Minsk D4 125: classics in Belarusian

The Minsk D4 125 motorcycle was released to compete with numerous budget bikes from the Middle Kingdom. However, he himself has Chinese roots, since motorcycles under the revived Minsk brand are assembled from components produced in China. But the fruit of the joint efforts of the Chinese and Belarusians turned out to be very successful, and Minsk D4 has already found its buyers. Inexpensive, economical, quite attractive outwardly, he fits the role perfectly first motorcycle. Its technical characteristics, of course, lack stars from the sky, but most owners agree that it is worth the money. The Minsk D4 is also well suited for the role of utilitarian transport for every day, and besides, it can handle not only asphalt roads, but also dirt ones.

Technical characteristics Minsk D4 125


A good budget bike should be exactly like this! No, really. The Minsk D4 125 motorcycle is close to becoming a standard in its price category. On the one hand, we have already seen all this, and more than once - a steel frame, a simple 4-stroke air-cooled engine (10.5 hp), a 5-speed gearbox , spoked wheels, a carburetor, a chain wheel drive... Even outwardly it resembles its ancestors, produced back in the USSR. But the devil, as we know, is in the details. In the case of the Minsk D4 125, this detail was the overall quality of the motorcycle. It is really up to par, and the manufacturer is vigilantly monitoring it.


To keep the price at an affordable level, the designers decided to go the proven route and create the simplest possible bike . They achieved their goal - the Minsk D4 125 motorcycle received a drum brake at the rear and a disc brake at the front, suspensions originally from the 80s of the last century, a hard seat and an instrument panel similar to the one found on hundreds of other Chinese bikes. But there is a nuance: here it all works as it should. Most likely, this is the merit not so much of the Chinese component manufacturers, but of the employees responsible for quality control.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

  • High reliability of all main components. Despite the low price of the Minsk D4 125, there are practically no reviews about problems with the gearbox, engine or other important parts.
  • Light weight . The dry weight of the Minsk D4 125 is only 100 kg, and physically handling this bike is very easy.
  • Capacious gas tank of 12 liters . The motorcycle has a power reserve of 300-400 kilometers, depending on riding style and operating conditions.
  • High ground clearance - 21 centimeters. You can safely force obstacles like “collective farm” speed bumps made of asphalt.
  • High quality paintwork . It is not so easy to scratch the varnish and paint on the Minsk D4 125, which, in general, is not very typical for budget motorcycles.
  • Versatility . Thanks to its simple and even “oaky” design, the motorcycle is extremely durable, and it can handle even bad roads, especially if you install suitable tires on it.

Flaws

  • Weak pendants . Under an overweight rider, the bike immediately sags noticeably.
  • Insufficiently informative and effective rear brake . The situation is partially saved by the very precise operation of the front brakes.
  • Vibrations at high speeds . They are strong enough to be annoying at times.

So, 2016, spring.
Having passed my license ( ) and having decided on a motorcycle, I started looking for this model on websites selling equipment. I found an excellent copy for 550 Baku. Garage storage, 6000 thousand mileage. It’s a bit far, all the way to Lida, I thought then, as much as 200 km! (I live in Minsk myself). He was naive and inexperienced). Having dialed the number, a thin, cracking youthful voice answered me at the other end of the line: “Yes, I’m selling, in excellent condition, everything is as in the photo.” “Take it off the register, I’ll be there by lunchtime tomorrow,” I told him.

And the next day, by 10 o’clock I was already in Lida. The minibus was crazy, it didn’t go below 110 at all, so I ended up in the city earlier than planned. After calling and wandering around the bus station and the surrounding area, I began to wait for his friend, who was supposed to pick me up. A kid of about 16 arrived, by the way, on a VM200. (Like this) Visually, it’s not bad at all, not even a hole, I’ll tell you. At that time, I had no idea that it was a Chinese car with 200 cc - the chrome shines, the exhaust booms - what else do you need? Surely, all of this boy’s peers were peeing in boiling water! We basically sat down on this maize truck and rushed to the traffic police; there the seller was already waiting for me, having, by the way, managed to deregister the moto.

