Thumper Club Forum

Club House => Chatter => Topic started by: timbo on November 08, 2016, 12:47:54 PM

Title: The illness worsens!
Post by: timbo on November 08, 2016, 12:47:54 PM
So what do you do, when your mate texts you about a brand new bike, that has been in storage for over twenty years down at the docks at a shipping company? Buy it, of course  :)

[attachment deleted by admin]
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: timbo on November 08, 2016, 12:58:09 PM
And no, that's not rust, its grease  :) Story is, owner of shipping company was given it as a gift many years ago. He's long gone, so his son decided to sell it now. Still has the plastic on the seat, and hairs on the tyres. But no paperwork, and a Russian plate  :-\
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: iansoady on November 08, 2016, 02:18:19 PM
Cossack Minsk if my Cyrillic is up to scratch.

That looks like a forward rotating, left foot kickstart to me. If anything even worse than the MZ type....
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: timbo on November 08, 2016, 03:05:38 PM
Correct. It was the sh!t beige colour that sold it to me  :-\
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: manxie on November 08, 2016, 03:11:21 PM
Crackin` job .... being in the right place at the right time!! Well done, I love "different"  ;) ;)
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Richard on November 08, 2016, 03:18:40 PM
It is indeed a Cossack Minsk, excellent find.  Good chance the crank seals will have dried out but otherwise bloody marvelous.
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Richard on November 08, 2016, 03:20:44 PM
Also a great Dragon bike.
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: steveD on November 08, 2016, 04:08:37 PM
What a fantastic colour :o
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: johnr on November 08, 2016, 07:35:18 PM
save yourself a load of hassle and burn it now....... ;D
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: themoudie on November 08, 2016, 08:12:57 PM
Putin's Fizzie!

Мои пожелания, Уильям
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: timbo on November 08, 2016, 10:59:42 PM
Aye, the Minsk 125 is a Russian derivative of a WW2 German 125, same as the Bantam is a British one. So, they are both part of war reparations.
Here's some more useless info on Russian motorcycles. There is no such make as Cossack or Neval. They are the names of different importers of Russian bikes into the UK. The way the ruskies did it was, for example, all 125s were made in Minsk, all 175s were made in Voskhod, all 350s were made at the IZH factory, all 650 flat twins were made in Irbit, at the foot of the Urals, or in Kiev, on the Dnepr river. So when someone says they have a Cossack or a Neval, it can be any of the above makes. Just to confuse matters, a Soviet Knight was just Nevals marketing name for a Dnepr. So, now you can all bore your friends and family tears, as I do regularly    ;) 
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: mthee on November 10, 2016, 10:14:15 AM
Very interesting tidbit, thanks  :)
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: timbo on November 10, 2016, 01:33:24 PM
6.5 million Minsk's have been made, and they are still produced, but I think with Chinese engines in them now. Very popular in Vietnam, Iran, and former USSR states. Minsk is now the capitol of Belarus. I'll get my coat  ;)
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Guzziless Steve on November 10, 2016, 03:43:49 PM
Perfect bike for your around the world trip then Tim!
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Richard on November 10, 2016, 04:02:27 PM
Massively encouraged by the enclosed rear chain, a la MZ, and if DKW based the similarity to the old MZ 125 engine. 

Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: iansoady on November 10, 2016, 04:51:08 PM
Didn't one of the long way round lot end up on one after that clown boorman managed to fry the electronics on a BM?
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: SteveC#222 on November 10, 2016, 05:44:46 PM
Aye, the Minsk 125 is a Russian derivative of a WW2 German 125, same as the Bantam is a British one. So, they are both part of war reparations.
Here's some more useless info on Russian motorcycles. There is no such make as Cossack or Neval. They are the names of different importers of Russian bikes into the UK. The way the ruskies did it was, for example, all 125s were made in Minsk, all 175s were made in Voskhod, all 350s were made at the IZH factory, all 650 flat twins were made in Orbit, at the foot of the Urals, or in Kiev, on the Dnepr river. So when someone says they have a Cossack or a Neval, it can be any of the above makes. Just to confuse matters, a Soviet Knight was just Nevals marketing name for a Dnepr. So, now you can all bore your friends and family tears, as I do regularly    ;)

Did you know ( and I know it for a fact) that in the Ural factory in Irbit they have a room full of old and collectable bikes - Goldstar, Vincent V twin, old BMW's, Old Guzzi's and others which the factory acquired then stipped to see how they were built and rebuild so they could copy (badly) some of their ideas. That is why the K63/65/67 carbs resemble Dellorto's and some of the throttle assemblies are remarkably similar to Tomasselli's etc.

They also have a room of prototypes that never made it with such delights as Rotary engines and even a Radial six cylinder!

Chris Burgess who imported the bikes as Uralmoto took a video in the factory which he showed to the C.O.C> at a rally.

Neval was the name they were imported under by NEVal Mason and ALan Vorse when the importers wre based at Hornsea.


Nice little Minsk Tim!....not sure about the colour though!
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Smithy on November 10, 2016, 07:59:58 PM
Didn't one of the long way round lot end up on one after that clown boorman managed to fry the electronics on a BM?

I don't know what make it was but didn't they buy it new in a market place then have to assemble it?

Having had numerous CZs and Jawas and one MZ I have to say I'm a little jealous of the Minsk. Keep us informed Timbo.

Ian
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: SteveC#222 on November 10, 2016, 09:52:51 PM
Didn't one of the long way round lot end up on one after that clown boorman managed to fry the electronics on a BM?

It was the cameraman who ended up riding an IZH( or is it ISH?) Planeta 350 2 stroke single while in Kazakstan....ironically he managed the terrain much more easily than the obverweight BM's!!
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Mark on November 10, 2016, 10:08:14 PM
Nice little purchase Tim, didn't you pick up a spare engine for one of these at Stafford?
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: mthee on November 10, 2016, 11:52:56 PM

It was the cameraman who ended up riding an IZH( or is it ISH?) Planeta 350 2 stroke single while in Kazakstan....ironically he managed the terrain much more easily than the obverweight BM's!!

Must have a look out for that episode!
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Richard on November 11, 2016, 01:44:12 AM
As I recall the overweight and overcomplicated Beemer had to have its frame welded back together after carrying lots of weight over bumpy terrain and being dropped numerous times.  When it was welded it fried the electrics, or maybe it was just the problem of it being likely to fry them - anyway - the Beemer had to be transported to the nearest dealer (not easy in Central Asia).  The cameraman got put on a locally purchased Planeta which, to be fair, went wrong in the transmission dept, only to be fixed by a passing goatherd or something with one spanner and a goats foot.

And that is why MZs rule the world.
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: timbo on November 11, 2016, 01:13:40 PM
Aye Mark, now have two Minsks, plus that spare £50 engine  ;)
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Mart on November 11, 2016, 03:53:08 PM
You don't need two. Sell me one.
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: timbo on November 11, 2016, 04:53:48 PM
I'll keep you in mind Mart, but not for sale at the mo. I know you have an attachment, after your Vietnam trip  :)
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Mart on November 12, 2016, 03:56:08 PM
Fair enough
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: themoudie on November 13, 2016, 01:45:10 PM
Might I suggest that this is 'THE' Pussbook group for all who are 'into' the motorcycles in this thread?

Facebook_Soviet_Steeds_group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1048969185173384/)

Мои пожелания, Уильям
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: Rossco500 on November 20, 2016, 09:44:55 PM
His Minsk illness is all my fault!!

Tony
Title: Re: The illness worsens!
Post by: themoudie on November 20, 2016, 10:50:12 PM
AH! Minsking about again!  ::)