What is a Dnepr motorcycle and why should you get one?
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- Опубліковано 9 гру 2021
- Dnepr is a now defunct Soviet motorcycle manufacturer that was located in Kyiv, Ukraine. Soviet bikes with a sidecar are world renowned for their offroad capabilities in the 2 wheel drive versions.
I have the 2WD sidecar version, it does go thru nearly anything BUT it will tip over to the left easier than you think. Caution! Also, you have got to, GOT TO run ethanol-free gas in them. Our American gas tends to dissolve the seals in the carbs, making them run like crap and very hard to start. I rebuilt the carbs and run only recreational gas (no ethanol) and it will start on the second kick nearly every time.
I have experimented with removing the ethanol from regular gas with success...
Somply add water (preferably from a ventless dryer so said water is as clean as you can get it) and mix well... The ethanol will rather be diluted in water then in gas and after leaving the gas alone for a couple of hours you can either cant off the gas or have the water drain away from the bottom, if you have the right flask/bottle to do so... The water/ethanol mixture can be used in your windscreen washer bottle in the car...though a slight gas smell may linger...
Nice! Last week -18,today -3 only,in Poland, only sidecare ride! Grts
Warming up huh? 😅
Cool video
If you look at the rear of the gearbox where the clutch lever is attached you should see a rod exiting the gearbox below the pivot point of said lever. If this rod (about 10mm in diameter) is present you have the Dneprmatic or Dneprglide gearbox which has a gear change pedal actuated clutch (if you have the bolt and nut on the clutch lever adjusted to spec...
The OHV Dnepr's are based on the Zundapp K650 the Ural OHV 650s were based on the OHV BMWs. Ural crankshafts run on roller bearings whereas Dneprs run on shell bearings.
Thanks! That's good information to know.
@@samsgarage3540 that's not true. dnepr and ural are unique models, m-72 is copy of bmw r-71
Well done Sam, sounds alright, just watch out for that big drum on the front, otherwise you may end up in church.
loudest neighbors on Sundays! XD XD looking good man; well done with those slides, interesting design, loved getting the history of the bike too!
😄
Here in Europe, there are still running a lot of K750, Dnepr MT11 (1 wheel drive) and MT16 (2 wheel drive). They are very popular with bikers who love old-timer sidecars AND mechanics. In almost every European country there is a large number of Dnepr/Ural hobby clubs. Dnepr spare parts are very easy to get. The factory in Kiev does not assemble new bikes anymore, but still produces spare parts. They also still have very large stocks. There are several dealers in France, Germany and Poland. Transport in Europe is very cheap and very fast. When, for instance, I order (via internet) a gearbox on Monday morning, in a shop in Poland or North Germany, the parts will be at my place (Belgium) on the next Thursday. Comparing these bikes with modern ones, does not make any sense. Its old mechanics and you got to love this part of the hobby. If you like old bikes but you do not like mechanics, then never buy an old Russian. But if you know about mechanics and you treat your Dnepr with respect and devotion, you’ll have an amazing machine. My MT11 was imported in Belgium in 1983, already as a second-hand bike. I’m its owner since 2007. I did a total revision of it and applied some improvements such as electronic ignition, Dell’Ortho Carbs, Bosch engine bobbin, etc. … I drive it all year through and we drove on thousands of little roads, all over Europe. … And remember: “The pig is not dirty … the farmer is”.
Absolutely! I wish parts were as easy to get in the US. The parts aren't hard to find online, but the international shipping costs are often many times more than the price of the part. There are more Urals here in the US than there are Dnepr bikes, but still not many parts for older Urals either, and even a wait for international shipping at a Ural dealer as well for many parts.
That looked like a lot of fun.
It was tons of fun!
I love my Dnepr! It's the most fun motorcycle I have ever owned. You must know how to do basic mechanic work but the Soviets went out of their way to make them easy to work on.
Why can't I ever get cool neighbors like you!
I'm not sure all my neighbors feel lucky 😄, but they're at least kind and tolerant lol
I own Dnepr MT-11 and they were made in Kiev. the plant is located on the river Dnepr, the Urals are made in Irbits. and that plant is near the Ural Mountains. the bikes saw service in WWII against the German army and have been made since, tho the Dnepr plant was shut down in the late 1980s. these bikes were based on five BMWs Russia got from Germany when they signed the non-aggression pack . they were sent back home and reversed engineered and they started producing them.
