Motorcycle "Minsk S4 250": technical characteristics, reviews

Belarusian motorcyclesMinsk

Do you want a motorcycle, but have zero driving experience? Which one to choose?

After all, this is the first motorcycle, it should be powerful enough not to be considered a scooter, but at the same time not too frisky and forgiving of some mistakes for beginners.

Many people choose a 250cc bike as their first choice. see and that's correct.

If you are not a fan of long off-road trips, but drive around the city, then this choice is quite justified.

With such a motorcycle, you are guaranteed maneuverability and relatively fast riding, while you can calmly control it, which is very important, because I don’t think anyone would want their first ride to be their last because they lost control.

The choice of models in this class is incredibly large, there are quite a lot of them, and this is understandable, because if there is demand, there will always be manufacturers.

In this article we will talk about a specific model range, about motorcycles with a capacity of 250 cc. see production of the Minsk company.

Briefly about the manufacturer

There are few people who would not know the Belarusian motorcycle manufacturing company “M1NSK”.

The plant has been around for over 60 years and has been producing good bikes throughout its history.

One of the largest export markets was Vietnam, where bikes from this manufacturer became popular due to their ease of maintenance and reliability.

“M1NSK” has the “People’s Brand” award, which he received in 2014, which means that the people appreciated him.

A little interesting fact for those who didn’t know: at the moment, over 7 million motorcycles of their production have been sold worldwide.

Sports R 250

At the moment, M1NSK produces 4 models with an engine capacity of 250 cc.
see. These are the R 250 and C4 250 (in the street category), ERX 250 (enduro), RX 250 (cross). The R 250 is an excellent choice of sports motorcycle for a beginner.

It forgives many minor mistakes, handles well, and is well suited for city trips.

Comfortable classic fit allows you to make long trips without putting much strain on the body. The maneuverability and efficiency of this model is impressive.

Acceleration to 100 km/h in about 6 seconds, a pretty good result. Weight of 123 kg provides good handling and cornering.

A good model, but it is not without its shortcomings. For example, the footrest is difficult to reach; for some it broke, for others it fell off.

Also, this motorcycle is not suitable for tall people; due to its compact structure, it will simply not be easy to ride.

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Description

The Minsk S4 250 motorcycle is equipped with a modern head light element, which is combined with the overall design of the equipment and provides good visibility at night. Front and rear disc brakes are responsible for safety, guaranteeing quick stopping, even if a novice driver is behind the wheel.

The designers created the machine in question with a dry weight of 149 kg. This does not create problems in movement, the low center of gravity ensures comfortable cornering, and the landing makes the unit comfortable for short riders. Despite good maneuverability, this bike is not designed for an aggressive riding style. The main purpose of a two-wheeled vehicle is measured movement at a rate of no more than 110 km/h. At the same time, the Minsk S4 250 motorcycle produces a force of 19 Nm, which neutralizes the weight of the unit, allowing it to remain stable on different types of soil. A spacious 16-liter fuel tank guarantees a good range of movement without refueling.

Handsome C4 250

The design of the C4 250 turned out to be successful; smooth lines can attract any eye.

I would also like to note the good dashboard, with an LCD display, analog tachometer and speedometer.

It can reach speeds of 130 km/h on the highway, which is very cool for such a motorcycle.

Among the shortcomings, owners note vibration at high speeds, the electric starter sometimes malfunctions and it is better not to drive it with two people, the engine is rather weak for two.

And the most common is squeaking brakes, which begins after you have driven about 1,500 km.

Motorcycle M1NSK C4 250: we are starting a resource test

After spending several days behind the wheel of a M1NSK C4 250 motorcycle, Dmitry Novitsky admitted that he began to understand Russians with their tender and painful love for Lada cars.