The boy and his father, in whose name the motorcycle was registered due to the former’s minority, turned out to be nice people and told me everything about the moped - nothing broke, the oil was changed according to the regulations, it was dropped once. (By the way, they didn’t deceive me). I’ll say right away that at that time I didn’t know anything about motorcycles, not like now - now I can change the spark plug and oil and pump up the tires! And, objectively speaking, I didn’t know how to drive. Three races around the site, one of which is the test itself, and childhood in Riga with pedals is not the best preparation, to put it mildly. So, walking smartly around the minchik, I hoisted my carcass onto it to make a test run. I took off the third time, then almost drove into a parked number nine, but still made an honorary lap around the parking lot! After I stopped, the thought was clearly visible in the eyes of my new acquaintances: “boy, maybe this isn’t yours? Maybe it’s better to take a minibus, you’ll stay safe... And my eyes probably sparkled with delight! How cool it was - the first independent trip behind the wheel (albeit of Minskach, but still) of a motorcycle! Finally, having completed all the necessary documents and bargained for 20 bucks for gasoline, we could head back to Minsk. Even before the purchase, I duly talked to the seller - if the deal goes through, he will give me his helmet. What about the equipment? - you ask. However, at that time I didn’t smoke the Internet, and I thought that it would be a lot for Minskach and a Chinese helmet. I confess, I have corrected myself. But who knew that the helmet that the owner would reward me with would be this?

I admit, I stole the picture from the net, but it was the same there. By the way, I later remade it for fun. He even gave it a name - “Pankukha Interceptor”)

Realizing that I couldn’t go far with such a rarity on my head, I dropped into the nearest motorcycle and bicycle store and bought this miracle (on the seat) for a negotiated twenty bucks. Yes. Not much better than the Soviet one. But at least it protects the eyes, and, what is also important, it harmonizes with the motorcycle).

Having filled the tank full, somehow getting out of Lida, I rushed along the sunny highway called M6 to my native land. Fortunately, you don’t need any special skills to drive along the highway - just get to fifth gear and keep the handle to the floor. In a straight line, my new bike confidently held 95 km/h, slowing down only when going uphill. After a hundred kilometers, the ass began to itch wildly from the monotonous landing and constant vibration. Yes, this is not gold for you). I decided to go for refueling. Having topped up the tank again to full, having made some simple calculations, it turned out that on the highway Minchik consumes not so little - 4-4.5 liters. per hundred. Working at maximum engine speed has an effect. As it turned out later, in the city it fit into 3.5 liters. It is possible even less, but then the dynamics will be completely dull.

Upon arrival in Minsk, I was immediately stopped by valiant, but not very intellectually gifted, traffic police officers. One of them had a funny incident. Having asked for the license and documents, one of them had a headache - “he has category A1!” And this is up to 125 cubic meters! And the motorcycle, wow, it says 125! Niparadak! Now we’re going to pay for the fine for a farm!“ At first I didn’t even understand the essence of the presentation. And even his partner began to call out to him, saying, “Tolik, don’t fool the guy, let’s eat.” However, the client turned out to be stubborn, and until he got through to the boss, and, judging by the appearance, he was sent to hell, he was not persuaded). If anyone didn’t understand, the essence of the presentation was that the motorcycle, in his understanding, should have 124 cubes in order for everything to be clean. This is how it turns out - they come up with laws, then they themselves don’t know how to implement them... I stalled at every traffic light, but I finally got home. It turned out that I was not exhausted like a toy - my arms, legs and butt were ringing and shaking. From an overabundance of emotions and lack of sleep, I felt sleepy, and after eating I immediately passed out... Waking up in the evening, you can probably guess what thought was the first in my head). That's right - ride!!! Over the next night I covered another 150 kilometers, and in the morning, exhausted but very happy, I crawled home. I will never forget these feelings! Surely for many here, all this happened much earlier. I only had the chance to experience this delight when I was 25. And I assure you, it was no less powerful for that! PS Well, I’ve gone too long with the story again and haven’t really told anything about the motorcycle itself). I promise to improve, and next time I will definitely try to write about my impressions after owning a motorcycle and the features of its operation. All the best and smooth roads!

Reviews from owners Minsk D4 125

A good Chinese pepelats, the quality is really higher than that of a bunch of others. When I picked it up from the showroom, I checked everything myself (I had a negative experience with a Chinese 50cc scooter) - but it doesn’t matter, all the nuts are tightened, there is normal oil in the engine, the wires are insulated and neatly laid where necessary, there are no snot hanging around. I didn't even expect it. Igor, Brest, Minsk D4 125 '2018.

