Moped "Alpha" (72 cubic meters): technical characteristics

The Alpha moped (72 cc) is the most common means of transportation among light motorcycle enthusiasts. This is due to the price of this equipment, its functionality and maintainability. Cross-country ability, speed and the small amount of fuel that is necessary to drive this vehicle put the Alpha moped (72 cubic meters) in popularity on a par with the most famous Japanese brands. This is no coincidence, because the engine that powers these light motorcycles is an exact copy of the Japanese “Cube” from, which is comparable in reliability to the AK-47. Single-cylinder engine 139 FMB with a volume of 72 cc. cm operates in all weather conditions and does not require frequent repairs or replacement of spare parts. Technical data allow the use of this vehicle in the most extreme conditions, including driving in the cold, on sand and on any off-road. This is the best light motorcycle for Russia. In rural areas, you can most often find the Alpha 72 cc moped. The photo of this model is easily recognizable. Simple and concise design, low price, good speed, maneuverability, maintainability, efficiency and a number of other advantages - this is what underlies the reputation of this type of transport.

Unique maneuverability

The record holder for cross-country ability among light motorcycles is the Alpha moped (72 cubic meters). The characteristics of its engine, dimensions and weight are very significant advantages. The Alpha's ability to overcome any off-road conditions is due to its light weight - 81 kg. To ensure confident movement through sand and mud, such lightweight equipment does not require a powerful and heavy motor. If there is a need to overcome a section of deep and sticky mud, a steep climb through sand, or ford a shallow stream or river, then you can always get off the moped and help it cope with a difficult section of the road, pushing it forward like a bicycle.

Due to the fact that the Alfa's wheels are thin, they can get stuck in wet sand under the weight of the rider. But without the latter, this moped can be dragged along any off-road terrain, helping it by running the engine in first gear at low speeds. In urban environments, if necessary to cross steps or high curbs, the Alpha can be raised in the same way as a regular bicycle. That's why this lightweight motorcycle can reach the most remote corners of the forest, on the banks of the river, where you can only get there by bicycle. Many lovers of hunting, fishing and mushroom picking prefer this particular moped due to its light weight. For heavier and more powerful vehicles, driving along a path that is blocked by a fallen tree in the forest will be an impossible task, but for the Alpha there is no problem.

A post about my thoughts on the now iconic Alpha moped. It should be taken as a joke, but although... Hello dear Bikepostushka. Once again, looking through YouTube in search of interesting information, I couldn’t help but notice that most of the videos on youth motorcycle topics begin with Alpha and over 9000 reviews of it and end with stories about 120, or even 130 km/h flying on it.

Naturally, the video of blogger (with your permission) Misha Taburetkin about his Alpha aroused great interest among the people. No, of course, there were a lot of reviews before it, but THIS... It was just an explosion of emotions and a ton of laughter, but then it became not funny after the person began to understand the slightest bit about technology. But that’s not about that now.

Why Alpha?? Price-quality ratio. And this is the main plus, and the rest is a matter of technology, hands and over 100,000,000 tunings.

On the one hand, a little tuning won’t hurt even a new motorcycle, and even more so a scooter and moped, but people’s fantasies don’t stop.

What they do: Lift the ass, front, back

Whistles, fakes, horns, LED strips in more quantities than needed.

The most important advantage is speed. The maximum speed of this moped for normal people is 80 km/h - 125 cubic meters (somewhere around 110 cubic meters, depending on the imagination of Chinese friends). But for normal guys, at least on 50 cubes he gets 80, but on 125 (110) all 120 at least.

Although with such tuning it can fly.

In this regard, there are many examples of Alpha racing with motorcycles of the same cubic capacity, where Alpha invariably wins, or if it loses, then either the turbine is clogged, or the gas has run out, etc. and so on.

How many people wrote to such comrades that this cannot be, that Yubrik does not throw so much, everything is like a boat.

You have a 125 (110) cc moped, but you don’t have a license (the kind of license a schoolboy on an Alpha would steal from any motorbike) - instead of a speedometer marked 120 km/h, put a speedometer at 60 km/hour for miles and there are no problems. But now, in accordance with the new law, there is.

Even no less surprising are the stories about how the boys tear Urals, Izhi and all (domestic) cars from their place. Although I saw a turbine for a scooter today, so maybe they put a turbine in there and the whole thing is called “Alpha street turbo edition”. Although the stickers inspire.

