Redaktor:Zdenko Metzker/Zdeno Metzker st.

Zdeno Metzker st.

(November 2, 1941) is a Slovak motorcycle engineer of Považské strojárne in Považská Bystrica. He is the author of several publications and a recognized expert in the Slovak motorcycles field

In 1957 he completes a student internship behind the drawing board in the construction of the Motor Vehicle Development of Považské strojárne (VMV). From 1959 he works as an assistant mechanic and later as a bearing production technologist. He joins the prototype construction of VMV Považské strojárne at the beginning of 1965 as a engine engineer. He devoted his entire productive professional life to the construction of motorcycles.

Between 1965 and 2000 he participated in the projects of the Tatran S-125 scooter, Pionier J-20, J-21 and J-23 Mustang, JAWA SK-90, in the development of the Babetta M-210, M-215, M-225 and M-216 Korado mopeds, as well as in the development of the AGZAT agricultural aggregate and others. Among the prototypes, for example, on the Minita moped, VM-238 Mistral motorcycle, M-224 Jawamatic mokick and Babetta M-226, Lambada I, Lambada II mopeds and many others.

He was also active in motorcycle sport by developing and documenting go-karts and modifying the SK-90 engine to 120 cc. In 1971 he was the leader of the Czechoslovak karting team in Moscow. With the engine and karting he was in the role of engineer of sports seasons 1968 to 1974, of which in the national team years 1970-1972.

As a member and later head of the track group in 1968-1990 Metzker actively worked on the creation and marking of the tracks of regular important motorcycle competitions in Považská Bystrica (national championship, European championship and world championship). In 1977 and 1982 in the field as the head of the track group of the International Six-Day Enduro Motorcycle Competitions (ISDE) organized in Pov. Bystrica. At ISDE 1991 and 2005 as a member of the organizing committee.

After his retirement in 2000, he devoted himself to publishing, the history of motorcycle development and the establishment of his own archive of motorcycle production at Považské strojárne. By providing part of his extensive personal archive and expert comments and information, he has contributed to many book publications, and has contributed significantly to the initiation and rebuilding of the motorcycle collection of the Považské strojárne owned by Považská Bystrica Museum, for which he provides expert consultations on the motorcycle collection and is a member of the purchasing committee. He has cooperated for many years (2009 - 2019 and 2021) in the organisation of motorcycle competition show "Považskobystrický motocykel".

Establishment of a motorcycle production archive and outreach activities

The impulse was the extensive English encyclopedia of motorcycles by P. Henshaw from 2000 for Christmas 2004 (Ottovo nakladatelství, 2004), supplemented in Prague even only by some Czech prototypes. The book made no mention of our motorcycles, produced in quantities of thousands. There was an inaccurate mention of Považské strojárny only on less than 4 lines under the heading MANET. There was not even a mention of the Jawa 50 Pionier or Mustang, the SK-90 (Jawa 90), TATRAN sport motorcycles, our TATRAN 125 cc scooters or Babetta mopeds.

An important impulse for Metzker was also when fans from Czech Republic wanted to take the Manet M90 motorcycle from us on the Internet, and fans of Jawa Praha also wanted to steal the SK-90 (Jawa 90). It was a good space to fight against misinformation to acknowledge the origin of our motorcycles.

From the extensive archive of documents and strategic drawings that Metzker collected over the years of work at VMV, a sorted whole began to emerge, materialized into a unique archive of motorcycle production in Považské strojárny, which gave rise to the Club of Považská Bystrica Motorcycle's friends in 2018 and MTZ PS MOTO in 2020.

Awards

1969 - member of the team awarded with the state decoration "Rad práce" for the motorcycle SK-90 (JAWA 90).
2008 - Letter of appreciation from the chairman of the Trenčín self-governing region for cooperation in documenting the history of Považské strojárna in Považská Bystrica.
2009 - Member of the collective of workers of the Motorcycle Development of the former Považské strojárne (VMV), which received the Prize of the Town of Považská Bystrica - for the development and production of small motorcycles, for the development of the tradition of motorcycle sport in Považská Bystrica.
2016 - Považská Bystrica Town Award as Personality of the Town Považská Bystrica, for many years of meritorious work in documenting the history of motorcycle production, for preserving and actively promoting the cultural technical heritage and spreading the good name of the town at home and abroad.
2021 - Awarded by the Association of Historic Vehicles Collectors of the Slovak Republic, the national FIVA authority, for contribution to the old-timers' movement and extensive publishing activities.

Books

Manet M90
JAWA 90
Babetta a Korado I. diel
Babetta a Korado II. diel
Športové motocykle TATRAN
Pionier JAWA 50
Slovenské skútre Manet a Tatran

Collaboration with other authors

Ing. Jiří Wohlmuth - in the preparation of the title "Jawa 50 Pionýr" (Grada, 1st unchecked edition in 2007, collaborated also in the 2nd partially corrected and supplemented edition in 2015. This accounted for about 40% of Metzker's published unique photographs and about 50% of the technical text in the book. There are 28 more unpublished photographs from the Metzker archive in the 2nd edition).
Ing. Marcel Malypetr and Ludvík Opletal - during the creation of the book "Skútry Manet a Tatran" (Grada, 2013). The book checked by Metzker contains 114 photographs from the Metzker archive against 53 by the authors, plus practically almost the entire technical text, although not Metzker listed as "co-author".
Ladislav Ševčík - website dedicated to Pionier motorcycles and PS mopeds. He received a number of Metzker's photographs as a gift, which he had reprinted on his webpage mark. Sometimes Metzker reviewed the prepared text for him.

In addition to the above, he participated with his archive in the creation of book publications: Karol Janas – 80 rokov Považských strojární, od muničky po ZVL; Gustav Ulický – História vývoja a výroby jednostopových motorových vozidiel v meste Považská Bystrica; Jiří Wohlmuth – Rychlá říditka i Živote díky; Rudolf Mladý –Preteky na Slovensku 1948 – 2009. On the Internet, he collaborated with the owners of sites dedicated to J-50 Pionier, Babetta mopeds and SK-90 and Manet M-90 motorcycles.

It was an effort to disseminate the acutely lacking education in PS motorcycle production within the only available book publishing option. At the same time, he distributed DVDs not only to former colleagues, associates, friends, acquaintances, but also to the PB Museum and editors of motoring magazines.