Motorcycle IZH Planet 4 - review and characteristics

In today's article we will talk about the Izh Planet 4 motorcycle, one of the best representatives of its class, developed in the Soviet Union. It is precisely this model with one cylinder that will go down in the memory of all lovers and connoisseurs of domestic technology.

IZH Planet 4 is appreciated among amateurs as well as professionals primarily due to its exceptional reliability and ease of maintenance. In this regard, this transport vehicle is fundamentally different from its two-cylinder Jupiter counterparts, manufactured in Udmurtia. Specialists in the maintenance and repair of motorcycle equipment are confident that this steel horse turned out to be one of the best of all models produced.

Description of the motorcycle Planet 4

Izh Planet 4 is a motorcycle from the middle weight category, it feels equally good both on asphalt surfaces and on field roads. The production of this motorcycle model began back in 1983 and continued until 1987. It was produced in two versions, with a side trailer (with a cradle) and without it. Production has been discontinued due to the transition to another model, Izh Planet 5.

Unlike previous 3 Series models, Izh Planet 4 has a much more reliable ignition and a completely new generator. The move from 6-volt to 12-volt equipment certainly added a few positives. And the more advanced instrument panel adds brightness and personality compared to other older series motorcycles.

Along with the new instrument panel, the Planet 4 motorcycle received qualitatively new shock absorbers, both forward and backward. Moreover, the shock absorbers of the rear wheels were radically different in the first used feature for adjusting the stiffness of the springs. A new and very successful fuel tank for its time made this model range even more individual, and complemented the picture of the Izhevsk model with a convenient tool box.

Motorcycle "Ural"

The motorcycle began to be produced at the Irbit plant; they belong to Russian heavy transport. The Ural motorcycle sidecar can have front-wheel drive, making the motorcycle suitable for riding both on and off-road. Ural motorcycles have not stopped production; they are still being modernized and new models are being produced. The appearance and technical characteristics are similar to the developments of pre-war Germany. This vehicle is a global brand - only 3 percent of the Ural motorcycle production is sold to Russia and the CIS, and 97 percent is sold to the USA, Australia, Canada and EU countries. It’s not for nothing that this vehicle is used in the defense of Iraq - they use the stroller to mount a machine gun.

The new Ural sidecar motorcycles have a modernized power unit, steering and braking system, improved design and finishing quality, and electronic fuel injection. In addition, a new camshaft, two-piston Brembo brake with floating disc and air filter are installed, resulting in a significant increase in torque. In total, more than 200 motorcycle parts were modernized.

Now, if we compare a passenger car: a motorcycle is 5 kg less, the cruising speed is increased and becomes 110 km per hour, and at the same time it consumes fuel economically. Motorcycles have regained their former trust in us.

One of the most sensational stories about the Ural Tourist motorcycle with a cradle is the acquisition of the unit by Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. Here's the proof:

Special differences and innovations

This motorcycle very well combines excellent data (for two, as well as three-wheeled) bikes. The Izh Planet 4 motorcycle is very durable and quite easy to maintain and operate. This is the first bike created in the USSR, which gave impetus to the production and sale of fairly high-quality motorcycles. A very interesting mechanism was installed on the Planet 4 motorcycle, which is responsible for starting the engine when the battery is dead. In order to start the engine, it was enough to press the lower button of the combination switch. It’s a pity that the idea was not brought to fruition, because the end result should have been starting the engine without a battery.

Quite successful technical solutions used on the Planet 4 motorcycle improved the prevailing opinion among people about the low performance characteristics of Udmurt motorcycles. The motorcycle received a new gas tank for its time. Manufacturers have installed more modern guards on the wheels, as well as safety arches, which are distinguished by their unusual design and originality. All this, coupled with many chrome parts, gave the Izh Planet 4 a rather unusual and elegant look, compared to its predecessors.

4 planet is similar in many respects to another two-cylinder Izhevsk motorcycle produced at the same time, Izh Jupiter 4. Both wheels, instrument panel, shock absorber system, both rear and front, brakes and muffler were absolutely identical. This was done for ease of repair and production of spare parts. In principle, the main difference between the two models was the difference in engines. And more than 70% of spare parts were unified to each other. For every lover of bikes with the maximum number of spare parts available, this model will come in handy.

MOTORCYCLES OF OUR YOUTH reviews

I was getting ready to change my car in the spring, went to Avito to see what it was worth, and came across a Ural motorcycle with a sidecar. It looks like nothing at all. Sold in a nearby area. And something caught my attention. I had an old Ural in Kuban, and I was very pleased with it. Well, it's just a workhorse. Reliable, powerful, heavy, but how does it work? This is not work, this is a song!

Motorcycle "Ural"

He, one might say, was both a breadwinner and a drinker. It was Soviet, “Gorbachev” times; the stores already had only empty shelves, so we lived only off our farm and garden. The collective farms were still warm, but they were already falling apart. People are completely apathetic. But the cattle need to be fed, it’s still too early for them, whether Gorbachev or Brezhnev, they ask for food.