I don’t know how much a person needs to drink to wake up in the morning with the keys to a Lada in his pocket. Therefore, in my heart I was always perplexed, looking at the popularity of tinted Priora and Kalina in Russia. I was perplexed right up until the moment I got behind the wheel of the M1NSK C4 250 motorcycle - this is my own, dear! Do you understand? Therefore, it is difficult for me to be objective when evaluating this motorcycle. During each stop, a person always appears from the crowd and joyfully shouts: “Wow! New "Minsk"! And how is he?" This is not loyalty to a brand - this is love, implicated in trips to the country and village fishing trips.

Objectively speaking, the M1NSK C4 250 model is a “bajaj”. I spent a lot of time in India, rented a lot of motorcycles there - all the local Bajajs behave about the same! You take the small “one hundred and twenty-fifth” Yamaha - a very harmonious, “combed” device. You sit on a 250 cc Bajaj - it growls, rushes, rides, but all the little details are not perfected. Although... Do you remember the old Minsky? The new line is, as they say, “heaven and earth.” For myself, I nicknamed the new “Minsk” “bajazh” - it’s very similar. Its “arsenal” includes a fairly powerful 250 cc engine. cm, 19 hp, 1 cylinder. Therefore, the driving experience is exactly like that of the IZH Planet. The same confident traction at low speeds: in 4th gear you can drive at least 30 km/h. And the same reluctance at high speeds: the motorcycle tends to ride sedately, although in joint races the Honda Civic 1.8 remains far behind at speeds of 70-80 km/h. Almost all the cars in the stream are “outflanked” from a standing start up to a speed of approximately 80 km/h. There's also a comfortable, classic riding position and amazing brakes. Amazing, because budget motorcycles usually brake poorly. And here are two powerful front discs, a distinct force on the handle and excellent deceleration. And in addition to the performance, there's a lot of love for this bike. It occurs due to the M1NSK inscriptions on the tank and the same engraving on the engine. “Belarusian is the best.”

This is how I spent several days, gradually “rolling” into the motorcycle. I drove and remembered the sensations. In the evenings I scoured the Internet, trying to understand what was Belarusian about this motorcycle. After all, factory workers are reluctant to talk about this topic: all that I managed to find out is that the frames are 100% Belarusian. Frames are welded in Minsk. Everything else is imported from Asia. “In almost all cases, a part from Asia will be cheaper and better quality than a Belarusian one,” director Nikita Shrubok said during an interview. But people are against Asian - people are for Belarusian, their own. When you tell random interlocutors that there is nothing Belarusian in our motorcycle, they get very upset and say something like “well, at least they could have come up with the motor themselves...”. My personal opinion: they couldn’t, because it’s not necessary. I thought about this and this is what I realized. For example, there is now a UAZ Patriot on sale with a diesel engine developed by Russian designers. I will never buy this Patriot in my life simply because it has a diesel engine of independent Russian design. Why do I need it? Lie under it with wrenches? It’s the same with the motorcycle: a 250 cc Chinese copy of the Suzuki engine is installed in the frame, and I’m quite happy with this state of affairs. Reliability tested. There are a lot of spare parts. Therefore, I personally do not need the original developments of Belarusian designers - I strongly doubt their quality. Another nuance: it turned out that the M1NSK C4 250 has clones: Loncin LX250-7, SNS-250 Jedi, Zipp Nitro 250, Alfamoto Tornado 250, Hamachi MSL250 - and this is not the whole list. “Our” M1NSK C4 250 has only a name from “ours”. Chinese development, with the help of Italian designers. There are a sufficient number of “clones” of the new Minsk traveling around the world. The Chinese origin of the motorcycle surprisingly correlates with the general political and economic course of our country, but this is so, by the way. Now it is important to understand: is the current situation good or bad? There is one minus, and it is obvious - national pride. While we laughed at the Chinese, not wanting to invest in engineering personnel, the country somehow quietly remained in the Soviet past. Old engineering developments were “eaten away”, and new ones, with a designer’s salary lower than that of a worker, did not appear. We need to invest in intelligence, not calluses on our hands, so we have what we have. And pride... Pride is hurt, but everything is fair. I am 200% sure: if this motorcycle had been entirely developed in Belarus, there would have been more problems. Therefore, now it is important to grit your teeth and catch up with the Chinese who have run far ahead. And at least a little, it’s good that your neighbors have the same situation: find the differences between Lada Largus and Dacia Logan!

