Russian engines

[srdavo]

Grubee's selling the last of the Russian engines on ebay. I bought 2 of these a couple years ago. they were built in the 1980's. 45cc... very nice casting. I mounted 1 on a 60's era firestone bike. (the other one is still in the box) the cool thing about the engine is the steel sleeve in the jug. not the chrome on aluminum cylinder wall our chinese babies have. Also, the ignition coil mounts & has to ground to the frame & it has points & a condenser. mine has turned out to be pretty reliable & very quiet.) now...the down side....top speed.....maybe 20 mph.... not a hill climber, great for putting around, here in the flat lands. I'd like some feedback on the russian if anyone has some, like how to boost the power just a bit?

note this was built in true Russian fashion....I used my best, used tires...& the line for paint was longer than the line for bread so I opted for just bread....and I didn't have to wait at all for Vodka.
later, Dave

 

[gone_fishin]

i like the look, too, kind of an old bsa-looking jug & head.

20mph is a major downside tho...

 

[srdavo]

yeah no kidding. early 80' I had a 1966 650 bsa on a hardtail frame with a 10 over springer. was nothing slow about it!!! leaked oil fast too.....talk about vibration....I got skinned from head to toe on that thing. didn't hurt till the next day....had jack daniels riding w/me.....hahaha

 

[gone_fishin]

woohoo, in the navy i got around on a yamaha 500, the dohc one, pretty quick machine, i had 10-over straight tubes, i don't think the front tire ever touched pavement except when i parked it.

went from that to a kawi 500 3-cyl, then another one, then a trident for a short while, then a new kz-900, my last motorcycle was my k1000p in fla 2 years ago, guess i had a death-wish...guess i still do 'cuz now i'm doing 40mph on a freakin' bicycle fer chr**sakes

the new place i'm moving into has a welder i can use after i fix it, think i'm gonna put a rake on "sabrina-II" to get that wobble outta the ride.

 

[Heath]

you guys are speaking my language! not to hijack the thread, but i had a '63 triumph tiger engine on a rigid frame with a VERY long girder front end. spool front wheel (no front brake) and the old drum brake in the rear. did you say death wish? i had a 9' x9' yard barn to park it in and i had put it in there corner to corner. that engine made it's way to a stock rake front frame with a bolt on hardtail rear and i rode it like that for a few years until i blew it up. i have a bunch of BSA parts i'm colecting to build myself another hardtail bober out of. also have a norton featherbed frame and some bits for my next cafe bike. okay, i'm sorry. i just got a bit excited when i read you're guys posts about british bikes. back to your regularly scheduled posts about the russian engines (which i am curious about as well).

 

[Mile High Chop-Ped]

Grubee's selling the last of the Russian engines on ebay. I bought 2 of these a couple years ago. they were built in the 1980's. 45cc... very nice casting. I mounted 1 on a 60's era firestone bike. (the other one is still in the box) the cool thing about the engine is the steel sleeve in the jug. not the chrome on aluminum cylinder wall our chinese babies have. Also, the ignition coil mounts & has to ground to the frame & it has points & a condenser. mine has turned out to be pretty reliable & very quiet.) now...the down side....top speed.....maybe 20 mph.... not a hill climber, great for putting around, here in the flat lands. I'd like some feedback on the russian if anyone has some, like how to boost the power just a bit?

note this was built in true Russian fashion....I used my best, used tires...& the line for paint was longer than the line for bread so I opted for just bread....and I didn't have to wait at all for Vodka.
later, Dave

I just put a bike together with the M-21 and am still breaking it in but it did come with a big sprocket I think they are 48 tooth. I put mine together using a 36 tooth sprocket and am getting better then 20 right now and have not revved it up yet. It does not have the guts of the chinese engine but starts very easily and is super quiet. Since I have 24 gears on the bike climbing hills works fine if you give it a little help. Try a smaller sprocket I think it might help.

 

[vax]

I'd like some feedback on the russian if anyone has some, like how to boost the power just a bit?

Cheapest method would be expansion chamber. My friend did this one for his engine:

I have the dimensions somewhere, but it's the "straight tube" version. There's a good software called Plate'n'Sheet for bending pipes and calculating sections of it.
You can also use Dremel tool to grind exhaust port a little wider. It's possible to add extra scavenging port(s) to the empty cylinder wall at the backside.
There's a special racing piston for that engine developed by GOL. www.emot.nl sells those for 43EUR.
The carburator of original engine is pretty much crap. Some Walbro floatless (trimmer engine) carb is way better.

 

[srdavo]

so my little russian beauties can handle some upgrades! a better carb, exhaust and more compression with a racing piston. what rpm could I hope for? Currently (I'm guessing) 4500 rpms is all I get. putt....putt....putt

 

[vax]

4500 is way too low. I think you could go as far as you like. 7500rpm is easy to get, just use a little bit bigger rear sprocket and give a little better "breathing" to the engine (carb and some porting).
My reedvalved engine makes around 12000rpm nicely.

 

[srdavo]

Bump

Just wanted to bump this up so Hammer could answer some questions for me.... when did they stop production of the "D" engines?

I'd also like to know more about the overheating problems?
I like the old style contact points & condensor