We recall the ten most famous motorcycles that were once the kings of the roads and country roads of a vast country.
In the Soviet Union, mopeds, and even more so motorcycles, were truly cult gizmos. Sometimes, they gave the owners a lot of trouble: they often broke down, it was tight with spare parts, but they were taken care of, something was constantly sorted out in them, so that, after having plenty of stuff with iron, turn the throttle, hear the crackling sound of the exhaust, smell gasoline and break out on expanses of the universe.
It was freedom, and, therefore, true happiness. They rode motorcycles to work, dancing, hunting, fishing, they rode the girls, or they could wave to the sea.
Motorcycles were more affordable than cars, not only in terms of money. In times of total shortages, they did appear in sports stores, but it was necessary to seize the moment: such goods were sold out almost instantly.
Below is rather not a rating, but a “group portrait” of motor vehicles, which has become one of the symbols of the Soviet era. The technique of that time is now rare, but in the villages you can still find, for example, "Izh Planet Sport" or the Czech "Java".
Well, how do you already feel the aroma of the era? Then go ahead!
M-1A "Moscow"
Let's try to build this excursion into the motorcycle past of a great country in chronological order. Let's take the post-war period, well, simply because it is clearer and closer to us.
The motor industry was revived on the basis of the best examples of captured equipment. And a lot of it was brought to the USSR. And now, at the Moscow Bicycle Plant, they are mastering the production of a copy of the German DKW RT125 motorcycle with a 125 cc engine.
The device is called M-1A "Moscow". This is the first post-war motorcycle of the USSR - simple and light, which did not require a lot of metal and rubber.
Motorcyclists were trained on such equipment in DOSAAF schools. In 1951, production was transferred to Minsk to a newly built bicycle factory. Almost the same model with the K-125 index was produced in Kovrov.
Izh-49
In 1951, the production of the Izh-49 model was launched in Izhevsk. As a basis, as in the case of the "Moscow", they took a captured apparatus. True, the DKW NZ 350 has undergone some improvements that have only made it better - under our brand, of course.
The motorcycle turned out to be reliable, very tenacious and incredibly beautiful. Even today he is able to conquer a true biker with his appearance - what a fit, what well-balanced lines ... Yes, it was a car!
The plant produced versions with a sidecar, sports - for cross-country and highway. Possessing them now is not for everyone: Izh-49 has a collection value. You can buy it for no less than 100 thousand rubles. At the same time, the price tends to rise.
"Izh Planet"
1962 The Izhevsk Motorcycle Plant is starting to assemble a fundamentally new model for itself, the Izh Planet, which became the ancestor of a whole family produced until 2008 (Izh Planet 7).
Created on the basis of Izh-56, a middle-class motorcycle was intended for driving on roads with different surfaces. The warranty mileage of Izh Planeta increased by 2,000 km compared to its predecessor, and the service life of the cylinder-piston group parts increased by one and a half times (due to the use of a contact-oil air cleaner).
A new gas tank, an easily removable saddle, mufflers were installed. Instead of stamped front and rear fenders, stamped-welded ones were used.
Izh Planeta was powered by a single-cylinder, two-stroke air-cooled engine. The crankshaft is prefabricated, pressed. Carter - block type. The crank chamber is in the front, and the gearbox is in the back. The crankcase consists of two halves with a connector along the middle longitudinal plane. The foot shift and kickstarter pedals are located on the left side of the gearbox housing.
The motorcycle was produced until 1966, a total of 405,303 copies were produced - a pretty decent circulation for those times.
"Izh Planet Sport"
In 1973, the Izhevsk people again pleased the country's motorcyclists by releasing the first Soviet motorcycle with a sporty character. The model was called "Planet Sport".
Interestingly, unlike all earlier motorcycles, which were created in the image and likeness of German models, Planet Sport echoed Japanese motorcycles of the 60s and 70s of the last century.
Izh Planet Sport has taken a serious step towards build quality. Thanks to this, it was actively sold in export markets. The car was evaluated in the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. They say that Soviet bikers accelerated on this machine up to 140 km/h!
"Sunrise"
In 1957, Voskhod motorcycles began to be produced in the city of Kovrov, Vladimir Region. Very unpretentious, with a single-cylinder engine of 173.7 "cubes", they fell in love with the motorized public.
In addition, the Dyagterev plant constantly upgraded this model, releasing the Voskhod-2, Voskhod-3, Voskhod-3 M versions. The last Voskhod motorcycle was the 3 M-01 model with a 15 horsepower engine.
Outwardly, the "Sunrise" was inferior to the "Izham", but due to its reliability, they became indispensable in the countryside. And to this day in Russian villages you can meet "Sunrise". And not just to meet, but to ride.
"M-62"
In the 50s and 60s of the last century, the Soviet police actively used in their work motorcycles with a sidecar "M-62", which were produced by the Irbit Motorcycle Plant. The four-stroke engine of this car produced as many as 28 “horses”.
By the way, ordinary citizens of the USSR were not allowed to operate the Urals without a sidecar at that time. The fact is that these motorcycles were quite heavy to manage. But the police rode them without wheelchairs, which looked very cool.
"M-62" can be seen in the film "Beware of the Car", he was especially good in the scene of the chase for the "twenty-first" "Volga", stolen by the Soviet Robin Hood Yuri Detochkin.
