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.

Due to the high quality of workmanship, 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.

An interesting fact is that ordinary citizens of the USSR were not allowed to operate 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 of various models were delivered to the USSR, but the 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 of the 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.

: 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 started 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 of 15 different types of motorcycles of foreign brands, the BMW R-71 motorcycle was selected and recommended for serial production, which received the M-72 index in the USSR. 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 white spots in this story, and, perhaps, we will never know 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 efficiency, 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 IMZ designers in 1943, apparently, during the war years, the need to create a more powerful machine for the army came first, 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” version, 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 a little, 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 racers. 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, a reinforced connecting rod design, and through-hole 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 be immediately distinguished by the one-piece valve covers of the new form, common to the intake and exhaust valves. Another characteristic feature of the M-77 was the fuel tank of a new design. It had an elongated shape and grooves for the hands of the racer. The small front fairing was like a continuation of the tank. However, this beautiful and really streamlined design had a very significant drawback - a 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 larger tanks.

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 Design Bureau for Motorcycles (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, they developed another motorcycle 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 long link earles front fork - the machine is fully 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, on the basis of TsKEB, the All-Union Scientific Research Design and Technological Institute of Motorcycles and Small Gasoline Internal Combustion Engines (VNIIMotoprom) was created. 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.

Strangely, in the Soviet Union, where there was never a biker subculture as such, motorcycle production remained at a very good level.

Their factories appeared in Irbit, Izhevsk, Kovrov and Minsk. For Java, the guys were ready to sell their souls (no one believed in such matters at that time anyway), for the heavy Ural or Voskhod, no less difficult battles were going on in the village. We decided to collect for you some cult bikes of those times, when looking at which even the most seasoned manager will feel (even for a second) an angel flying into the distance.

Perhaps this handsome man has become almost the only direct competitor of the legendary Java. The motorcycle was produced by the Czechoslovak arms factory Ceska Zbrojovka and came to the USSR only in 1960.

The Czechoslovak company Jawa won the tender for the supply of motorcycles to the Soviet Union. By 1976, two million Yavs were crisscrossing the roads of the country - without exaggeration, cult motorcycles among young people. Most of all they loved the Java-368 model, released in 1984. 26 hp two-stroke engine allowed to develop a speed of 120 km / h.

As a prototype, Soviet designers did not hesitate to borrow the scheme and appearance of the German handsome DKW RT-125. Almost immediately after the war, the conveyor production of "Sunrise" began at the plant. Degtyarev. I must say that from the same factory, the only one in the USSR, limited batches of bikes for motocross were subsequently produced.

Lovers of rarities are still chasing a well-preserved model of this motorcycle. The contours of the "Pannonia" were so unusual for their time that the motorcycle instantly became a cult. The most popular model was the Pannonia 250 TLF: 18 liter tank, 350 cc engine and sidecar made it ideal for long journeys.

IZH

This is another illegitimate son of the German DKW NC-350. Modernized motorcycles received real recognition in the USSR, and the IZH-Planeta-Sport model, capable of accelerating to hundreds in just 11 seconds, has become just a dream for many.

From 1957 to 1966, fashionistas of the USSR could easily compete with English mods and Italian dudes. The Vyatka VP-150 motor scooter was an almost complete copy of the famous Vespa GS150 and was the ultimate dream of the capital's youth.

Until 1964, Ural motorcycles were used only for military purposes. Moreover, an ordinary citizen was obliged to register with the military when buying a Ural, but it was completely forbidden to use it without a stroller. Despite all this, later the Urals found their niche among young people: heavy, like tanks on two wheels, they could get through any off-road.

The 80s were a wonderful time, not because the USSR was then, but because we were 16 years old then. The first sex, the first vodka, the first earned ruble and .. the first motorcycle. Let's remember - the smell of whose exhaust gases drove us crazy, and made our girlfriends so accommodating, but the opposite is true of parents and traffic cops.

"Vyatka VP-150". Most stylish

For starters - not a motorcycle, but the very first and at the same time the most stylish of their younger brothers in the entire history of the USSR. Vyatka VP-150, produced from 1957 to 1966, is a copy of the "best scooter of all times" of the Italian Vespa GS150.

