Motorcycle PMZ-A-750: history of creation, design, characteristics


The first steps of the USSR motorcycle industry

At the very end of 1924, at the former (in those years it was called plant No. 1 OSOAviaKhim) in Samara, a sample motorcycle was manufactured and assembled.

The motorcycle and engine were an original design. But at the same time they contained a lot of solutions borrowed from various foreign motorcycle manufacturers. The four-stroke engine developed about 10 horsepower and had one cylinder. The gas distribution mechanism had a bottom-mounted exhaust valve driven by the camshaft. The exhaust valve stood in a non-removable cylinder head and worked from the vacuum in the cylinder that occurs during the downward stroke of the piston.

The motorcycle took part in a successful test run, but it did not reach mass production.

Kawasaki Z750 review – technical characteristics of a powerful naked bike

In 2003, at the Milan motorcycle show, Kawasaki presented one of its new developments - the Kawasaki Z750 naked bike. According to production plans, it should gradually replace the aging version of the ZR-7 , and also play the role of a budget option for the flagship Z1000 .

Assembly and release features

Externally, the Kawasaki Z750 model is difficult to distinguish from its older brother - the differences are visible only in the exhaust system and rims.

Assembly begins in the same year, and the very next year ( 2004 ) the motorcycle can be seen at authorized points of sale. Most of it is exported to Europe/America .

It also appeared in Japan, but did not arouse any interest.

The motorcycle has survived one generation change ; two modifications were created on its basis. The release lasted 9 years. In 2013, production was closed, and the model itself was gradually replaced by the Z800, introduced a year earlier. It is curious that the new product does not get a place on the conveyor. Her drawings are used for production facilities in Thailand.

Specifications

The motorcycle engine is structurally almost identical to the liter source from the ZR-7 model.

While developing the engine, the Japanese encountered a problem .

Although the motorcycle was a logical continuation of the ZR-7, it was impossible to use a slightly larger analogue of its engine, new environmental standards prevented it. Drawing from scratch is expensive.

Then production started out of the blue. They took the motor from the flagship and rebuilt it. The result was a smaller flagship that produced:

  • working volume - 748 cm 3;
  • number of cylinders - 4, in-line arrangement;
  • number of cycles - 4;
  • number of valves - 16, 4 per cylinder;
  • power - 109 (106) hp;
  • torque - 75 (78) Nm;
  • cooling - liquid;
  • fuel supply - injector (injector + KDTV);
  • ignition - digital;
  • start - electric starter;
  • tank volume - 19 (18.5) l.

The indicators of the second generation of the motorcycle, which entered the production line in 2007, are given in brackets.

Transmission and clutch

A classic chain drive and six-speed gearbox are more than enough for a naked bike of this level.

The motorcycle was equipped with a 6-speed gearbox.

Users noted that it did not work very clearly, this did not affect controllability, but the box required getting used to.

True, after several trips, further operation did not cause any problems. A significant part in this was played by the fact that the box itself is quite elastic, and the gear ratios are spaced far apart - there is no need to click often.

  • The clutch is standard, multi-disc , in an oil bath. Power transmission is a cable .
  • The main drive is chain .

Brakes

Before the generation change in 2007, the brakes had no special features. Hydraulic discs. In 2007, conventional discs were replaced by petal discs of our own design.

The first IZH motorcycles

Another center for the development of motorcycle production was the Izhevsk Mechanical Plant. It was in Izhevsk that a design bureau was formed under the leadership of Pyotr Vladimirovich Mozharov, thanks to whose many works the motorcycle industry arose in the USSR.

The main products of the Izhevsk plant in those years were small arms - Maxim machine guns and Mosin rifles. The high-precision equipment and high production standards available at the plant were well suited for the manufacture of motorcycle parts. Mozharov Design Bureau has created several types of motorcycles. Some of them had purchased engines (from the German company Wanderer), and several were equipped with engines of their own design.

The high workload of the plant with army orders did not allow mass production of any of these vehicles. A few years later, in Izhevsk they began to assemble the IZH-7 motorcycle, which was a copy of the motorcycle of the German company DKV. Work on adapting the motorcycle design to production conditions in the USSR was carried out by the same P.V. Mozharov.

Technology - youth 2006-01, page 17

In the summer, motorcycles were tested and adjusted. Along with the fulfillment of the NATI order, IMZ prepared drawings of the L-300 for mass production, taking into account the available equipment and supplied materials (metal, rubber products, electrical equipment, lighting equipment, etc.). Continuing the numbering of manufactured motorcycles once established by Mozharov, the modified L-300 was called IZH-7. By May 1, the first sample was made.