"Tula-200"
In 1986 - 1988, a very unusual Tula-200 motorcycle was produced in the Soviet Union, which was distinguished by wide off-road wheels. They were needed because the model was intended for hunters and fishermen.
They took the engine from the Tulitsa scooter, boosting it to 13 hp. This made it possible to accelerate to 90 km / h, although for such an apparatus, speed was not the main indicator, where cross-country ability was more important.
10,000 -12,000 thousand of these bikes were produced per year. The last one rolled off the production line in 1996.
Java 360
Perhaps the ultimate dream of a Soviet motorized man is the Czech apparatus Jawa. A friendly country made sure that every third motorcyclist rode this beauty in the USSR - in total, more than a million "Java" of various models and versions were delivered to the country.
Production of a new series of motorcycles "Java" models 250-623 and 350-633, which differed original design started in 1970. Motorcycles had a spinal frame and an engine with a separate lubrication system. In 1973, the Java 350-634 model with a duplex closed frame and a new motor was launched into the series. The production of motorcycles with an engine capacity of 250 cm³ has ceased.
After modernization in 1984, the model received the index 638 and, with minor changes, continues to be produced to this day.
Many early examples of the motorcycle are still alive today, especially those with a fiberglass sidecar.
Java 350/638
Jawa 350 - 638 - the last Czech motorcycle sold in the USSR, where it also became popular. Having managed to come out just before perestroika, in 1984, this model often starred in harsh films of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Outwardly, the motorcycle was relatively simple, but with a twist. A large headlight with round turn signals protruding on the sides and, located on top, the wells of the dashboard looked very harmonious.
The tank was voluminous, but the forms were neat, in the back of it there were quite large pads for the driver's knees. But the most important thing that was on the tank was the inscription "Jawa".
The 638 had a double flat seat divided in the middle by a passenger strap that he had to hold on to.
The two-cylinder engine was completely open for viewing, all its constituent elements were clearly visible, although its openness played an important role - the engine was air-cooled.
The advantages of this motorcycle could be attributed to a stylish look, to which Soviet motorcycles were very far away.
"Vyatka VP-150"
This is not a motorcycle, but a not very long path is connected with it, but, nevertheless, an era in the life of the country.
In 1956, the designers of the Vyatka-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant, together with specialists from the Central Experimental Design Bureau (CEKB) of motorcycle construction from Serpukhov, Moscow Region (now Motoprom OJSC), began work on a 150 cm³ class scooter.
Time was running out, there was no experience in creating such devices. Therefore, the Italian scooter Vespa 150GS of 1955 was taken as a prototype. Measurements were taken from it, drawings were made according to the finished scooter.
Recall that Vespa (Italian wasp, hornet) is a cult Italian scooter, which has been produced by Piaggio since April 1946 and still is. The founder of the European scooter design school, the first successful scooter in the world.
This device was impossibly beautiful, had a quiet and smooth ride. It was easily controlled even by women.
By the way, on the basis of "Vyatka" they made a whole range of three-wheeled scooters with various bodies. They served as commercial vehicles for the delivery of compact cargo - light, economical, maneuverable.
P.S. Almost every model that we talked about deserves a separate historical essay. In this case, we did not set such a goal, confining ourselves to a cursory review, which, we hope, gave some idea of what our grandfathers, fathers, and sometimes ourselves drove.
: racing motorcycles produced in the USSR before 1941. If there are few of them, then it is possible after 1941
Few people now remember that the history of the creation of racing motorcycles with boxer engines, successfully launched by BMW, was continued in the USSR, and the designs of sports motorcycles produced at that time by the Gorky and Irbit motorcycle plants, as well as the Serpukhov Central Design and Experimental Bureau (TsKEB), were often no less interesting than the designs created by German engineers. These pages of motor history are still covered in the darkness of oblivion.
In the USSR, the history of the creation of the first sports motorcycles dates back to the early 30s, when the first special designs appeared. In addition to individual riders who created their own piece designs, motorcycle factories created several interesting sports motorcycles in the prewar period. In Taganrog, these were TIZ-4, TIZ-6, TIZ-7, TIZ-51, in Leningrad S-1. Several sports cars based on IZH-7 and IZH-8 were also created in Izhevsk. However, with the outbreak of war, these works were stopped.
Back in the pre-war years, the Soviet government was considering whether it was better to come up with their own models or buy licenses. After disputes and frictions, we came to the conclusion that it is better to purchase licenses. It remains to choose a model.
In 1940 in the USSR after comparative tests 15 various types motorcycles of foreign brands, the BMW R-71 motorcycle, which received the M-72 index in the USSR, was selected and recommended for serial production. This event can be considered one of the most significant in the history of motor-building in the USSR. By itself, the history of the production of the M-72 and its modifications has been repeatedly described, we are more interested in the M-72 as a basis for creating sports cars. There are many blank spots in this story, and, perhaps, we will never know much until the end, but for now we will try to systematize the disparate facts known to us and comment on them.