I made throttle cables for my k65 carburetors using bicycle shift cable's. One end fit's perfectly in the throttle cable block. For the other end I used crimp on wire terminals. Just clip off the terminal end and crimp it on the cable just as you would crimp it on wire ends. Then soldier it. Then push it through the bent throttle cable tube to connect it to the brass throttle slide. You may need to grind a little so you can push it past the bent part of the tube.
Synchronizing the carbs is easy. You need to fabricate a clamp that fits the throttle grip with an arm that hits the front brake lever so it holds the throttle open in any position. Using a drill bit as a feeler Guage put the round end of the drill into the carb and close the throttle untill you can just feel a little drag. You are done with that side. Now put the drill bit in the other carb and adjust the cable until it just drag's the same as the other carb. Remove the drill bit and put it away. Remove the throttle lock and allow the throttle to drop all the way down. Run your idle screws until the slides are all the way down on both carbs. Start turning the idle screws until they just contact the slides. Your carburetors are now synchronized. Now you need to set the idle. Put the throttle lock you made back on the throttle grip and start the engine running. Lock the throttle open where the idle is where you want it. Now turn the idle screws until both just contact their respective throttle slides. Remove the throttle lock and you are done. If you need to readjust idle speed slightly turn the idle screws one at a time being careful to keep the amount of turns exactly the same.
Hint: the idle mixture screws work backwards because they are controlling air and not fuel. Running them in richens the idle mixture while running them out lean's the idle mixture. Start at 1 1/2 turns from bottoming the screws. Then turn them counter clockwise until rpm drops or gets too lean and turn clockwise until rpm has recovered. Do the same with the other carb.
I have a KMZ Dnepr MT-11 too. It sat unused in a barn for 27 years before I got it. The guy that bought it didn't know you had to take them completely apart, inspect and repair or replace bad part's installed at the factory, and then properly reassemble it. No one here would work on it for him so off to the barn it went. I did the work over the winter of 2018/2019 and now I have a good reliable motorcycle I drive often.
Thank you so much! I have replaced a bit already on this bike, but there's much more work to be done.
@@samsgarage3540 the work is never done! You are always checking them. They use oil by design. Always keep it topped off. If the level is down 1/8 inch from full, add oil till it's full again. There's only two liters of oil without a deep sump.
You also need zinc which is normally refered to as ZDDP in the oil. Normal modern engine oil doesn't have it. STP oil additive has zinc. A half bottle is good for two liters or quarts. Another thing, always kick the engine over three times with the ignition off. This pumps oil up into the engine so it starts oiling immediately on start up.
Starting is easier if you use the carb ticklers. A button holds the float in the bowl down allowing higher than normal fuel level in the carburetor bowl's. You'll see gas start dripping out of the overflow on the bottom of the carburetor. Release the button. Do both carburetors. If using the enrichment rods on the carburetors don't crack open the throttle as you kick start it. The engine should start without opening the throttle. Once the engine starts then open the throttle a little and drop the enrichment rods to close the port's. The carburetor's will run way too rich with the enrichment rods pulled up in just a few seconds of running. Remember that throttle lock? It's handy to lock the throttle open slightly until the engine warms up enough to idle normally. I made a holder for my throttle lock attaching it to the fairing when not being used to warm up the engine. BTW 45 mph is safe top speed on Dnepr motorcycles. They were originally built for the military while Ural motorcycles were built for civilians. KMZ which stands for Kiev Motorcycle Factory ask for and received permission to sell them to anyone, not just the military. They cost about double what a Ural cost but you can haul 3 soldiers, 80 pounds of gear weapons and ammo for each of those soldiers, and tow a 1/4 ton trailer or towed weapon with one. A Ural will not do that. Buying a KMZ Dnepr was like us buying a military grade Hummer while a standard Jeep could be compared with an IMZ Ural. One is military grade while the other is civilian grade.
