Motorcycle "Minsk": specifications and parameters

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The Minsk light road motorcycle, whose technical characteristics were at a fairly high level at that time, was produced at the MMVZ plant in Minsk. The abbreviation MMVZ means: Minsk Motorcycle and Bicycle Plant. At present, the plant has been renamed into OAO Motovelo. The production of Minsk motorcycles began in 1951, when the documentation for the captured German motorcycle DKW RT-125, which became the prototype of Minsk, was transferred from Moscow.

First motorcycle

The first motorcycle "Minsk", the technical characteristics of which repeated the main parameters of the German prototype, was called "M1A" and immediately became popular throughout the USSR. A light, unpretentious two-wheeled vehicle, against the backdrop of a post-war shortage, was in great consumer demand. "M1A" was produced in huge batches, but the orders of trade organizations at times exceeded the actual number of motorcycles produced. And since the economy of the USSR at that time was focused on the export of goods, M1A was very soon transferred toexport nomenclature register. Abroad willingly bought the products of the Minsk plant.

Sport Models

Factory capacity was enough for the production of planned products, and for the development of sports motorcycles. In 1956, a prototype Minsk-M201K was created, designed for motocross competitions. Thus, the Minsk motorcycle, the technical characteristics of which were considered universal, gradually became sporty. Then there were three motorcycles "ShK-125" for road racing with a 23 hp engine. s., and finally, a few years later, in 1961, a real M-211 racing motorcycle with a forced motor and a fairing rolled off the assembly line. Racing motorcycles have repeatedly won competitions in road races in the class of light cars with engines up to 125 cc, creating a high reputation for the MMVZ manufacturing plant.

Folk motorcycles

Sports motorcycles were produced in small batches, while the main production was focused on the mass production of road motorcycles for the population. In 1962, the Minsk motorcycle, the technical characteristics of which allowed any design changes, was converted into the Minsk M-103 model. The improved motorcycle was produced until 1964. Then the model, after minor changes, became known as "Minsk M-104" and, as an independent development, was also put into production for three years, from 1964 to 1967. Then the Minsk M-105 motorcycles began to roll off the assembly line, theirrelease continued until mid-1971. Over the next two years, the Minsk M-106 model was produced, and in 1973 the already updated MMVZ-3.111 went into production, which was also produced over the next three years, until the end of 1976.

Motorcycles "Minsk" at present

After the MMVZ-3 model, two more similar developments were launched into serial production, but they no longer had success. The market was oversaturated with Minsk motorcycles. However, the most popular motorcycle "Minsk-125" is still in demand among rural residents who are forced to move off-road. Over the past 15 years, Motovelo OJSC has been developing exclusive motorcycle models, such as Grif, Cadet, Lux, Polaris, machines that are certainly interesting, but do not have the prospect of mass production. The motorcycles of the Minsk plant have long given up their place in the market for more modern Japanese-made motorcycles, expensive but prestigious Honda, Yamaha and Suzuki. And the motorcycle "Minsk", the price of which is formed taking into account the rarity, is sold and bought by lovers of technical rarities. Its cost at the same time can range from 40 to 200 thousand rubles.