So, at the Moscow motorcycle plant evacuated in November 1941 from Moscow to Irbit on February 25, 1942, the production of M-72 motorcycles was resumed, and already in 1943 the IMZ designers created the M-75 engine. What that engine was like can be judged based on the “Report on the work of the UBP and BM GBTU KA” for 1941-1945. In it we find the following mention: “... cylinders and heads were replaced on the M-72. The cylinder heads, together with the valve mechanism, were taken from the BMW-R-51. The volume remained 746 cubic meters. cm, power from 22 hp increased to 28 hp The M-75 has the best dynamics and economy, a satisfactory liter capacity, but due to a number of design flaws, it was not accepted into mass production. The report says exactly that - BMW-R-51. Most likely, this is an ordinary typo. P-51 had a working volume of 500 cubic meters. cm, and the M-72 is 746 cc, the mounting and dimensions of the cylinders did not allow them to be installed on the M-72 without serious alterations, so we venture to assume that the first M-75 engines had slightly modified cylinders and heads not from the R-51 , but from R-75.
Today it is difficult to say what actually motivated the designers of the IMZ in 1943, apparently, during the war years, the need to create a more powerful machine for the army came to the fore, and they thought about its sports use in the second place. In addition to the military purpose of the M-75, according to the designers, it could also become a good civilian vehicle. The overhead valve engine significantly expanded the operational capabilities of the machine. An example of BMW motorcycles, which always had in its model range both lower-valve and upper-valve boxer models similar in design, served as excellent evidence of this.
In the first post-war years, work on the machine continued. The machine continued to be prepared for launch into mass production. In June 1948, an article by Wilhelm Beckman “Soviet sports motorcycles” was published in the Avtomobil magazine. In it, the author introduced the reader to new sports and racing motorcycles. The review of these machines began with a description of the M-75. According to the then existing classification, overhead valve cars were called "sports", and their lighter and more forced versions intended for competitions were called "racing". An illustration for this publication was a photograph of the experimental "sports" M-75 with a sidecar. The car shown in the picture was a purely road version of a motorcycle with a sidecar. The only thing that distinguished it from the serial M-72 was the overhead valve engine, which was given a special charm by elongated valve covers, common to both exhaust and intake valves. It is noteworthy that this motorcycle "survived" to this day and is stored in the funds of the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow.
The road version of the M-75 did not go into serial production, and all further work on this machine continued only in the direction of its sports application.
It was motorcycle racing that became the testing ground where ideas were improved and new design solutions were worked out. As always happens in the history of technology, ideas that have been tested in sports are then often used in mass-produced road cars. Already in 1946, on one of the first versions of the M-75, its designer Igor Okunev made his debut in the 300-kilometer race for the national championship.
I must say that the first version of the M-75 engine, the same one with heads from the BMW-R-75, nevertheless found application in another sports car. It was a motorcycle produced in 1946 at the Gorky Motor Plant and received the M-80 index. Here again, one can speculate whether this design was entirely created at the GMZ or the creator of the M-80, Naum Gudkin, used some backlog of the surviving M-75 engines. Perhaps the second version is most likely, since the centralization of the motor industry in the USSR made it possible to transfer and transfer parts and entire structures from one enterprise to another. Several copies of the M-80 were produced, and in the late 40s they participated in competitions, as evidenced by the few surviving photographs. In the summer of 1947, on one of the M-80s, the famous racer Yevgeny Gringout set an absolute speed record - 172 km / h. It should be noted that at the GMZ, work was underway to create a whole range of sports cars in the classes of 350, 500, 750 cubes. Moreover, if the 350 cc motorcycle, which received the M-35 index, is quite well known, the 750 cc M-80 is less known, then the 500 cc motorcycle, which apparently did not even receive an official index, remained in the form of a prototype.
But back to Irbit. So, on the basis of the chassis of the serial M-72, the “sports” and “racing” M-75 motorcycles were created. The "sports" that is the usual road version did not receive further development, and the "racing" modification gradually began to acquire the features of a special sports motorcycle.
What distinguished the serial M-72 from the M-75? There weren't many differences in the beginning.
First of all, the engine, as we have already mentioned, had overhead valve cylinder heads. This made it possible to increase the engine speed, apply higher compression ratios and obtain higher average effective pressures. Thus, the power of the M-75 engine reached 35 hp. at 5100 rpm vs. 22 hp at 4800 rpm for the M-72, and individual copies of the M-75 were able to boost up to 44 hp. The M-75 used special aluminum cast carburetors with removable float chambers. The diffuser diameter was increased to 27 mm versus 24 mm for the standard K-37 mounted on the M-72. The air filter was not installed, and if the motorcycles left the factory with an empty casing - a tide at the checkpoint under the air filter, then the riders themselves often sawed it off in order to lighten the car. The design of the camshaft was slightly changed. By grinding the back of the cams, the valve lift was increased to 8.5 mm. The lubrication and ignition systems on the first M-75s did not differ from the systems of the serial M-72s. Lighting devices were not installed, and the ignition switch was moved under the seat. In the gearbox, by changing the number of gear teeth, the gear ratios were changed, which became equal to 0.916; 1.0; 1.3; 1.87, and the total gear ratios, respectively, were 4.23; 4.62; 6.0; 8.65. In addition, by changing the main gear, it was possible to change the overall gear ratio. Lightweight mudguards on the M-75 were narrower than on the M-72, the trunk was not installed, a rear cushion was mounted instead, which, together with the steps set back slightly, created opportunities for a racing landing. The exhaust pipes had megaphones, the diameter and shape of which were often selected individually by the riders. On the M-75 of the first series, the engine was started by a kickstarter, although many racers dismantled this mechanism. In this form, the motorcycle was produced from 1946 to 1951 in small batches - several dozen a year.
