Soviet motorcycles at one time confidently kept pace with global technical innovations. However, despite the impressive production volumes, none of the motorcycle factories in the USSR dared to undertake a deep and timely modernization. Even though many models were created in the image and likeness of the best German representatives on the market, a strategic breakthrough into the future did not occur.
By the early 1980s, the situation became obvious: Soviet motorcycles were outdated in almost all segments. The majority were still equipped with two-stroke engines, and the four-stroke opposed engines were almost no different in their design from the solutions of the mid-1930s.
Nevertheless, in the late 1980s, Soviet engineers prepared power units that had virtually no analogues in the world. Of course, these engines required serious refinement, but their potential looked extremely promising. We are talking about rotary-piston engines, which interested specialists from IMZ, KMZ, and the Izhevsk Motorcycle Plant. Each of these enterprises produced experimental batches of motorcycles with new units. They became the fastest motorcycles in the entire history of the USSR.
Prerequisites for the Emergence of Rotary Motorcycles
It became possible to freely purchase a motorcycle in the Soviet Union approximately from the early 1960s. By this time, specialized enterprises had reached their design capacities and provided transport for almost everyone who wanted it. The range was not rich, but motorcycles could even be bought in rural stores.
By the early 1980s, two-wheeled vehicles had finally established themselves as an affordable means of transportation. However, the climatic conditions of most of the country implied a clear seasonality of operation. It was possible to ride a motorcycle with relative comfort for about six months a year. In winter, only a few people moved around on them.
At the same time, the production of cars was growing, which gradually changed the attitude towards motorcycles. Even in rural areas, demand began to decline. By the mid-1980s, buying a "Zaporozhets" no longer required many years of waiting, and "Moskvich" cars were sometimes offered to employees of state enterprises without queues.
The "Perestroika" of the second half of the 1980s finally highlighted the technological lag of Soviet motorcycles. Catching up with competitors by copying small and medium-sized four-stroke engines was already too late. Therefore, the Central Design and Experimental Bureau of Motorcycle Construction relied on a fundamentally different approach — rotary-piston engines.
Such engines were considered as the basis for escort and export models, and in the future — as a base for serial units of various volumes.
First Rotary Developments
Interest in rotary engines in the USSR arose in the 1960s, after the release of NSU cars with Wankel engines on the market. Although that project turned out to be unsuccessful, the idea was picked up by Mazda, which only strengthened the belief in the перспективность of the scheme.
In the Soviet Union, it was also decided that the future belonged to rotary engines. This is how experimental VAZ cars with such engines appeared, which were subsequently produced in small series and supplied first to силовым структурам, and after the collapse of the USSR — to private buyers.
Based on automotive developments, the leadership of the Central Design Bureau of Motorcycle Construction in Serpukhov decided to create motorcycle rotary-piston units. Already in 1961, an experimental RD-250 engine was assembled. With a working volume of 250 cm³, its power was increased from 8.5 to 17 hp.
Encouraged by the results, the engineers began to develop more powerful engines, which were supposed to replace the outdated opposed engines. In 1970, the RD-350V appeared: with a volume of 350 cm³, it developed 30 hp. However, the engine's lifespan turned out to be too short — no more than 100 hours, which forced them to abandon further power наращивания with a small volume.
Rotary "Dnepr"
The next stage was the RD-500V engine with a volume of 500 cm³ and a power of 40 hp. After bench tests, it was installed in the frame of the Dnepr MT-9. In 1974, an experimental batch of ten heavy motorcycles was manufactured and sent for testing. In real conditions, the reliability of the engines turned out to be insufficient.
A year earlier, the RD-501 engine was prepared in Serpukhov. A few years later, a new batch of 30 "Dnepr" cars with these units was released. In terms of lifespan, the engines were already suitable for mass production, but they showed critical sensitivity to overheating and often seized up in the summer. It became clear that air cooling was not enough.
The specialists of KMZ did not show interest in the further development of rotary motorcycles, and the work on "Dnepr" cars was curtailed.
Rotary "Ural"
Closer to the end of the 1980s, the RD-515 engine appeared, developed jointly with the Irbit Motorcycle Plant. With a volume of 500 cm³, it developed 40 hp, and its lifespan reached 50,000 km, which was a major breakthrough.
A promising motorcycle, known as "Ural", was being prepared for mass production. During the tests, the model received the index 7.151. Taking into account past problems, the unit was equipped with liquid cooling.
The motorcycle received a number of technical innovations: a new frame, braking system, exhaust, front fork. However, the collapse of the USSR put an end to the project — the matter was limited to several experimental copies.
Rotary Izh
The Izhevsk Motorcycle Plant joined the topic later than the others. By this time, the most powerful engine of the series had been created — the RD-601. With a volume of more than 600 cm³, it developed 52 hp.
Having received a batch of such engines, Izhevsk immediately focused on export. This is how the Izh "Leader" and Izh "Vega" models appeared, made in the spirit of the foreign sport-tourism class. For their time, these were outstanding motorcycles, but they were not destined to become mass-produced due to the collapse of the country.
Today, there are practically no full-fledged Russian motorcycles left. Even the opposed "Urals" ceased assembly at the end of 2025. Perhaps someday interest in rotary-piston engines will be revived - after all, even now such motorcycles would remain truly unique.
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