Motorcycle "Minsk": technical characteristics and parameters

The light motorbike "Minsk", whose technical characteristics were at that time at a sufficiently high level, 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 Motovelo. The production of motorcycles "Minsk" began in 1951, when documentation was received from Moscow on the captured German motorcycle DKW RT-125, which became the prototype of "Minsk".

The first motorcycle

The first motorcycle "Minsk", the technical characteristics of which repeated the basic parameters of the German prototype, was called "M1A" and immediately became popular throughout the USSR. A light, unpretentious two-wheeled car, against the backdrop of the post-war deficit, enjoyed wide consumer demand. "M1A" was produced in huge lots, but orders of trade organizations were several times higher than the real number of motorcycles produced. And since the USSR's economy at that time was oriented towards the export of goods, M1A was soon transferred to the register of export nomenclature. Abroad, they willingly bought the products of the Minsk plant.

Sports models

Factory capacity was sufficient for the production of planned products, and for the development of sports motorcycles. In 1956 an experimental copy of Minsk-M201K was created, designed for motocross competitions. Thus, the motorcycle "Minsk", whose technical characteristics were considered universal, gradually became sporty. Then there were three motorcycles "ШК-125" for highway-ring races with the engine capacity of 23 l. And, finally, a few years later, in 1961, a real racing motorcycle "M-211" came off the assembly line with a forced motor and fairing. Racing motorcycles have repeatedly won competitions in highway-ring races in the class of light cars with an engine of up to 125 cc / cm, creating a high reputation for the manufacturer-manufacturer of MMVZ.

Folk motorcycles

Sports motorcycles were produced in small series, the main production was oriented to the production of road motorcycles for the population. In 1962 the motorcycle "Minsk", the technical characteristics of which allowed any design changes, was transformed into the Minsk M-103 model. The improved motorcycle was made till 1964. Then the model, after minor changes, became known as "Minsk M-104" and as an independent development was also launched in production for three years, from 1964 to 1967. Then the motorcycles "Minsk M-105" began to descend from the assembly line, their release lasted until the middle of 1971. Over the next two years, the Minsk M-106 model was produced, and in 1973, the already updated MMVZ-3.111 was launched, which was also produced during the next three years, until the end of 1976.

Motorcycles "Minsk" currently

After the "MMVZ-3" model two more similar developments were launched into batch production, but they did not have any success. The market was oversaturated with motorcycles "Minsk". However, the most popular motorcycle "Minsk-125" is still in demand among rural residents, who are forced to move around the road. Over the past 15 years Motorcycle models have developed models of exclusive motorcycles , such as Grif, Cadet, Lux, Polaris, cars that are certainly interesting but do not have the prospect of mass production. Motorcycles of the Minsk plant long ago lost their place in the market of more modern mototechnics of Japanese production, expensive, but prestigious "Honda", "Yamaha" and "Suzuki". And the motorcycle "Minsk", the price for which is formed taking into account the rarity, is sold and bought by lovers of technical rarities. The cost of it can vary from 40 to 200 thousand rubles.