The M-75 motorcycle, or rather its engine, became the basis for many interesting piece sports cars, manufactured both in factory design bureaus and by individual riders. In 1947, an experimental I6A racing motorcycle was produced at the IMZ. This motorcycle had a 600 cc engine equipped with a compressor, created on the basis of the M-75 engine, already on this machine aluminum cylinders with pressed steel sleeves, reinforced connecting rods, and cylinders with through anchor studs were used. Several more machines were created, both equipped with pressurization systems and without them, but this is a separate issue.
In the Serpukhov TsKEB, according to the results of tests of the M-75, changes were made to the design of this motorcycle in order to improve its performance. A circulating dry sump lubrication system was introduced and the compression ratio was increased to 9, the valve timing was changed. The ignition of the working mixture was carried out from the magneto. Thus, it was possible to increase the engine power to 38-40 hp. at 5300-5600 rpm. The machine, called the M-76, was released in 1947 in several copies (their exact number has not yet been established), however, it took part in competitions along with the M-75.
In turn, not without taking into account the experience gained during the operation of the M-76, the Irbit Motor Plant upgraded its M-75.
The car received the index M-75M (modified). First of all, the changes affected the engine. Magneto ignition was introduced, the kickstarter mechanism disappeared. On some machines, a dry sump lubrication system appeared, similar to that used on the M-76.
A significant flaw in the design of the M-75 engine was the flange mounting of cast-iron cylinders to the crankcase.
One of the most famous motorcycle racers, Karlis Osins, once recalled that the cylinders of the M-75 engines used to break away from the block and fly into the “track fence”, which he witnessed on the Pirita track in Estonia. In this regard, aluminum cylinders soon appeared on the M-75M with a pressed sleeve made of alloyed, and in some cases, austenitic cast iron, which has a high coefficient of expansion, which ensured good contact between the sleeve and aluminum fins. The cylinders were attached to the crankcase with long through anchor studs. The design of the crank group has also undergone changes. If earlier the crankshaft and connecting rods were standard - from M-72, now the lower heads of the connecting rods were reinforced and all parts were polished. The diameter of the M-75M valve discs was increased to 40 mm versus 38 mm for the M-75. Accordingly, the intake and exhaust channels in the cylinder heads were expanded. The problem of insufficient capacity of the fuel tank was solved by installing a special tank of increased volume.
The design of the M-75M, which was produced in small batches by the department of the chief designer of the IMZ, was constantly improved, because, unlike large-scale production, the slipway assembly and the low pace of the production cycle made it possible to do this. The result was, as it were, several series of these machines, the differences between which were often quite significant.
On the machines of the first series, wheels with steel hubs from the serial M-72 were still installed. On later production machines, the wheel hubs were aluminum alloy with steel drums. It is worth talking about their design in more detail. On sports cars, the front wheel is heavily loaded during braking, so to increase the efficiency of the brakes on the M-75M, brake pads of increased width with a two-cam drive were used. As the brakes heat up during prolonged braking during circuit racing, a decrease in the braking effect may occur. To prevent this, cooling fins and internal ventilation were introduced into the design of the brake drum. The holes through which air enters and exits the drum were protected by a mesh.
The changes also affected the power transmission and gearbox. The clutch springs were reinforced by increasing their thickness to 3 mm versus 2.8 mm for the M-72. To increase the reliability of fastening, the disk of the elastic coupling of the cardan was pressed onto splines instead of pressing onto a smooth cylindrical surface, as was the case on the M-72. The gearbox received a breather in the upper part, and on some machines the oil filler neck was elongated, which provided an increased oil level. If the car did not have an elongated neck, the factory recommended pouring oil into the gearbox by tilting the motorcycle to the right side. The absence of a kickstarter lever made it possible to install on the same bracket with the driver's footboard a double-armed gear shift pedal, which was connected to the gearbox with a rigid link. The use of a magneto facilitated the installation of a tachometer drive mechanism on the crankcase. Its drive is located on the cover that closes the drive of the engine oil pump.
The M-75M engines were equipped with new special K-95 carburetors, and in the later series K-97. The diameter of the passage section of K-95 was 29 mm.
The frame of the M-75 motorcycles has also undergone changes. If on the first M-75s it was a standard frame from the M-72, then on the M-75M at first they abandoned the seat tube, and they began to make a reduced diameter reinforcement pipe under the tank. The next step was the manufacture of frames from special lightweight round tubes. These frames, tested on the M-75M, subsequently became the basis for the frame designs on the M-77 and M-52S. All motorcycle frames had sidecar mounting brackets, as these motorcycles were designed for both solo and sidecar racing. The carriages were produced in two types - in the form of an open platform for circuit racing and in the form of a streamlined body for linear road racing. The wheels of the carriages did not have suspension and were enclosed in fairings.
As a result, the M-75M became a fairly perfect motorcycle, not too expensive to manufacture, still unified in many components with the serial M-72, but it was already a special sports car. M-75M was produced from 1951 to 1954.