Soon the NATI management demanded that new motorcycles be delivered to Moscow under their own power. We sent four NATI-A-750, IZH-7, and for comparison with them in motion - foreign cars BMW R16 and Harley-Davidson. This ride was called the "Preliminary Test Run". Due to rain and road mud, the usual route was changed. We reached Sarapul along the highway (60 km), from there by boat to Gorky, then along the highway to Moscow (410 km).

The motorcade from Izhevsk was met at Vladimirka (Enthuziastov Highway) at the 2 km milestone (modern Ilyich Square). The new motorcycles were transferred to NATI for comprehensive testing, and one of them - NATI-A-750 with serial number 2 - to the Polytechnic Museum. Testers highly appreciated both the A-750 and IZH-7. Soon they decided on mass production: IZH-7 - at IMZ, and NATI-A-750 - in the Moscow region, at the Podolsk Mechanical Plant (PMZ), which at that time produced household sewing machines Singer machines. Pyotr Vladimirovich had to work hard before the

PMZ MOTORCYCLES

The NATI leadership for the second time demanded that 10 NATI-A-750 motorcycles be manufactured at PMZ by May 1, 1934. First of all, Mozharov had to prepare a site for the production of motorcycles. He had to conduct difficult negotiations with the management of the plant, who were not happy with the prospect of producing motorcycles. He personally took care of financing the work, sat in waiting rooms, wrote letters to People's Commissar Sergo Ordzhonikidze. With great difficulty and not as quickly as required, Pyotr Vladimirovich equipped the new site with equipment. Taking into account the acquired equipment, he adjusted the design documentation. Trained workers and specialists for the upcoming work. Stamping and pressing work was not easy. But the metalworking and painting went well.

At the end of 1933, preparations began for the XVII Congress of the CPSU(b). P.V. Mozharov was obliged to make an industrial prototype of the Podolsk motorcycle for display in the Kremlin at the exhibition dedicated to the opening of the congress. For 17 years, Pyotr Vladimirovich did not take vacations, and by the beginning of 1934 he had grown very thin.

Tal. Nevertheless, in the first ten days of February he managed to complete the production of an industrial design. Since the drawings had to be significantly modified, the motorcycle was given a new name PMZ-A-750, and the new product - also NATI-A-750 - was sent to the Kremlin. This is how the leadership of the Supreme Economic Council and members of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks saw the last creation of Pyotr Vladimirovich.

They decided to adequately celebrate the great success of the outstanding designer. For the first time during the years of Soviet power, he was given leave and a trip to the sanatorium of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks in Sochi. There, on March 11, under mysterious circumstances, Pyotr Vladimirovich died. What remained after him was materialized in motorcycles and spiritualized in plans.

MOZHAROV'S LEGACY

He did a lot to prepare the serial production of motorcycles in Izhevsk and Podolsk. At PMZ, by May 1, 1934, three motorcycles were produced, and a couple of months later - six more. On July 25 they were shown to Ordzhonikidze. The delighted People's Commissar was informed that next year the plant plans to produce another 500 copies. To this he objected: “...at least 1,500 of these machines need to be made next year.” In 1935, PMZ produced 1000, and the plant named after. Frunze - 2700. Unfortunately, without Mozharov it was not possible to ensure high quality products. Because of this, production of the A-750 was reduced, and in 1938 it was completely stopped. By that time, in Podolsk they had mastered the production of the lightweight PMZ-125 motorcycle, which had a closed frame similar to that used by Pyotr Vladimirovich in his first Izhevsk motorcycles. A similar frame had been around since the mid-30s. used by the German in the KS-400, 500 and 750 models.

Since 1934, IMZ produced the IZH-7 motorcycle, and from 1938 to September 1939, its modification IZH-8, which was almost no different from the prototype

At the end of 1940, the Moscow Motorcycle Plant began developing the heavy M-72 motorcycle (see “TM” N95, 2005), copied from the German BMW R71. Both of these cars were equipped with a motorized sidecar designed with the participation of P.V. Mozharov in 1930, during his business trip to Germany. The Germans built it during 1931 - 1945, and equipped all their heavy motorcycles with it. In the USSR, this side trailer was used, somewhat modernized, from 1941 to 1991. It was equipped with the M-72, received under Lend-Lease by Harley-Davidson and Indian, as well as all Irbit and Kiev heavy motorcycles. In our country alone, about eight million “Mozharov” strollers were made.