Music is a separate article. A lot, a lot and useless. The driver of this miracle of tuning does not see or hear anything that contributes to the violation of all traffic rules and the creation of an emergency situation and more than one.

The pilots themselves. You can’t really call it crunchy, because it doesn’t go 120 km/h (well, the Alpha street turbo edition can), but maybe even a brain. Pilots without a helmet, without equipment, in shorts and sandals, but with a young girl dressed in the same way or, more often, with a guy in the passenger seat. And this is where the maximum speed of this device lies - minimum clothing for maximum speed, and the speedometer is incredibly lying to intimidate girls.

But in fact. Alfa is basically an excellent moped for the money. If you take good care of it, keep it in order, and run it in properly, then it will serve you well and for a long time. And perhaps he will go 120 km/h - dragging behind a foreign car.

Thank you for your attention. Love your motorcycles, mopeds, scooters, cars.

Good speed

The speed limit for this moped is 70 km/h, which is quite enough for highway driving. The Alpha's weight is small, and controllability at higher speeds is noticeably lost. Some fans of this technology are trying to modify the Alpha moped (72 cc), install a more powerful piston, a zero-resistance filter, sprockets with an increased gear ratio, modify the ignition system, setting it to advance, and achieve an increase in speed to 90 km/h. But for driving around the city in traffic jams, on country roads, on dirt and gravel, the speed capabilities of the Alfa are quite sufficient even without all these modifications; moreover, with an increase in power and speed capabilities, many important components and assemblies of the moped begin to wear out faster.

The design of the Alpha allows it to be equipped with more “solid” engine options, increasing its power to 8 hp. With. But Alphas with such engines more often require repairs, the service life of the most important elements of the chassis is noticeably shorter, and they also begin to experience dangerous vibration damage. A more powerful motor would require an increase in the mass of other structural elements. This would be a loss of many advantages, especially in cross-country ability and efficiency, which the Alpha moped (72 cubic meters) has. The speed characteristics of these mopeds are perfectly balanced with the lightness and strength of their structure and chassis.

Reviews

The owners of the device in question consider the excellent combination of price and quality indicators to be the main advantage. Along with the availability of spare parts and inexpensive service, consumers note the original informative dashboard, good traction, cross-country ability, easy control, as well as efficiency and quite a solid load capacity.

Among the negative aspects is the finishing material of low quality, subject to darkening over time. Owners also do not consider wheel tires to be one of the advantages of the scooter. Otherwise, users are satisfied with this unit, which can also be further tuned if desired.

Engine

The reliability and unpretentiousness of the Alpha’s 72 cc four-stroke engine is due to its ideal design developed by Japanese specialists. Even in a somewhat simplified version, with the use of cheaper materials and lower requirements for the quality of components, the 139 FMB engine operates surprisingly reliably, which indicates the balance of all its structural elements. The power of this motor is only 5 hp. s., and the maximum number of revolutions per minute is 7500. However, thanks to a well-thought-out transmission with four gears, the Alpha engine copes well with standard loads in all ranges of its gearbox capabilities.

Engine design

The design of the motor is very simple. There are two valves in the cylinder head - inlet and outlet. Their operation is ensured by a timing star located in the same place, the rotation of which occurs synchronously with the magneto through a chain drive. On the left side of the engine is a foot shift lever that operates a very simple system of gears mounted on two parallel shafts in the crankcase. The oil pump is driven by the timing chain and is located under the crankshaft. On the right side of the engine, inside the crankcase, there is a clutch unit, which is controlled by a lever using a clutch cable coming from the left handlebar.

Alpha moped engine (110 cc)

This modification has a four-stroke power unit with a volume of 110 cubic centimeters. The motor is cooled by air. Thanks to its design features, the power plant has a high dynamics rating.

(110 cc) using an electric starter that is powered by the engine. There is a backup option to switch the starting mode to kickstarter. The volume of the fuel tank is enough for 200 kilometers without refueling; AI-95 grade is used as fuel.