The next step was the creation of the M-77. This new sports car was first shown at the USSR Championship in 1954. The main fundamental difference between the M-77 and the M-75M was the engine. The M-77 power unit was a further development of the M-75 design. Externally, the M-77 can immediately be distinguished by one-piece valve covers new form common to intake and exhaust valves. One more characteristic feature M-77 became a fuel tank of a new design. It had an elongated shape and grooves for the hands of the rider. The small front fairing was like a continuation of the tank. However, this beautiful and really streamlined design had a very significant disadvantage- small tank capacity, so at first the racers themselves increased the size of the tanks on the M-77, and then the plant switched to the production of tanks of an increased volume.
The M-77 engine developed a power of 45-50 hp, the mass of a single motorcycle was 196 kg. M-77 was produced by IMZ from 1954 to 1959. The number of cars produced was about 70 pieces. In the USSR, the M-77 became the last sports motorcycle for circuit racing in the 750 cc class.
As already mentioned, the experience gained while working on sports cars made it possible in 1950 to create a serial road motorcycle M-52 with an overhead valve engine with a volume of 500 cc. The sports modification of this motorcycle received the M-52C index. Basically, it was the chassis of the latest modification of the M-77, equipped with a front fork with a wheel axle shifted forward from the M-52. The engine was a sports modification of the serial M-52.
It was this chassis that served in 1961 as the basis for the creation of one of the most interesting TsKEB designs. This 500 cc machine, which received the C-51 index, had an engine with two camshafts in the cylinder heads. Engine power was 60 hp. This interesting and in its own way very aesthetic design demonstrated how high the potential of the designers who created these wonderful motorcycles was.
A sharp turn in the history of Serpukhov motorcycles occurred in 1942, when the State Defense Committee decided to organize the Leading Motorcycle Design Bureau (VKB) in Serpukhov. Its backbone was made up of engineers who arrived from Izhevsk, headed by the former chief designer of the Izhevsk Motor Plant Vsevolod Vyacheslavovich Rogozhin.
Having received the rich heritage of the German company DKW, Serpukhov engineers undertook to develop it creatively. In the late 1940s, they developed a series of racing motorcycles - the 125cc single-cylinder C1B and the twin-cylinder 250cc C2B and 350cc C3B. A unique feature of these machines was a two-stroke engine with an L-cylinder, in which two pistons ran, each of which drove its own crankshaft - this solution made it possible to easily adjust the valve timing. The motor was equipped with a compressor and liquid cooling. The 250 cc C2B (pictured) developed 40 hp. and accelerated to 175 km / h.
However, at first I had to collect motorcycles abandoned by the retreating German army and repair them. Then, in Serpukhov, motorcycles that arrived under Lend-Lease from the USA were equipped with M-72 sidecars. In 1945, VKB employees took part in the dismantling of equipment from German motorcycle factories, intended for shipment to the USSR, and obtaining technical documentation.
In Serpukhov, another motorcycle was being developed according to the scheme set by BMW - a longitudinal crankshaft, a cardan shaft - but lighter, with a single-cylinder overhead valve engine. Work begun in 1948 led in 1954 to the construction of prototypes of the M-31 motorcycles. A 350 cc “square” (76x76 mm) engine produced 16 hp. A car weighing 155 kg accelerated to 110 km / h. It was planned to be released in Minsk, but, alas, it did not wait for serial implementation.
In 1946, the VKB was transformed into the Central Design and Experimental Bureau of Motorcycle Engineering (TsKEB). Since that time, systematic work began on the creation of a Soviet motorcycle. In Serpukhov, they develop a type of promising motor vehicles, in close contact with motor plants, they design new designs and conduct tests, and contribute to the preparation of new industries (for example, the TsKEB prepared documentation for the development of scooters in Tula and Vyatka).
The development of a two-stroke racing series was discontinued after the USSR joined the FIM, the rules of which prohibited the use of motors with a compressor. TsKEB designers have created new racing motorcycles - with four-stroke engines with two overhead camshafts. The photo shows a 250 cc 23 hp C-254 from 1954. Check out the duplex featherbed frame and the long-link earles front fork - the machine was completely in line with all the latest trends!
Moreover, although the motor plant in 1951 was given the task of producing motorized wheelchairs for the disabled and left the TsKEB, the pilot production created in the bowels of the bureau made it possible to produce not only experimental samples, but also small batches of motor vehicles. A special chapter in the history of Serpukhov motorcycles is the creation of unique racing machines.
A more advanced racing motorcycle S-360 was developed by TsKEB in 1960 together with the Czech plant Jawa. A two-cylinder four-stroke 350 cc engine developed 50.5 hp. at 10,100 rpm, the car accelerated to 210 km/h. This device brought Soviet racers the first successes abroad: in 1961, Nikolai Sevostyanov took third place in the international race in Finland, the following year - sixth place at the World Championship stage in the GDR, and in 1963 - fifth place at the championship stage in the GDR and fourth in Finland.
Developed under the leadership of Svyatoslav Yuryevich Ivanitsky, they eventually reached the world level and in the 60s allowed our riders to successfully compete in the World Championship, winning prizes. It was these machines that first drew attention to Soviet motorcycles in the West, and the nickname “Vostok” received there eventually became a brand name.
The pinnacle of the development of Soviet racing motorcycles is the legendary four-cylinder Vostok. In 1964, the 350 cc C-364 (59 hp, 230 km/h) entered the racetracks. Endel Kiisa took third place at the Finnish Grand Prix - the first podium for a Soviet driver in the World Road Championship. The 500 cc C-565 (80 hp, 250 km/h) debuted in 1968. Nikolai Sevostyanov finished fourth in Finland. Alas, the program of performances of our racers then was limited only to episodic trips to nearby friendly countries, and after 1969 it ceased altogether.