L-300 "Red October". The very first

The very first serial Soviet motorcycle was the L-300 "Red October".

At the beginning of 1930, Leningrad designers prepared its drawings, inspired by the most reliable bike of that time - the German DKW Luxus 300. And in the fall of that year, the first batch of L-300 was ready.
The motorcycle was produced until 1938, and then the no less legendary IZH-8 was created on its basis. This “descendant” of the L-300 even got on the silver coins of… New Zealand.

By the way, the name IZH-7 was carried by all the same L-300s, which, in parallel with the Leningrad enterprise Krasny Oktyabr, were produced in Izhevsk.

M-72. The most combative

M-72 was not the first army motorcycle in the USSR. In 1934, the assembly of the first Soviet heavy model PMZ-A-750 began, and in 1939, the “understudy” of the British BSA and, as is considered, the best pre-war motorcycle in the Union, TiZ-AM-600.

However, it was the M-72, the design of which was “peeped” from the German BMW R71 (the Wehrmacht was equipped with them), having left in the tragic 1941, they produced the entire war. And then they also seriously served the people for civilian purposes - the last copies left the assembly line as early as 1960.

From 1941 to 1945, M-72s were carried by fighters armed with machine guns or light mortars. By the way, later motorcycles built on the basis of this model began to be armed with portable anti-tank missile systems.

From the first post-war years - and long after that - the M-72 became the main police transport. And since 1954, ordinary Soviet citizens could buy them for their own needs.

"Descendants" M-72 at the beginning of the "zero" ordered the Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein. But I didn’t have time to use it - and combat motorcycles “went to the people”. At the request of customers, Iraqi auto repair shops put additional “active and passive protection” on the Urals - armor and a machine gun.

Izh-49. Universal Model

Izh-49, which appeared in 1951, and today can often be seen on the roads and off-road of the former Soviet Union.

“Probably the best motorcycle for our country!” - and to this day you can hear from Russian motorists. From Belarusians a little less often: you will find the reason for this by reading our rating to the end.

Reliable, tenacious, adapted to any conditions and very sonorous (in the USSR, his "voice" is no less a legend than in the USA - the roar of "Harleys"),

Izh-49 rightfully occupies a worthy place in our top 10.

Izh Planet Sport. The first serial "athlete"

If all previous Soviet motorcycles were only slightly modernized pre-war models, then Izh Planet Sport was clearly created with an eye on contemporary Japanese bikes.

In the guise of the most elegant of the "Izhey" you can find references to the creations of Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki. And even today, almost four decades after the start of production, the sports classic "Izh Planet Sport" does not look archaic.

The fastest and most technologically advanced of all Soviet counterparts, it also looked worthy against the background of foreign models.

Java 360. Most Cinematic

By the 1970s, every third Soviet motorcyclist rode Javas, and it is not surprising that Czechoslovak motorcycles very often fell into the frame.

The main role in Soviet cinema went to the Jawa 360: it is on this model that Gesha Kozodoev is taking Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov on a fishing trip to the White Rock.

"Java 350 638". The main motorcycle of the "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.

"Dnepr 11". The most suitable for tuning

When the biker movement in the USSR was just in its infancy (then they called themselves rockers), stern guys in riveted leather, among other motorcycles, especially respected the Dnepr 11.

It was this bike that turned out to be the most suitable for tuning exercises. Modified "heavyweights" can still be found today at various motorcycle shows and on the roads. Fortunately, finding a “basis” for refinement is quite easy.

"Minsk M1A". First Belarusian

And to this day, the Minsk races remain the most “popular” motorcycle in Belarus. They run along the roads of the entire former Union, and not only. But most of them, of course, in their homeland.

The half-century anniversary of the motorcycles "Minsk" jumped a long time ago (the first models already fully deserve the name "vintage"), and very soon, on July 12, they will celebrate their 61st birthday.