For the 100th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding designer of domestic motorcycles, a commemorative medal was cast in Izhevsk; in 1989, one of the old streets of the city was named after him.

Prerequisites for the creation of PMZ-A-750

Mastering the production of IZH-7 and L-300 motorcycles identical in design (produced in Leningrad) made it possible to begin supplying them to the army. But these machines were light, and the army needed heavy motorcycles that could be used with a side trailer.

The starting models for creating a heavy motorcycle were American cars (Harley & Davidson). Motorcycles of this brand were supplied to the USSR in fairly large volumes and performed well.

Production

The developers were looking forward to the launch of mass production, but the workshops in Izhevsk were not yet sufficiently equipped to cope with such a complex product. In 1935, the People's Commissariat transferred technical documentation to the operating Podolsk Mechanical Plant, which was a Russian branch. The sewing machine plant employed 11,000 people and had good conditions for responsible production.

The first production motorcycle PMZ-750 rolled off the assembly line in 1935, right on the significant date - May 1st. When the People's Commissar of Heavy Industry Ordzhonikidze visited the production facility on July 25, the factory workers had already shown him nine units of motor vehicles.

Development of NATI-A-750

The decision to create a motorcycle was made by a decree of the National Economy Council in the fall of 1931. In accordance with the decree, work began on designing a motorcycle with a two-cylinder engine and a displacement of 750 cc.

The work took about a year and was carried out at NATI in a separate Design Bureau of Motorcycle Engineering under the leadership of P.V. Mozharov. In addition to Mozharov, many talented designers worked in the bureau, such as I. Okunev and B. Fitterman, who would later become leading designers of automotive equipment in the USSR. The new model received the NATI-A-750 index, where the letter “A” indicated the ability to operate the vehicle with a side trailer (only on paved roads), and the numbers denoted the rounded working volume of the cylinders.

The production and assembly of the first samples of NATI-A-750 motorcycles was carried out at the end of 1932 in Izhevsk. Trial tests of the engines showed their performance and gave power readings from 16 to 18 forces, which corresponded to the original task and calculations. In the spring of next year, the motorcycles successfully passed the test run from Izhevsk to Moscow.

However, a new decree was soon issued - on the development of production of IZH-7 in Izhevsk and on the transfer of production of NATI-A-750 to Podolsk

Story

The Supreme Council of the National Economy decided to produce two-wheeled vehicles for the Red Army. In 1931, work began on creating a heavy two-cylinder, 750 cc monster. It was developed at the Scientific Research Automobile and Automotive Engine Institute, in connection with this its first name was NATI-A-750, and the number 750 was a rounding of the engine displacement.

After the release of the first four 1.05 vehicles in 1933, it was tested along the route from Izhevsk to Moscow. This made it possible to launch heavy motorcycles into mass production at the Podolsk Mechanical Plant.

The PMZ-A-750 motorcycle was produced from 1934 to 1939.

There were interruptions in the performance of the engine ignition timing regulator; at a speed of 45 kilometers per hour, increasing vibrations of the front wheel began. The PMZ motorcycle became practically uncontrollable and there was a high probability of the motorcycle overturning and injury. Since 1939, production of the PMZ 750 was stopped and, starting in 1941, production of the M-72 began. In which the entire BMW R 71 was taken as a sample.

Appearance of the designation PMZ-A-750

For the production of motorcycles, the Podolsk Mechanical Plant (PMZ) was allocated space, which for many years produced sewing machines, simultaneously fulfilling various military orders. P.V. Mozharov was again appointed to organize production at the new location.

The development of production proceeded with great difficulty, since the plant did not have the necessary equipment, technology and qualified employees. As a result, P.V. Mozharov never saw the mass production of his brainchild - in the spring of 1934 he committed suicide.

In the summer of 1934, PMZ-A-750 motorcycles were shown to People's Commissar S. Ordzhonikidze, who approved the design and demanded the speedy establishment of large-scale production. It was established the following year and lasted four years. During this time, more than 4,630 motorcycles were assembled.

The PMZ-A-750 motorcycle was supplied to the army, various government agencies (police, NKVD) and sold into private hands. The maximum speed of the motorcycle reached 90 km/h with an average consumption of about 6 liters of low-octane A56 gasoline per 100 km. The motorcycle had a solid, but unfinished design. The engine ignition system caused especially a lot of criticism; it was not without reason that one of the comic decodings of the PMZ was the phrase “Try to Start Me.” Another defect was the phenomenon of front fork resonance at speeds of about 40 km/h. After the death of P.V. Mozharov, there was practically no modification of the design. In addition, work began in the USSR to create more advanced machines, which led to the creation of the famous M-72.

