| 2005-08 MZ 1000S |
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| Performance |    |
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| Pretty darn strong for a parallel twin, with nice throttle response and admirable smoothness. Marred by noticeable (some would say severe) driveline lash at lower engine speeds. |
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| Handling | |
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| It's a bit on the portly side, but steering is precise. The supple, complaint (very soft) suspension is great, as long as you realize that this is a sport-tourer with a racy fairing, not a hard-edged racer. |
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| Looks | |
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| Lots of people hate the looks of the big MZ. I can understand why; it does look a tad bit slab-sided. But frankly, I love the (admittedly dated) sharply creased bodywork, the exposed steel tubular frame and the unique headlights. |
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| Reliability | |
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| The 1000S was solidly built, but a little rough around the edges for an expensive German exotic. |
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| Practicality | |
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| Great ergonomics, and compact as far as sport-tourers go, but jerky low end would hurt city use, and service is non-existent: only a handful of these orphaned flagships came into the U.S., and the manufacturer is now defunct. The ones that are here sell for realistic prices, however. |
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| Desirability | |
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| Even with all its failings, I would love to own one. |