In 1965, the All-Union Scientific Research Design and Technological Institute of Motorcycles and Small Gasoline Internal Combustion Engines (VNIIMotoprom) was established on the basis of TsKEB. The full name reflects another aspect of its activity - the development of small-capacity engines for stationary installations, primarily for military use.
Cross-country motorcycle KR-5 - development of 1964. A single-cylinder overhead valve 500 cc engine, interlocked with a four-speed gearbox, developed 42 hp. at 5560 rpm (although the reliability of such accuracy of performance characteristics is doubtful). The entire apparatus weighed 132 kg.
The team continues to work closely with motorcycle plants throughout the USSR and is working on new promising areas in technology - for example, variators and rotary piston engines. Unfortunately, in the new economic conditions, the services of VNIIMotoprom turned out to be unclaimed. Yes, and it is difficult to imagine its existence in the conditions of the collapse of the entire motorcycle industry of countries that were previously part of the USSR.
In the 60s, TsKEB, together with the Lvov Motor Bike Plant, began designing an automatic V-belt variator. One of the stages of this work is the light 50-cc Avtomatik motorcycle, created in 1967.
The institute, renamed into OJSC Motoprom, was chah, hirel, tried to engage in non-core industries and, in the end, on September 1, 2011, was liquidated.
sources
http://students.uni-vologda.ac.ru/pages/pm07/kia/vostok.html
http://motorace.by/articles/race/295.html
http://moto-magazine.ru/technics/history/ego_nazyvali_vostok/
http://oppozit.ru/article242.html
Most of the motorcycle factories of the USSR did not survive the dashing 1990s, having gone bankrupt against the backdrop of market competition with more advanced imported products. But others survived and today are gradually beginning to rise from the ashes.
"Izh". The Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant is primarily known for its weapons production, and from 1929 to 2008 it produced motorcycles that were very successful and in demand in the USSR. This was the first mass production of motorcycles in the new state; at first, several prototypes were made, and since 1933 Izh-7 went into series. The picture shows Izh Planet-2 (1964), one of the most popular models of the plant.
"Minsk". The Minsk Motorcycle and Bicycle Plant (MMVZ) was founded in 1945 and is still operating. In 1951, the first motorcycle "Minsk" M1A went into production. Today, the brand has the export name M1NSK and a fairly large range of models - sports, road and enduro. The picture shows "Minsk" M103, produced in 1962-1964.
"Ural". The Irbit motorcycle plant today is literally one of a couple of factories in the world that produce heavy motorcycles with a side trailer. The plant was founded in 1941 and once made "Urals" in the millions. He survived the 1990s and today produces very beautiful retro motorcycles in small series, mainly for export. A fan of the Urals is, for example, Brad Pitt. The picture shows a handsome Ural City 2016 model year.
"Dnieper". The Kyiv Motorcycle Plant was founded in 1945 and has not been nominally liquidated to date, although production was stopped a few years ago. The first model was a light motorcycle K-1B "Kievlyanin". In the late 1950s, the plant also tried to produce cars, but not for long. And in the picture is the M-72 motorcycle, which was produced by the Kyiv plant according to the Irbit documentation from 1950 to 1953. At that time, the plant had not yet used the proper name "Dnepr" for its models.
"Tula". The Tula Machine-Building Plant has existed since 1879 and during its long history it has produced almost everything in the world (mainly weapons). But in 1953, it launched the production of bicycles, and three years later, scooters. Today, TulMash no longer builds motorcycles, but its products - "Tulitsa", "Ant", "Tourist" - entered the history of Soviet motorcycle construction. The picture shows the famous cargo scooter TGA200 "Ant".
"Kovrovets". The Degtyarev plant in Kovrov is an arms factory, but since 1946 it has also been making motorcycles under the Kovrovets and Voskhod brands. Production has been suspended today. The picture shows Kovrovets K-175 (1957).
TIZ. The Taganrog Tool Plant (now the Taganrog Combine Plant) is one of the first pre-war motorcycle manufacturers in the USSR. True, after the war, the plant did not return to the production of motor vehicles. The picture shows the main model TIZ AM-600 (1935−1943).
Motorcycles for the citizens of the USSR played a very important role. Often, they were the only way to gain freedom of movement. They went to work, on vacation to the sea, met children from the hospital and rolled girls in the villages. Modern bikers have switched to foreign-made sportbikes or choppers and are completely unaware of the history of domestic motorcycles. We decided that it was time to stop for a couple of minutes and remember the 10 most popular, most beloved and most popular motorcycles from the distant USSR.
1. IZH Planet Sport. The fastest and most technologically advanced.
In 1973, the Izhevsk Motor Plant surprised the whole country by showing the first Soviet motorcycle with a sports bias, Planet Sport. Unlike all earlier motorcycles, which were modeled after German models, the Planet Sport was clearly trying to be like the Japanese motorcycles of the 60s and 70s.
Thanks to high quality manufacturing, IZH Planet Sport was actively sold in export markets, for example, in the UK, the Netherlands and Finland. Soviet bikers accelerated on them up to 140 km / h, which was an incredible speed in those days.