These facts led to the cessation of production of the motorcycle in 1939. The Podolsk plant never returned to assembling motorcycles.

Description

PMZ-A-750 is the very first heavy-weight motorcycle of Soviet production. The motorcycle was produced from 1934 to 1939, in a small quantity of only 4636 units. It was actively used for military service and for civilian purposes.

Nowadays, the PMZ-A-750 motorcycle is considered a unique item for personal collections and museums of the Great Patriotic War. The number of units produced makes it a rarity; it can only be found in biker collections, since only a couple of dozen of these heavy units have survived.

PMZ was named after the place of production - Podolsk Mechanical Plant. The numerical designation 750 indicates the engine size, the letter “A” marks a motor vehicle with the ability to attach a sidecar. The design of the apparatus was carried out by P.V. Mozharov (founder of the IZH model line of motorcycles).

PMZ was named after the place of production - Podolsk Mechanical Plant. The numerical designation 750 indicates the engine size, the letter “A” marks a motor vehicle with the ability to attach a sidecar.

A BMW bike was used as a model for the chassis. The frame has two identical rings with a jumper between them. Made from a stamped profile, with a fuel tank embedded inside, which was considered a curiosity at that time. It functioned in conjunction with the front spring fork. The engine was based on the 750 cc Harley-Davidson.

Design of PMZ-A-750

Structurally, the motorcycle was a mixture of solutions from German and American motorcycle schools. The frame and chassis were created with an eye on German BMW motorcycles. The duplex frame was assembled from two trusses from separate stamped elements.

The gas tank for the PMZ-A-750 with a capacity of about 21 liters was located between the trusses of the front part of the frame. The front fork made of stamped profiles was equipped with an 8-leaf spring, which partly softened shocks from road unevenness. The rear wheel had no suspension and was rigidly attached to the frame.

The four-stroke engine was an almost complete copy of Harley-Davidson products. The motor of the PMZ-A-750 motorcycle had two cylinders arranged in a V-shape. The power of serial engines did not exceed 15 horsepower. Start the engine with a foot pedal. The gas distribution system was driven by gears.

A three-speed gearbox was located in the same crankcase with the engine. Torque from the engine to the gearbox was transmitted through a multi-plate clutch. The engine was equipped with a circulating lubrication system with a “dry sump” (powered from a separate oil tank with a capacity of 2.25 liters) and a 6-volt battery ignition system. The ignition system included a generator, coil and distributor. Rear wheel drive is chain.

Both wheels of the motorcycle had drum brakes, driven by a pedal (rear drum) and a lever on the handlebar (front drum).

The motorcycle could work with a sidecar. The stroller had a welded frame and was attached to the motorcycle frame using three ball joints. The body of the stroller with one passenger seat made of steel sheet was suspended from the frame on two leaf springs.

Content

By decree of the Supreme Economic Council of October 5, 1931, a decision was made to produce motorcycles for the Red Army in the USSR. At the end of the same year, a group led by Pyotr Vladimirovich Mozharov (creator of one of the earliest IZH models) began constructing a heavy two-cylinder motorcycle with an engine capacity of 750 cc.

The development was carried out at NATI, so the first name of the motorcycle became NATI-A-750. The letter “A” meant that this version could be equipped with a sidecar for use on highways and good dirt roads. Without a stroller, there were no restrictions on the quality of roads. The number “750” corresponded to the rounded value of the engine displacement

In the early 30s, the Scientific Automotive and Tractor Institute (NATI) (therefore, the first name of the motorcycle became NATI-A-750. The letter “A” meant that this version could be equipped with a sidecar for use on highways and good dirt roads. Without a sidecar, there are quality restrictions There were no roads. The number “750” corresponded to the rounded value of the engine displacement)

it was proposed to develop a heavy motorcycle with a power of 750 cm3, adapted to the road conditions of the USSR and suitable for use with a sidecar. To develop the project, designer Pyotr Vladimirovich Mozharov, creator of the first IZH motorcycles, was invited to Moscow. The working group reviewed existing design solutions from the American company Harley-Davidson and the German BMW, drawing a number of ideas. Young designers Alexander Fedorov, Igor Okunev, Sergei Semashko, Boris Fitterman and others provided invaluable assistance in the creation of the PMZ-A-750. Later, Fedorov worked as the chief engineer of the plant in Irbit. Okunev became the chief designer of the Moscow Engine Plant, and then the AZLK Automobile Plant. Fitterman participated in the development of ZIS cars.