Prevention and repair of the Alpha engine at home

The engine of the Alpha moped (72 cc), like any vehicle, requires regular maintenance and repair. Regular oil changes are an important condition for prolonging its operation. The oil change process is very simple. The engine warms up, then turns off, and using a drain hole located under the crankcase, the hot waste oil is easily removed from the crankcase into a specially prepared container. Then new oil is poured in. Setting up the correct operation of the engine begins with adjusting the carburetor, with which you can enrich or lean the mixture. It is also necessary to regularly check the operation of the valves, setting the required clearances using a special 0.5 mm feeler gauge. Two or three times a season, it is necessary to check the tension of the timing chain, as well as the condition of its tensioning mechanism, rubber rollers and dampers. Any breakdown of the Alpha engine can be easily repaired. If traction is lost, it is necessary to remove the cylinder head and check the integrity of the valves. Burnout of valves is one of the possible breakdowns of this engine. To restore their functionality, you need to clean them and rub them in with paste again. This procedure is familiar to many owners of old Lada models. If the timing chain is broken, it is necessary to remove the generator rotor and replace all elements of the gas distribution mechanism, and when assembling the engine, you need to make sure by the marks that the generator rotor and the timing star are synchronized with the correct stroke of the cylinder.

The clutch must be disassembled and washed in gasoline once a season, since a viscous mixture of oil and metal powder accumulates inside it. With regular engine inspection, proper tuning and replacement of parts showing signs of wear, the 139 FMB will operate flawlessly. Repairing the Alpha moped (72 cc) does not require major capital investments and can be successfully carried out at home with minimal skills.

Engine Specifications

The moped is equipped with a 4-stroke air-cooled engine marked 1P39FMB. The marking means that the engine has a piston with a diameter of supposedly 39 mm and the engine has a volume of supposedly 49.9 cubic cm.

The advantage of such an engine is that there is no need to mix gasoline and oil. But unlike a 2-stroke engine, which is structurally simpler, here you need to monitor the valve clearance. Plus, the engine is equipped with an oil pump, a drive chain and a chain tensioner.

The gearbox on the Alpha RX moped is four-speed, like on the Voskhod motorcycle. But the neutral position is between first and second gears. The first gear is down and the rest are up.

900 ml of engine oil is poured into the engine crankcase. Oil can be filled with 10W-40. After riding the moped for 100 kilometers, I drained the factory oil and filled it with Zic engine oil. As soon as I complete the break-in, I will fill in more expensive Motul oil.

The moped is equipped with an electric starter, which can be used to start the engine by pressing a button on the steering wheel. The thing is convenient, but if the moto sits for a long time without recharging, the battery runs out. You have to start it using the kickstarter, which is located on the right side of the moped.

Kickstarter is not conveniently located. It gets in the way when driving. Therefore, it must be installed at an angle, and not vertically! The kickstarter stroke becomes shorter, but it is enough to start the engine and it does not interfere.

The Alpha RX moped is equipped with a PZ 19 carburetor, which has no suction. Inside there is a throttle valve with a needle on which there are 5 marks. Two idle speed adjustment screws are installed. This is a quality screw and a quantity screw. Plus there is a lever that blocks the access of air to the carburetor.

Recipes for increasing 139 FMB power at home

The most common way to increase the power of an Alpha moped engine is to replace the piston group with a version with a larger cylinder volume. As a rule, such a replacement adds power to the motor, but does not greatly affect the increase in the speed of the moped. There are other ways. The simplest is dual ignition. You can make a step on the protrusion located on the generator rotor housing by cutting off a 0.5 mm layer from half of its metal surface, from the edge that first touches the sensor during the working stroke of the rotor. This will give an increase in power by 5-10%. The diameter of the intake and exhaust valves can be increased. To do this, you need to bore holes in the cylinder head for wider valves taken from the 139 FMB piston group with a larger cubic capacity. This operation gives an increase in power by 15-20%.

Maintenance and repair of moped chassis

Repair of the Alpha moped (72 cc), caused by major breakdowns, can be completely eliminated by carrying out regular preventive replacement of those parts that have obvious signs of wear. The chain on a moped should be replaced after each season or after 2000 km. The chain stretches very significantly, which increases wear on both sprockets. Due to the chain breaking at high speed, a situation with sudden locking of the rear wheel is possible, which can lead to a dangerous fall, injuries and even greater damage to the motorcycle. On the road, this situation can cause destruction of the tension elements of the rear wheel, severe deformation or complete destruction of the tension mounting sockets. Artificially shortening the chain contributes to rapid wear of both sprockets. After 7,000 km, tires completely lose their tread texture and traction. They need to be changed after 2-3 seasons of use. The clutch, fuel supply and front wheel brake drum control cables should be shortened after each season of operation due to their stretching. The rubber bands in the brake drums gradually deform, which increases wheel play. It is also better to change them after each season of use.

