Soviet motorcycle "Tula": history, description, characteristics

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

Tula is associated with gingerbread and samovars for many. But adult motorcyclists still remember the Tulitsa scooters, which were distributed throughout the country, and the Tula motorcycle, which is ridiculous in today's perception. This off-road motorcycle is a domestic design.

How did it all start?

At that time, in the fifties of the last century, the USSR and Japan literally took off in the development of motor vehicles. Before the war, both in one and in the other country produced a very small number of them, which, compared with foreign models, looked very outdated.

But after the war, equipment was delivered from Germany, which became the basis for the domestic motorcycle industry. Since 1956, during the “thaw”, Goggo TA200 of German origin began to be produced in Tula. But some nodes in it were replaced with domestic ones. So the Tula German began to be assembled from purchased units.

Failed attempt by agricultural machinery manufacturer to build motorcycles

The fact is that the manufacturer specialized in agricultural machinery and assembledscooters from finished parts, which in any case were purchased separately. Such designs allowed production to become more flexible.

The German company began producing Goggo scooters in 1951 and within five years produced over forty-six thousand devices. However, she could not realize herself as a motorcycle manufacturer due to the specialization of agricultural machinery. But the Tula designers used the schemes of prefabricated scooters and first created a cargo scooter, and then the Tula motorcycle. It happened in the early seventies.

Enthusiasts of the Tula plant

In those years, the development of technology and everything else was based on the indicators of planning organizations. And they didn't plan to include motorcycles. However, the employees still wanted to create their own motes. After all, a team that participated in the rally of the International Motorsport Federation, starting in 1963, worked at the plant itself. So that the representatives of the planning organization would not ban the production of motorcycles, they went to the trick and even came up with a special term: "motor vehicle". It was possible to produce devices with this name.

Cheburashki

The engine of the motor vehicle was suspended on a spinal frame, which was open on all sides. Thus, forced cooling, which was on a German scooter with a fan, could be abandoned. The weight of the motor has been reduced, which facilitates the position of the spinal frame.

After making a number of changes, we managed to release a wholea series of motorcycles. They differed significantly from ordinary motorcycles and scooters and very much resembled Gena's favorite crocodile apparatus from the well-known cartoon. Unfortunately, there was almost no funding for them, so there were simply no prospects for wide production at that time.

Shift to wide tires

But outside the Soviet Union, motorcycle culture flourished and many fell in love with motorcycles as sports equipment and outdoor activities. Manufacturers as a result of this began to produce a large number of small-capacity models for people who did not have driving experience. One of these models was the Japanese Suzuki RM.

Tulchane, as soon as the opportunity arose, bought such a motorcycle to get acquainted with it.

As a result, they decided to put their "Cheburashka" on wide-profile tires. The designer Vlasov Evgeny Dmitrievich, who was the driving force behind the Tula motor vehicle, managed to promote the idea of its release in the ministry. Then the Izhevsk, Kovrov and Tula factories were instructed to create motorcycles on a competitive basis. Since the Tula plant already had experimental motor vehicles, he won the competition. Then came the staged party with the same wheels in front and behind.

Motorcycle "Tula": characteristics

The motorcycle used a modified scooter engine. The exhaust system began to consist of a resonant part and a small muffler, which saved money and simplified the search for spare parts for owners in the future. With forced coolingthe motor did not overheat even if it was driven for a long time in first gear.

Those who met the Tula motorcycle for the first time had reviews bordering on delight. Everyone was sure that they were facing a real foreign car.

The Tula motorcycle was produced with a round headlight, which was typical for all domestic motorcycles and other vehicles.

Among the weak points were cracking frames, which, as it turned out, were made in a factory where treated alcoholics were attracted. The problem was eliminated after the place where the pipes were welded was reinforced with a scarf.

Until the eighties, the plant produced 80% of passenger scooters and 20% of trucks. Later, the Tula motorcycle began to be sold both as a two-wheeled motorcycle, and together with the module, and the module separately, and a tricycle assembled at the factory.

The inevitable sunset

Despite the fact that there were many design ideas, production has been declining since the mid-nineties. A large number of foreign motorcycles entered the market, the tastes of buyers changed, and the domestic manufacturer did not have the opportunity to respond to them. In addition, the general state of the country and its legislation led to sad consequences for Tula. It was discontinued in 1996.

Today it is rare to see a Tula motorcycle. Tuning, photo examples of which are sometimes simply amazing, can transform the original options beyond recognition.

Famous wide-profile tires and a generally non-standard look for Soviet motorcycles -this is what the Tula motorcycles were characterized by. Nevertheless, the design of the device is made by Tula developers harmoniously, which gives a feeling of perception of it as a whole.