@@n4zou thanks for all of the info. I'm very grateful for it. I do use the ticklers and the enrichment rods, as well as kick over the engine 3 to 5 times with the ignition off prior to truly attempting to start it. I had no idea about the zinc additive, so that's news to me and I'm hoping the hundreds of miles I have put on the bike without it didn't do too much harm. The heads were really loose when I got this bike, so there's some excessive wear on the too end no doubt. It also had chewed up several rods due to the issues with the heads not being torqued correctly. I also have an issue with the oil pressure after the bike warms up a bit. I've read that the spring on the oil pressure regulation port can get weak over time, and also the little ball bearing can get junk caught in it and not be able to close completely. Trying to sort that out is one of my next tasks to complete. I also have a hole in the rear diff and 2 broken bolts in the diff cover to drill out and repair. I'm hoping to have some time with it running while gather parts for the top end refresh, it has been an absolute blast to ride.
@@samsgarage3540 you should be using 20-w50 oil. The STP also helps with oil pressure. The zinc will coat everything adding a layer of high lubricity coating on every moving surface. Also the engine has flat tappet lifter's which need the zinc. You can buy 20w50 racing oil with zinc in it just like oil had before exhaust converters we're mandated by the EPA. Zinc in the oil clogs them up. You may need to check the spring and ball in the oil pump. Check the surface the ball sits on. A small particle of trash may be stuck on it allowing oil to leak past it at idle. Also have you opened up the centrifugal filter on the end of the crankshaft behind the timing cover and cleaned it out? That will effect oil pressure if it's full. I purchased an electronic ignition system from Arbalet Motorcycles in Kiev Ukraine. They ship to the USA with fair shipping and parts prices. I got the microprocessor ignition system. It's so much better than the points and that red ignition coil they came with. My coil failed and left me dead on the side of the road, which sucked.
@@n4zou The bike I have has had a car style oil filter modification done to it, so there's no centrifugal filter in it any longer - just an external screw on filter. I'm still running the points system, but I may change to something a bit more maintenance free.
For the carb spring, make holding tool by cutting a narrow slot in a thin metal sheet to slide under the cable swage???
Any idea where that windscreen came from? Can’t seem to find a similar one!
It came with the bike when I acquired it. However, there are some similar ones on ebay if you search ural/dnepr windscreens.
Greetings to everyone who has a Ukrainian motorcycle from Kiev.
USSR motorcycle
Had one for awhile!!! Regret I sold it...
Is the gear box reliable?
I'm not really sure, but they're built more like an industrial piece of machinery rather than concerned about weight savings. My guess is that the gear box is decently reliable. I'm having issues with the rear differential, and may have to buy a replacement - kinda pricey with a whole lot of shipping costs.
Well now good news for you URAL IS OUT. Dneper is in.
I think Ural has now moved out of Russia. That's good news in my book. I really like the modern Urals.
I live in Southwest Florida I need a set of 650 cylinders standard a size Pistons and gaskets and throttle cables for a 1999 Euro tourist can you help me?
www.uralne.com/parts/
or
www.heindlengineering.com/Online_Store/sidecar_parts.htm
Those should help you get started. I buy parts on ebay, but sometimes it can be disappointing.
For more resources I recommend this forum.
www.sovietsteeds.com/forums/index.php
I don't have computer access I am legally blind
@@frankmarkovcijr5459 I'm a long way from Florida, so I can't help you personally. I have a few connections in Florida, and one who might be able to help - he's in Orlando, but you would have to be able to get to him. Does that sound possible for you?
@@samsgarage3540 if you could give me the phone number of anybody that you think might have parts that would be a great help I've already tried Gene and Holly Paul as well as Mr Crawford and Michigan I don't have computer access and I wouldn't know what to do with it if I had it and the prince is too small for me to see so if you can give me anybody's phone numbers that would help a great deal because I have been down so long and it's my everyday Transportation I am reduced to the bus.
Are parts still available?
I can get parts on a few websites and of course on ebay. The biggest challenge tends to be the shipping costs.
@@samsgarage3540 there is no quality parts now. even here in Ukraine, people trying to find or restore used original parts
@Vp hope you are doing ok in the Ukraine, my friend.
Thanks to BMW and all those who copied their designs!!!
Дніпро в Америці, тепер я бачив все. Привіт з України!
Greetings!