A BMW motorcycle was used as a prototype for the chassis design. A duplex frame made of stamped profiles, with a 21-liter gas tank embedded inside, which was quite innovative, worked with a front leaf spring fork.

The engine base is a V-shaped lower valve 750 cc model from the American company Harley-Davidson. With a closed circulation lubrication system, oil was supplied by a gear oil pump directly from the engine crankcase. The gas distribution mechanism consisted of gears and valve drive cams.

The gearbox was located on top of the engine and had a manual shift lever on the left side of the motorcycle. Number of gears - 3. Gearbox ratios: 3.03/1.75/1.00. Torque was transmitted to the rear wheel using a chain.

The motorcycle turned out to be truly advanced in terms of the ideas incorporated into it. This is the only pre-war Soviet motorcycle that had an ignition switch and an instrument panel. Its ignition system contained a battery and a DC generator.

The first batch of 4 motorcycles was assembled by May 1, 1933 in Izhevsk at the Avtodor Experimental Motorcycle Plant. After a test run Izhevsk - Sarapul - Gorky - Moscow and tests at an army training ground, a decision was made to organize serial production. For this purpose, all the necessary documentation was transferred to the Podolsk Mechanical Plant (PMZ), where in March 1934 they began production of a batch of 10 motorcycles with the final name PMZ-A-750. In July of the same year, the motorcycles were demonstrated to People's Commissar S. Ordzhonikidze, who visited the plant. After which, the task was set to produce them in quantities of at least 1,500 pieces per year.

Actual operation showed the low reliability of the PMZ-A-750. One of the reasons was the capriciousness of the ignition timing regulator. Therefore, “PMZ” sometimes stood for “Try to Turn Me On.” In addition, at a speed of 40-50 km/h, progressive vibrations of the front wheel could occur with such force that the steering wheel was torn out of the hands and the motorcycle turned over. The engine was poorly balanced and vibrated, and gears were difficult to shift.

In 1939, the motorcycle was removed from service with the Red Army and from production. At PMZ, the production of motorcycles was no longer resumed, and the country’s forces were focused on a complete analogue of the German BMW R 71, produced in the USSR under the M-72 brand.

Motorcyclists gave the PMZ-750 a mixed review. Some praised the frame design and easy access to components, while others considered the device not very well thought out. In many respects, the maintenance of the motorcycle was different from other models, which introduced certain inconveniences. The manual gearbox was located at the top of the engine, and shifting was carried out by a special lever located on the left side of the motorcycle. There were two types of clutch: either a double-lever with a pedal on the left side, or a lever on the steering wheel on the left side. During hot periods, frequent oil changes were required in the lubrication system - every 1000 km. Setting up the bike was difficult and time-consuming. The Schebler brand carburetor often created problems when starting the engine. Precise coordination of the optimal positions of the air damper, ignition (on the left side of the steering wheel) and opening of the throttle valve (on the right side of the steering wheel) was required. Motorcyclists jokingly deciphered the abbreviation PMZ as “try to get me started.” Meanwhile, the design was innovative, many interesting ideas were used in subsequent models. In total, more than 4,600 units were collected.

Heavy motorcycles PMZ-A-750, supplied for civilian needs, were relatively expensive. Their price in 1938 was 7,760 rubles. For comparison, the price of the mass-produced light L-300 was 3,360 rubles, and the IZH-7 cost 3,300 rubles.

PMZ-A-750 motorcycles were used for sports competitions. The engines were boosted to 25 hp. With. at 4500 rpm, which made it possible to reach 145 km/h. In the USSR they were performed by: Y. Gringaut, I. Krivosheev, A. Kulakov, A. Meshalova, L. Sviridova.

Manufacturer: Podolsk Machine-Building Plant (PMZ)

Firstborns

Work on the future PMZ-A-750 progressed very quickly. By the spring of 1932, the drawings had already been prepared and sent to Izhevsk. In May 1933, 4 prototypes of motor vehicles were assembled, called NATI-A-750. On August 20 of the same year they were taken to Moscow.

Compared to production models, the prototype motorcycles had a simplified frame design and rear seats. On the left side of the front fork there was a sound signal, which was later transferred to the steering wheel. The gear shift lever and clutch pedal are located on the left side, as in American motorcycles of the period. The driver's seat is also made in the American style: the saddle is deep and high for the rear passenger. The footrests are placed far forward, the front and rear wheels are equipped with a retractable stand.

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