension at the base of the frame and suspension with "Silentblock" at the cylinder head. The carburetor of the engine is a central float carburetor 30N 2–3 from the Berliner Vergaser-Fabrik. The two pipes of the frame bridge are integrated into the intake air system and reduce the intake noise. The speedometer drive was moved from the gearbox output to the rear wheel hub.

As with all MZ models, starting with the RT 125/1, the secondary chain is fully encapsulated with the chain guard made of rubber hoses and the chain case made of Duroplast on the rear wheel hub.

The electrical system: DC alternator with 60 W output, headlights with 170 mm diameter, asymmetrical dipped beam with 45/40 W dual-filament bulb and 21 W output on the back.