Technical characteristics of the Alpha RX 110 moped

Vibration damage

Some moped breakdowns may be associated with the destruction of its load-bearing elements. The plastic front wing on the Alpha lasts longer than the metal one, since it is less susceptible to the negative effects of vibration. Engine mounting points on the frame can also be damaged due to vibration. To avoid this, you need to weld wide washers onto them. After 2-3 seasons, the battery loses up to 50% of its capacity, so its regular replacement is also advisable. Electrical clutch and turn signal sensors must operate normally. Both safety while driving and correct control of gear shifting depend on them. The standard rear shock absorbers on the Alfa wear out, which can lead to unwanted friction between the rear wheel and the inner surface of the rear wing. There are luxury rear shock absorber options for the Alfa that allow you to put fat tires on the rear wheels, as they can help raise the rear of the bike a little. If you handle fasteners with care, serious problems with the repair of this moped are unlikely.

Run-in

Running in the Alpha moped (72 cc) does not take much time and has several main conditions for obtaining the correct result. It is necessary to strictly observe the speed limit until the first thousand kilometers, you must not overheat the engine by forcing it to operate at maximum speed for more than 20 minutes, and you should also change the oil after 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000 km.

Disadvantages and price

The Alpha moped (110 cubic meters) has certain disadvantages, which are significantly less than the advantages. The disadvantages include:

• The handlebar width is not suitable for all users.
• There is no forced cooling of the engine, as a result of which it is susceptible to overheating during long-term operation.
• The drum-type brake system is not particularly reliable.
• The manual gearbox is rough when shifting.

On the domestic market, a new model can be purchased at a price of around 30-40 thousand rubles. A used modification can be purchased much cheaper, but in this case you should carefully check the main working components for serviceability and reliability.

Modifications

Review of the Alpha 72 cc moped. would not be complete without listing its main modifications. There are two frame options for this moped. This is high, with space for a large gas tank, and low, where the gas tank is small and the trunk is located above it. In terms of their characteristics, both versions of the moped will be almost identical, with the exception of the difference in the volume of gas tanks and a slight difference in seat height. "Alpha" is made by a number of Chinese manufacturers, so there are many parallel names for the same model. For example, the Omax Alpha 72 cc moped. is a purely Chinese version, and the Orion moped is 72 cc. - Russian assembly of the same model from Chinese spare parts, carried out at Velomotors enterprises.

Equipment options

Existing modifications of the Alpha (72 cc) may differ in some design elements. There are also luxury versions of this moped. For example, the Alpha Racer 72 cc moped. has a more impressive and dynamic seat shape and stands out from other Alfas with the spectacular sporty contours of the gas tank. In fact, this is the same model of moped. Luxury versions can be equipped with hydraulic rear shock absorbers, an alarm system, plastic fenders, more attractive decorative elements, slightly more expensive turn signals and headlights, an expensive trunk and even leatherette saddlebags. But it will still be the same 72 cc Alpha moped, with the same technical characteristics, but 30% more expensive.

Video review of the Alpha 72cc moped

The Alfa moped has its own body kit, front and rear shock absorbers, a 4-stroke engine, in general the characteristics are impressive, they will be discussed in more detail below.

The technical characteristics of Alpha mopeds are impressive and constitute serious competition in the market for companies selling mopeds. Perhaps we should start with the engine.

The engine has 4 strokes, like a passenger car, and is air cooled. The engine capacity is 72 cubic centimeters, but with such small volumes it develops quite a lot of power.

There is a possibility of tuning up to the Alpha 110cc moped.

The engine is powered by an electric starter, but if it malfunctions (this happens very rarely on a moped), you can use a kick starter, that is, start the moped manually. We started it up and now we can safely drive, a four-speed manual transmission will set us in motion.

There is a chain running from the engine to the wheel, not a driveshaft. The moped is one meter long, one meter high and half a meter wide. Its own weight (without any bells and whistles) is eighty-one kilograms. Quite light weight for such a moped. The front wheel is seventeen inches, the rear is the same, but the rear has more volume than the front. The brakes are activated by pressing the levers on the steering wheel. The brakes are of a drum design.