So, in the evening you start your Ural and go to the field. Everything around is collective farm, everything around is mine. You load a carriage full of beets or corn, and there are three sacks on top, but he doesn’t even feel it, he walks rooted to the spot, he just sways. Amazing technology. Never let me down. Previously, our local police officer sometimes came to the fields and drove around, but as things began to collapse everywhere, he never showed up again.

So, I saw this “Ural” in an ad and decided to look at it. The price seemed reasonable, it suited me. I called the owner, made an agreement and went.

I liked the motorcycle even in the photographs, but when I saw it in reality, the decision was final: I’ll take it! And although it was produced in 1985, it looked like new. I immediately felt that I was in good hands. Everything is original, the paint is clean, there is no rust, the speedometer only shows 19 thousand.

I ask my grandfather, why are you selling so cheaply, now simple mopeds are more expensive? He says, what do I need, I live alone. Why will he stand? I settled with my grandfather, the weather clears up, and I’ll transport the motorcycle home. In the summer I will use it to go fishing and pick mushrooms.

I generally like motorcycles. A car is a car, but on a motorcycle there is a completely different feeling of riding, you feel nature and everything around with all the cells of your body. Especially when you travel outside the city. These smells of fields, grass, driving along different gullies and paths, with the wind in your face - it’s a pleasure.

I regret that the fashion for motorcycles has passed. But in the 70-80s there were motorcycles in almost every yard. All the young people were on motorcycles. Who has what: “Java”, “Chezet”, “Izh”, “Voskhod”, “Pannonia”, “Minsk”. Young people somehow didn’t really like heavy motorcycles. They had a stroller, and we had to “drive.”

In the summer, our whole life was on motorcycles. They were used to drive them to the river, to dances, to the village with the girls, and on hikes. Not to mention fishing and hunting. Romance! It was also good to meet girls on a motorcycle. You used to roll up to them dashingly, offer them a ride - and that’s it. There was already a conversation about nothing. This is how I met my future wife. True, he later got divorced.

Motorcycle "Minsk-3"

The first motorcycle, “Minsk-3” or “goat”, as we called it, was given to me by my mother after graduating from school. She took out a loan, which at that time cost a lot - 310 rubles, and her salary as a teacher was 76 rubles. They lived “richly”. But I was simply delighted with the motorcycle.

Red, small, beautiful, lightweight, very easy to use. It always started with half a turn. You won’t be able to reach high speeds on it, but up to 70 km. you can speed up. The only negative is the 6-volt battery. It was enough for literally one season. And it was simply impossible to buy a new one in the store. They got it “through connections” through third parties. And yet, I was very pleased. There were still three months left before the army, and I did not get off the motorcycle. And he never let me down. It was the happiest time.

Motorcycle "Java"

Although the dream of all the guys was the Czechoslovak “Java”. Well, she was actually a beauty. Bright red, everything is done neatly, clean, lean, the engine runs quietly, a very fast car. It was useless to compete with her even at Izha. But it was impossible to get it. And the price, more than a thousand rubles, was beyond the means of most. That's why there were only a few of them in the city.

Motorcycle "Pannonia"

But in all the “Cult Goods” there were Hungarian “Pannonias” with a sidecar. They gave loans freely. Take it, I don't want it. But no one particularly took them. Why dont know. Reviews about them were not very good. Although, my friend’s father had such a motorcycle, and he praised it very much.

Well, when I returned from the army, I took out an Izh Jupiter-3 with a stroller on credit. This new model had just come out, it was simply impossible to get it, like everything else at that time. Again, through friends at the base, I received this “miracle” for a nice gift. A very beautiful motorcycle. The color was gray and white. It looked very elegant.

Motorcycle "IZH Jupiter-3"

But I suffered with him later, mom, don’t worry. Firstly, the two-cylinder engine got very hot, secondly, it was impossible to drive it at night, since the generator was very weak and one cylinder was constantly switched off, and thirdly, more than 70 km. it was impossible to disperse it. In addition, the generator’s armature was constantly “breaking through,” probably due to an incorrectly calculated load.

At the same time, a friend bought a new model Java. And although I liked the old model better, this one was also very good. Besides, it didn't break. A friend rides, and I constantly repair my Jupiter. I drank my fill. I went to different specialists, all to no avail. They say it's a design flaw. So I sold it.

Motorcycle "IZH-49"

But, of all the Soviet motorcycles, I liked the IZH -49 the most. My brother-in-law had one, and when he came to us, I couldn’t ride it. The engine is not revving, but the traction is very strong, like a tractor. Squat, soft and manageable motorcycle. I especially liked its comfortable spring seat. Today, such retro motorcycles are not cheap. Yes, there are not many of them left.

Now the market is crowded with Chinese, Korean, Japanese motorcycles, but there are still few of them on the roads and in the city. Apparently, the era of motorcyclists is over. Although, there are fans.