The first Belarusian "bike" was the Minsk M1A, which had many "relatives" not only in the USSR, but also abroad. The "ancestor" of the motorcycle was developed in 1939 by the Germans. DKW RT125 turned out to be so successful that analogues of this motorcycle were produced under different names in 7 countries of the world, including the USA, England and Japan.

By the way, Richard Hammond, one of the hosts of the famous British show Top Gear, tested one of the old “Minsk racers” in harsh conditions. He rode it from south to north almost all of Vietnam. Summary of the charismatic "car maniac": "This is the AK-47 among motorcycles - reliable, simple, easy to repair. It is made specifically for those countries where there are no roads.”

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. L-300 "Red October". The very first.

The very first serial Soviet motorcycle was the L-300 "Red October".
the first motorcycle of the ussr
At the beginning of 1930, Leningrad designers prepared its drawings, inspired by the most reliable bike of that time - the German DKW Luxus 300. And in the fall of that year, the first batch of L-300 was ready.
The motorcycle was produced until 1938, and then the no less legendary IZH-8 was created on its basis. This “descendant” of the L-300 even got on the silver coins of… New Zealand.
By the way, the name IZH-7 was borne by all the same L-300s, which, in parallel with the Leningrad enterprise Krasny Oktyabr, were produced in Izhevsk.

2. M-72. The most combative

M-72 was not the first army motorcycle in the USSR. In 1934, the assembly of the first Soviet heavy model PMZ-A-750 began, and in 1939, the “understudy” of the British BSA and, as is considered, the best pre-war motorcycle in the Union, TiZ-AM-600.

However, it was the M-72, the design of which was “peeped” from the German BMW R71 (it was them that the Wehrmacht was equipped with), that came out in the tragic year 1941, and were produced throughout the war. And then they also seriously served the people for civilian purposes - the last copies left the assembly line already in 1960.
From 1941 to 1945, the M-72 was carried by fighters armed with anti-tank missile systems, machine guns or light mortars. From the first post-war years - and long after - these motorcycles became the main police transport. And since 1954, ordinary Soviet citizens could buy them for their own needs.
"Descendants" M-72 at the beginning of the "zero" ordered the Republican Guard of Saddam Hussein. But I didn’t have time to use it - and combat motorcycles “went to the people”. At the request of customers, Iraqi auto repair shops put additional “active and passive protection” on the Urals - armor and a machine gun.

3. "Minsk M1A". First Belarusian

And to this day, the Minsk races remain the most “popular” motorcycle in Belarus. They run along the roads of the entire former Union, and not only. But most of them, of course, in their homeland.

The half-century anniversary of the motorcycles "Minsk" jumped a long time ago (the first models already fully deserve the name "vintage"), and very soon, on July 12, they will celebrate their 61st birthday.
The first Belarusian "bike" was the Minsk M1A, which had many "relatives" not only in the USSR, but also abroad. The "ancestor" of the motorcycle was developed in 1939 by the Germans. DKW RT125 turned out to be so successful that analogues of this motorcycle were produced under different names in 7 countries of the world, including the USA, England and Japan.
By the way, Richard Hammond, one of the hosts of the famous British show Top Gear, tested one of the old “Minsk racers” in harsh conditions. He rode it from south to north almost all of Vietnam. Summary of the charismatic "car maniac": "This is the AK-47 among motorcycles - reliable, simple, easy to repair. It is made specifically for those countries where there are no roads.”

4. 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.

Due to the high quality of workmanship, 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.

5. 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 a 15 hp engine.

Because of 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.

6. 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.

An interesting fact is 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!

7. 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!

8. 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.

9. 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 "Moskva" 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.

10. Jawa 360. The most beautiful.

In the 70s, every third motorcyclist went to Java. In total, more than 1 million Jawa motorcycles of various models were delivered to the USSR, but the 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.
11. 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).

12. Java 350/638. Motorcycle roaring 90s.

The last of the "Yav", sold in the USSR, 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.

13. 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 of the 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.

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.

15. "Ant". Truck for everyone.

On the basis of Tula scooters, the Tula Machine-Building Plant produced a huge number of three-wheeled Ant 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.

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.