2. Sunrise. Most rustic.
Motorcycles "Voskhod" began to be produced in the city of Kovrov, Vladimir Region, in 1957. These were very unpretentious single-cylinder motorcycles (173.7 cm3 engine). The Dyagterev plant constantly improved this model, launching on the market after Voskhod its upgraded versions Voskhod-2, Voskhod-3, Voskhod-3M. The last Voskhod motorcycle was the 3M-01 model with an engine power 15 HP
Due to their reliability, Voskhod motorcycles became real workers in thousands of Soviet villages. Even now, you can easily find a Voskhod motorcycle there in good condition.
3. M-62. The choice of the police.
The Soviet police, fair and incorruptible, in the 50s and 60s mostly traveled on motorcycles with a sidecar. The M-62, produced by the Irbit Motorcycle Plant, was the most popular choice for the servants of the law. Its four-stroke engine produced 28 hp.
Interesting fact that ordinary citizens of the USSR were not allowed to operate the Urals without a sidecar at that time. Still, these bikes were pretty heavy to handle. But the police used motorcycles without sidecars, which looked very cool in the eyes of Soviet boys. How can you not want to become a policeman!
4. Tula-200. For hunters and fishermen.
The Soviet motorcycle industry did not produce ATVs (some small-scale models, however, were still produced, read below), but for the needs of hunters and fishermen, a very unusual Tula-200 motorcycle with wide off-road wheels was produced. The mass distribution of such motorcycles occurred in 1986-1988.
The engine was taken from the Tulitsa scooter, increasing its power to 13 hp. This made it possible to accelerate at 200k to 90 km / h. 10-12 thousand of these bikes were produced per year, the last of which rolled off the assembly line of the plant in 1996. By the way, even a trike was produced on the basis of Tula-200!
5. IZH-49. The most survivable.
Reliable, durable, beautiful. The sound of his engine for the ear of a Soviet person was akin to the sound of a Harley-Davidson engine for Americans. Their release began in 1951. At its core, it was an improved design of the German DKW NZ 350 motorcycle. IZH-49 won great love from the population and was used in all corners of the vast Soviet Union.
On its basis, versions with a sidecar were produced, as well as sports motorcycles for cross-country and road racing. Now IZH-49 are collector's items. Their prices start from 100 thousand rubles.
6. M-1A "Moscow". The first post-war
After the war, the Moscow Bicycle Plant mastered the production of a copy of the German DKW RT125 motorcycle with a 125 cc engine. M-1A "Moscow" became the first post-war motorcycle of the USSR. It was a simple and lightweight motorcycle that did not require a lot of metal and rubber to produce.
Such motorcycles were used in large quantities to train motorcyclists in DOSAAF schools. Perhaps your grandfather studied just like that. In 1951, production was transferred to Minsk to a bicycle factory built there. An almost identical model was produced in Kovrov under the designation K-125.
7. Jawa 360. The most beautiful.
In the 70s, every third motorcyclist went to Java. In total, more than 1 million Jawa motorcycles were delivered to the USSR different models, but 360 was the most beautiful of all. Now cherry motorcycles with chrome gas tanks are called "Old Lady". Particularly valuable are specimens with a fiberglass side carriage. They produced versions with a 1-cylinder engine (250/260) or with a 2-cylinder engine (350/360).
By the way, Java often got into various movies. For example, it is on the Jawa 360 that Gesha Kozodoev takes Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov fishing on the White Rock in the film The Diamond Arm.
8. IZH Planet. The ancestor of the series.
In 1962, the Izhevsk Motorcycle Plant launched the production of a fundamentally new model for itself, Izh Planet. It was the first generation of these motorcycles that set the vector for the development of a whole family that was produced until 2008 (IZH Planet 7).
9. Java 350/638. Motorcycle roaring 90s.
The last of the Jawas sold in the USSR, Jawa 350 638, also became a "people's" motorcycle. Having managed to come out just before perestroika, in 1984, this model often appeared in harsh films of the late 1980s and early 1990s. So "Java 350 638" can be seen in the drama "Accident - the daughter of a cop" and the action movie "Rats, or the Night Mafia." The motorcycle is even dedicated to the song "Java" by the popular group "Gas Sector" in those years.
10. Vyatka VP-150. Italian elegance.
The last one in our review is not a motorcycle at all, but a scooter. Vyatka VP-150, the prototype of which was the Italian Vespa scooter, is rightfully considered the most elegant two-wheeled vehicle USSR.
It was a quiet and very comfortable scooter, which was easily controlled even by women. On the basis of Vyatka, they made a whole range of three-wheeled scooters with various bodies, which were actively used in urban cargo transportation.
BONUS!
11. Riga-13. The first moped of Soviet boys.
Mopeds at the Riga plant "Sarkana zvaigzne" began to be produced back in 1958. Many boys dreamed that their parents would give them a moped for their birthday. And so they did, so mopeds, and especially Riga-13, became the first vehicle for many.
Riga-13 began to be produced in 1983. Equipped with a 1.3 hp engine, it accelerated to only 40 km/h. To start from a standstill and move uphill, the "biker" was recommended to help the engine by turning the pedals. Riga-13 was produced until 1998, becoming the most massive model of the plant.
12. "Ant". Truck for everyone.
