Hello and Rare MZ moped

[barffy]

Hi,

New to the forum and new to MZ's. I have recently acquired what i believe to be a very rare MZ Zebretta 50 cc moped. It's incomplete and some parts need replacing as they are well past being serviceable. The main thing i need are forks as the ones on the bike have dented stanchions and are very badly corroded. I am also requiring a piston for the engine and other little parts like a throttle assembly. I was hoping you guys could point me in the direction of a place to go about obtaining spares? The engine is a minarelli v1 which is hugeley popular in the states for tuning but obviously being located in the UK the shipping costs are horrendous. With the limited parts availability my plan is to rebuild the bike up with probably an 70-80cc cylinder and retro fit an old expansion chamber i have lying around for the moment along with clip ons and sorting something out with that seat. Im going sort of cafe racer look with rear sets as the current foot rests are damaged anyway.

If anyones interested here it is anyway, im led to believe it is identical to the US sold baretta 44.




I have a full bike license and have a suzuki bandit for everyday commuting so this is just going to be something to keep in the garage forever and have some fun restoring and riding!

Regards

Harry.

[radiograf]

Minarelli are an Italian engine makers, they are fitted to many different makes of moped /scooter. So as a good starting point for spares try ebay. The forks look very heavy duty for the frame, could they be off a Simson moped?

[Skorpion]

Hi barffy.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but your moped is not a MZ or Simson.

Its an Italian BM Zabretta, information can be found on the web, it seems to be the same model as in the link below.

http://www.puntoannunci.com/9/annunci_g ... _1971.html

[barffy]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, after some digging i have found out you are half right. The link provided does indeed bare some resemblance to my bike, although the engine is of a different origin as mine uses the Minarelli V1 as fitted to over 100 mopeds of the era.

I performed a background check on my bike using mytextcheck. They confirm that the bike is indeed an MZ zebretta.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. The bike is as expected (and correctly said by you) an italian manufactured machine, which makes sense due to the italian writing on the headstock. This bike is MZ in name only, as all of these bikes were brought into the country by MZ importer Wilf Green. This explains the mystery of why the bike is registered as an MZ with italian writing all over it!

see this link that should explain all:

(scroll down)

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/ ... -rare.html



Thanks and sorry that i mistakenly thought i had an MZ, even though i kind of do!


Regards

Harry.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

fellow posted with one of these a bit back
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=4480&p=23585&hilit=zebretta#p23585

he may still be around send him a pm
lots of mopeds wind up with replaced front forks
people run in to things and there not very strong in the first place
dave

[Skorpion]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply, after some digging i have found out you are half right. The link provided does indeed bare some resemblance to my bike, although the engine is of a different origin as mine uses the Minarelli V1 as fitted to over 100 mopeds of the era.

I performed a background check on my bike using mytextcheck. They confirm that the bike is indeed an MZ zebretta.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. The bike is as expected (and correctly said by you) an italian manufactured machine, which makes sense due to the italian writing on the headstock. This bike is MZ in name only, as all of these bikes were brought into the country by MZ importer Wilf Green. This explains the mystery of why the bike is registered as an MZ with italian writing all over it!

see this link that should explain all:

(scroll down)

http://www.preloved.co.uk/adverts/show/ ... -rare.html



Thanks and sorry that i mistakenly thought i had an MZ, even though i kind of do!


Regards

Harry.

If your bike was registered by Wilf Green as a MZ Zebretta my apologies.

I find it interesting that he would be able to use the MZ name as he had no entitlement, though I know he rebadged some Simsons as MZ, after his big bust up with MZ management he distanced himself from the marque, selling off all his stock of MZ/Simson bikes and spares, then setting up as a Royal Enfield dealer.

Typical Yorkshireman though called a spade a spade.

[barffy]

Hi,

I got the moped off alexander, its the same one! Never found that thread until you pointed it out!

After even more digging (found out from bikesure who apparently specialise in zebretta insurance, strange but ill go with it) it seems that when moto bm went bust, MZ brought all of their stock of zebrettas. 100 or so of them made them to the UK via Wilf hence how he managed to register them under the MZ name.

Quite an interestinv story of how it came to be an MZ ISH!

On another note it looks like tomos/puch forks have the same measurements so i may try a pair of them.

Regards

Harry.

[DAVID THOMPSON]

if you can fix it nice .. it will make a good short trip bike
and at the price of gas we all need something that just uses a small amount
dave

some one in Italy find this fellow the address for the guy holding the parts stash