And let’s not forget that all Soviet “colleagues” “died”, but “Minsk” is alive. “Due to large debts, it was mothballed indefinitely in 2008, and most of the equipment was sold...” - this is a quote from Wikipedia. And in front of me stands a new model from the Minsk Motor Plant. People are working, and there are a lot of new models in the company store. Therefore, I personally have no complaints about the fact that the M1NSK C4 250 is a copy. The Loncin company has participation in the GP motorcycle championship, assembly of engines for BMW and ambitious plans to become one of the most famous motorcycle brands on the planet, despite the fact that in terms of production volume they are among the three largest players in China. The licensed “roots” and huge circulations of this model allow us to hope that everything will be in order with reliability and spare parts. And as a consumer, I’m just pleased that the plant is alive. And I'm sitting behind the wheel of the new Minsk, relatively powerful and definitely beautiful. Its main competitor in the CIS market is the Yamaha YBR 125, a motorcycle for beginners. And I can say with confidence that Minsk is no worse.

“The Minsk brand has remained true to its ideology - these are motorcycles for novice drivers...” - while driving the C4 250, I often recalled the words of the director of MinskMoto. The cost of the motorcycle is about 27 million rubles, or about $3,000. Moreover, this is one of the most expensive motorcycles in the range: the new Minsk series can be bought for $2,000. But this particular one costs 3000. And - a Japanese used car or a new Minsk? From a security point of view, this is the new Minsk. With a 19-horsepower engine, the chances of getting killed are much less than with a 600-cc, 100-horsepower “sport.” Plus absolutely adequate handling, plus very good brakes. At the time of writing, I have ridden 600 km on this motorcycle. And in the city traffic, “embroidering” and quickly, I thought more than once: it’s good that there is not enough engine, otherwise I would fly into every hole and risk breaking into pieces. And so you roll slowly. A motorcycle for “just riding”, ideal if the son walks around and tugs on his sleeve: “Dad, buy a motorcycle.” For a man over 30, who has a budget of about 3000 and a head on his shoulders, this bike will quickly become insufficient, but for learning to ride it is an ideal motorcycle. Immediately getting into a liter “sport” is suicide. Therefore, I will emphasize once again: the main detail in this motorcycle is the brakes. And balanced handling. About what a motorcycle with good brakes and an easy-going character can do in skillful hands is a video from our colleagues from the Russian publication “MotoReview”.

Today’s story is somewhat chaotic, but there are still many publications ahead, because our goal is to accumulate as many kilometers as possible during the season. We'll talk about a lot of things there. In the meantime, notes in the margins: I myself noticed a small fuel consumption. I haven’t taken exact measurements yet, but it turns out to be about 4 l/100 km. It’s comfortable to drive around the city: I’ve visited all the places, and I don’t run out of gas.

The motorcycle is still being tested. After the first thousand kilometers we will do the first maintenance - then we will talk in more detail about all the nuances. But we have big plans for this summer, so motorcycle enthusiasts are unlikely to be bored on our website. See you on the road or on the pages of the abw.by portal. Dmitry NOVITSKY Photo by Gleb MALOFEEV ABW.BY Waybill

(+) The main advantage of this motorcycle is the front brakes. Very clear, logical slowdown. This model has more brakes than a motor, making it an ideal vehicle for a beginner.

(-) I like the engine: high-torque, economical. But the oil needs to be changed every thousand kilometers: are designers playing it safe?

(+) The frame is made in Minsk. There are no complaints about the rigidity of the frame - the motorcycle does not “float” with a passenger.

(-) If you ride alone, there are no complaints about the seat. You can even go on long journeys - everything is conducive to this. But when driving together, the driver constantly slides towards the tank. You need to slightly change the inclination of the driver's pillow, bring it to the “horizontal” position.

(+) The instrument panel is very clear. There is a number of the gear engaged, there is a fuel level indicator in the tank. By the way, an indication of the gear engaged is rare - a very useful option.