On the basis of Tula scooters, the Tula Machine-Building Plant produced a huge number of Ant three-wheeled cargo scooters. It was a breakthrough for the Soviet Union, because the sale of vans and station wagons to citizens of the USSR was prohibited. So such scooters were almost the only way to transport small consignments.
TMZ produced a huge number of such scooters. They were equipped with flatbeds, tipper bodies, vans and even tanks. They are popular even now.
13. ZID-175 4SHP. The first Soviet ATV.
Surprisingly, in our country, despite the complete absence of roads in some places, ATVs have never been mass-produced. Almost the only more or less serial copy was the ZID-175 4ShP, produced at the Dyagterev Plant.
The design was not very successful: a weak engine, complex transmission elements. This is probably why such ATVs have not received wide distribution.
In some cases, these are reworked foreign models. But even the most stupid biker could fix these Soviet motorcycles. Moreover, this could be done in almost any conditions. And yet these bikes are still ruthlessly exploited, do not give up, and will obviously serve for more than a dozen years.
"Vyatka VP-150"
Vyatka VP-150 is the first Soviet motor scooter manufactured by the Vyatka-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant. Produced from 1957 to 1966. It is a copy of the Italian motor scooter "Vespa" 150GS 1955.
Before the scooter, the plant produced Shpagin submachine guns. "Vyatka" could not reach the level of popularity of PPSh and Vespa's older sister. But a million scooters sold is also a very worthy result.
They say it was the most "disco transport". This is because, on it, men arrived at the party with clean, not stained trousers, and women did not have to carry spare “overalls” in their purses.
Source: youtube.com
L-300. "Red October"
This motorcycle was copied from the German DKW Luxus 300 in 1930. In the same year, the first models rolled off the assembly line. Although production ended in 1938, its history did not stop there. The basis of the motorcycle was taken for the design and production of IZH-8 (which, by the way, is even on New Zealand silver coins).
Specifications L-300:
- 300 cm3 engine at 3000 rpm;
- power - 6 hp in early modifications; 6.5 HP - in the later ones;
- maximum speed - 80 km / h;
- gasoline consumption - 4.5 l / 100 km;
- dry weight - 125 kg.
Source: angarsk.moto.drom.ru
M-72
It was produced in a large series from 1941 to 1960 - at the factories of Moscow, Gorky, Irbit, Leningrad and Kyiv. Initially, it was intended exclusively for military needs, and until the mid-50s, the motorcycle was not available for free sale.
Each M-72 was a carrier of small arms, therefore, according to some classifications, it was listed as "armored vehicles". More than 8500 cars were produced. It was produced both with a sidecar and in a single version. Made on the basis of the German motorcycle BMW R71.
After the end of the war, motorcycles fell into the ranks of the police, becoming their main transport. And since 1954, even ordinary citizens could buy such horses for themselves.
Source: carakoom.com
"Ural M-62"
Soviet heavy motorcycle with a sidecar. Produced by the Irbit Motorcycle Plant (IMZ "Ural") from 1961 to 1965. Featured:
- increased engine power - 28 "horses";
- modernized gearbox - gear clutches;
- increased suspension travel;
- reshaped front fork covers.
Due to this, the M-62 with a 255-kilogram load easily accelerated to 95 km / h, and “ate” in the region of only 6 liters per 100 km. Like the M-72, it was most often seen in the form of police transport.
Source: vodi.la
IZH-49
Izh-49 is a middle-class road motorcycle designed to ride on any roads of the Fatherland - both alone and with a passenger. Produced by the Izhevsk Machine-Building Plant from 1951 to 1958. A modification in the form of a side stroller was available.
Reliable, tenacious, adapted to any conditions and very sonorous (its growl in the USSR is like the roar of "Harleys" in the USA), IZH-49 is still found on the roads of the CIS countries.
Source: m1a.unoforum.ru
"Izh Planet Sport"
It was produced by the Izhevsk Motor Plant from 1973 to 1984. This is perhaps the first serial sports motorcycle of the Union. All thanks to the fact that it was created with an eye on the then Japanese Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. Pay attention: this "grandfather" and today does not look archaic at all. And he is also capable of miracles in the form of:
- maximum speed 140 km/h;
- fuel consumption - no more than 7 l / 100 km;
- acceleration to 100 km / h in 11 seconds;
- engine power - up to 32 hp
See the test drive "Izh" a:
Java 360
AT Soviet times these bikes were considered the best available for sale. Please note: the name of the motorcycle has nothing to do with the island of Java. It is an abbreviation for the owner of the factory - the Czech Frantisek Janicek, and from the name of the company "Wanderer".
By the 1970s, every third Soviet motorcyclist rode Javas. Therefore, it is not surprising that Czechoslovak bikes very often fell into the frame. You can't help but remember the scene from the "Diamond Arm", where Gesha Kozodoev is driving Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov's White Rock to fish on a Jawa 360.
These motorcycles, like other heroes of the chart, have survived to this day. Some of them, by the way, look like new:
Java 350638"
The first "Java" had a 4-stroke engine with a cylinder capacity of 500 cm3, were quite complex, expensive and not in demand. A series of upgrades followed. One of the most successful occurred in 1984. It turned out to be so successful and in demand that the number of motorcycles produced in the 1980s exceeded 3 million units.
She repeatedly appeared in films (“Accident - the daughter of a cop”, “Rats, or the Night Mafia”, etc.). They even composed songs about her (“Java” by the Gaza Strip group).
