Charlie's M-72
My greasy affair with a 53 year old Russian
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Yeah Baby.
M-72.
M-72 - ZiS (Moscow), GMZ (Gorkii), IMZ (Irbit) , K-O (Harkov), KMZ (Kiev) .
M-72K, M-72M - IMZ (Irbit)
M-72N - KMZ (Kiev)*
Years of production:
1941-1943 preliminary M-72,
1944-1956 M-72,
1954-1960 M-72K,
1956-1960 M-72M,
1956-1959 M-72N
Total wartime production: 15,335 units.*
Payload: 300 kg in one manual, 3 people + 100 kg
(with sidecar) in an other manual
Length: 2380/2420mm, width: 1590/1600mm, height: 1000/980mm, saddle height: 720mm (all dimensions are for sidecar bike)
Wheelbase: 1400mm
Road clearance: 130/135mm
Engine: 22hp/4500-4800rpm or
4800-4900rpm
M-72K - 27hp/5000rpm
2-cyl., 4-stroke SV with
horizontal opposed cylinders, 746cc
Bore/Stroke: 78/78 mm
Compression ratio: 5,5 : 1
Carburetor: K-37, K-37A from 1950
onward
Ignition system: battery 3MT-7 or
3MT-14, 6 Volt, 7 or 14 Amp*h except
M-72K Magneto
Interrupter: points ignition*
Generator type and power: G-11; 6V, 45W, G-11A from 1952 onward
Relay-regulator: RR-1, RR-31 from 1950
onward EXCEPT M-72K none fitted
Bobbin: Ignition Coil*
Spark plugs type: A 11/11; M14 X 1,25
Headlight: FG-6
Signal horn: SM-01 or SM-02, S-35A
from 1950 onward
Clutch: dry twin plates
(the very early model - one plate)
Engine cooling: air
Gearbox: 4 speed with hand and foot shift
Ratios: I - 3,60, II - 2,28, III - 1,7, IV - 1,30
Final Drive ratio: 3.89, 4.62 from 1944 onward.*
Front suspension: telescopic type with
hydraulic shock absorbers except on
M-72N leading link type
Rear suspension: plunger type
Frame:
Electrically welded tube
Cardan: Shaft Drive*
Mechanical drum brakes on front and rear wheels
Weight (fueled): 225 kg (solo), 350 kg (with sidecar)
Maximum speed (with sidecar): 85 km/h except M-72N 90 km/h and M-72K 120 km/h
Tires: 3.75-19 inches, wheels are interchangeable
Tire pressures (atmospheres): front - 1,5-1,8, rear - 2,0-2,5, sidecar - 1,8-2,3, spare - 2,0-2,5
Fuel tank capacity: 22 L
Fuel consumption (with sidecar): 7 L/100km under 50-60 km/h
Engine oil capacity: 2 liters
Oil consumption: 0,25 L/100 km
Transmission oil capacity: 0,8 liters
Final Drive oil capacity: 0,175 liters*
* Revisions courtesy of Stephen Wiggins.
Some years ago I saw a documentary on tigers that showed Russian scientists traveling around Siberia on an old motorcycle with a sidecar. It wasn't long before I forgot about the tigers and started focusing on the bike (my brain's funny like that). I'd never seen a "boxer" before: little did I know what that seemingly innocent program on Discovery Channel was going to do to me.
A few years later we moved to Bulgaria and I started thinking about getting a bike again. I've always had a preference to Harley's, but they aren't very practical here due to a lack of parts and the expense. My mind drifted back to that film and I started digging through Google checking out Russian Motorcycles. At first glance they all looked pretty much alike: I looked up the Dnepr & Ural bikes, then found the Chang Jiangs, then up came a picture of a restored M72.
It was love at first sight.
People always thought I was a bit off the deep end, and I spent about a year proving them right. I asked every biker I met, I put ads in the paper, I looked in every village we went through. People suggested I go with a tractor or something since it would be easier to find and get about the same mileage. One guy had a warehouse of rusty 1992 Dneprs in parts (but no brakes), another tried to pass off an MT11 as an antique M72 at an insane cost. Someone else actually had one but no papers for it, another guy had an engine but no frame. Finally, in December 2005 I found an advertisement for a running 1953 M-72 in Sofia (which happens to be on the other side of the country). I managed to arrange the trip there and back, found a trailer, and 48 hours and a couple of snowstorms later the bike was safe in Varna. An obsession was born.
This is what I came home with:
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