(-) I can’t say that the tires are bad: previously, the new Minsk series had worse tires installed. This made in China handles the road reasonably well on dry asphalt and rides well on gravel roads. But he really doesn’t like sand on the asphalt - it’s easy to “slip” when turning. In sandy ruts you also need to actively work with the steering wheel. You can drive. But it’s tempting to put something branded.

(+) The fuel tank is huge for the motorcycle class - 16.5 liters. Fuel consumption with a moderate driving style is 3.5-4 liters. The total range is more than 400 km! One refill was enough for almost a week of city driving!

The editors of the portal abw.by express gratitude for the motorcycle provided for the resource test

Reliable RX 250

The RX 250 was created as a motocross bike.
A weight of 110 kg combined with power and a 4-stroke engine provides good dynamic performance.

In 2011 and 2012, the M1NSK RX 250 took part in the “Championship of the Republic of Belarus” in motocross and showed good results.

A good suspension helps you overcome obstacles and withstands impacts.

In general, it turned out to be a reliable motorcycle.

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Characteristics of the ERX 250

The ERX 250 model was based on the RX 250 and many of their parameters are similar, but there are also differences.

It was designed for off-road use, not racing. This model was not entirely successful and disappointed a lot of people.

Of course, it also has positive aspects, including: good dynamic performance, excellent treads, light weight, great for traveling on country roads and the city.

But there are more disadvantages: the use of poor materials, low-quality frame, not suitable for professional sports.

As for me, for this price you can buy something better.

"Minsk S4 250": technical characteristics

Below are the technical plan indicators:

• Release – 2010.
• The power unit is a four-stroke engine with one cylinder (volume - 249 cc, power - 19 hp).
• Speed ​​– 8000 rotations per minute.
• Compression – 18.8.
• Fuel injection – carburetor system.
• Cooling is air.
• The working drive is a chain drive.
• Front suspension - telescopic fork.
• The rear suspension is a pendulum unit with a shock absorber.
• The brake system is fully double-disc with hydraulics.
• Fuel consumption – 4.5 l/100 km.
• Length/width/height – 2.04/0.79/1.05 m.
• Weight – 149 kg.
• The speed limit is 110 km/h.

The Minsk C4 250 model, the price of which is very reasonable for most consumers, is mainly aimed at people who do not strive for sky-high speeds and aggressive driving. Otherwise, the car performed quite well in many aspects.

Availability of spare parts and cost of the bike

All motorcycles will eventually need spare parts, this cannot be avoided, some parts will wear out, and some may be broken in an accident.
The reasons are not important; sooner or later you will have to repair the bike and look for spare parts accordingly.

For some it is easier, for others it is more difficult. Owners of “M1NSK” motorcycles belong to the first category; due to their prevalence, finding additional parts for the bike is not difficult. There are plenty of them on the secondary market.

Approximate price of the motorcycle

The price category of bikes of this volume varies from somewhere from 150,000 to 300,000, it all depends on the manufacturer and the capabilities of the motorcycle itself.

Below are the prices from the official website:

As you can see, the prices for these motorcycles are quite reasonable for their class.

You can buy them on the secondary market much cheaper. Everything, of course, depends on the condition of the motorcycle, mileage and other factors, but a decent used motorcycle can be bought starting from 75,000 rubles.

Ergonomics

As tests show, the bike in question is quite competitive in its segment. The technique is partially copied from the Loncin analogue. However, the Minsk S4 250 motorcycle is more aggressive, although it has a small engine capacity. Among the advantages of the technique: consistent proportional dimensions, comfortable fit.

The dashboard does not shine with innovative implementations, but it has all the necessary data on the status of important components, including an indicator of the current gear. The car was not initially designed for circuit racing and exhausting use. Accordingly, if you treat it properly, it will serve reliably for many years.

Photo gallery

In conclusion, we invite you to look at a small photo selection of motorcycles from this model range. Considering their diversity and versatility, there should not be any difficulties in choosing your bike.