The motor reaches the declared maximum speed of 100 mph, but reluctantly, the Ybr 125 leaves it both at the start and then, but the difference is not critical. The shock absorbers are weak, I put stiffer springs in the fork, took them from Aliexpress - it helped. There are no breakdowns, the clutch burned out after 5k km, replaced it, a new one cost a penny to assemble, along with the discs, basket and spring. If you wish, you can disassemble and reassemble it on your knees in an open field. Vladlen, Tver, Minsk D4 125 '2017.

An every-day moto, he doesn’t do any brainwork, he drives everything that burns. I took it used, slightly attached to both sides, but it was cheap, the iron was not damaged. Now the odometer is almost 22 thousand, the mileage is increasing every day, the most serious problem of all time is the rear shock absorber is leaking. Ilya, Vyborg, Minsk D4 '2016.

Advantages and disadvantages of a motorcycle

Minsk S4 125, like any other type of equipment, has both advantages and disadvantages, which are better to know in advance - even before purchasing the equipment. Otherwise, driving a motorcycle will cause exclusively negative emotions, and traveling on business or to work will be torment.

The advantages of the model include:

  • Low fuel consumption with a large gas tank.
  • Small dimensions and weight.
  • Unpretentiousness (works smoothly at temperatures from -10 to +45).

The disadvantages of the motorcycle are:

  • Inconvenient location of the engine start button.
  • Unreliable fastenings.
  • Small mirrors that do not provide a good view.
  • Small fairing.
  • An inappropriate set of tools that comes with the equipment itself.

Similar models

  • Yamaha 125. Japanese, assembled in China, incredibly popular in many countries. Reliable, unpretentious and tenacious. Compared to the Minsk D4, it has only one drawback - a higher price.
  • Irbis GS 150. Inexpensive and popular Russian-Chinese small-capacity aircraft, which deservedly enjoys a good reputation.
  • Racer Triumph RC150 . Another “Chinese”, not particularly remarkable, but, according to reviews, quite good.

Total

took the right path, using the name of a well-known brand and being seriously concerned about quality control. Despite its Chinese origin, the Minsk D4 125 motorcycle is really reliable in operation, and with proper care there are no problems with it. It is also not difficult to find spare parts and consumables for it, since the manufacturer actively supports all produced motorcycles. So if you are looking for your first motorcycle, budget and simple in design, the Minsk D4 125 is worth taking a closer look at. This is not to say that it is better than all other 125 cc competitors, but it is better than many, that’s for sure, and reviews about it are mostly positive.

Video Review

Specifications

Maximum engine power:10.5 hp at 8000 rpm HP
Working volume:125 cm3
Motor type (cylinder arrangement, number of strokes):1-cylinder, 4-stroke, vertical
Number of cylinders:1
Number of valves:
Intake type (Injector / Carburetor):
Bore and stroke:
Starting system (Electric starter, kick starter):
Maximum speed in km/h:100 km/h
Cooling system:Air cooling
Transmission (gearbox):Mechanical, 5-speed
Clutch (Dry / Wet):
Drive unit:Chain
Frame:Steel
Chassis
Suspension (front/rear travel):
Brakes (Front/Rear):
Wheels / Tires / Rubber:
Dimensions and weight
Dimensions (Length / Width):
Seat height:
Ground clearance:
Curb weight:
Weight:100 kg
Fuel tank capacity:12 l.
Battery capacity:
Year of release:
Country of Origin:

Technical characteristics Minsk s4 125

The technical characteristics of a lightweight universal model for the city and the highway should be considered in more detail:

Dimensions (length; width; height)210; 80; 120 cm
Weight (dry)123 kg
Speed90 km/h maximum
Fuel tank volume11 l.
Engine4-stroke 1-cylinder air-cooled
Fuel consumption3.5 l/100 km
Engine capacity125 cc cm
StartElectric starter
Engine power10.8 l. With. at 8500 rpm
Brakes (front; rear)Disc hydraulic; drum
Suspensions (front; rear)Telescopic fork; pendulum with 2 shock absorbers

The small dimensions of the model and its weight will significantly facilitate the process of acquiring driving skills. Drum brakes improve vehicle controllability, providing greater safety for the driver and other road users. The suspension, characterized by good responsiveness, allows you to move comfortably even on forest paths and country roads.

The electric start button is located directly behind the handbrake lever, which causes great inconvenience both when starting the engine and when adding gas. This is perhaps one of the most obvious disadvantages of technology. Comfortable seating and space for attaching luggage are not satisfactory. However, the small windshield and small mirrors cause dissatisfaction among some owners of this motorcycle.

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