If you tinker with it, keep it clean and make regular inspections then the Minsk will become a true friend. You will not see many of these bikes in the Hanoi as the locals consider themselves above such an ungainly, oil billowing reminder of past Russian dominance. In the mountains and hills, however, the Minsk rules supreme. Every mechanic knows how to fix a Minsk, and there are places everywhere selling spare parts. You can buy it new for around US$700 (including registration), or second hand for around US$400 (contact the Club for an offer). It’s got a top speed of around 85 kilometres an hour, its tank’s about 11 litres which will get you around 200 – 250 kilometres – the reserve will get you around 15 kilometres. In Hanoi there are shops which sell every single spare part for the bike. The bike has a simple design and has no battery. We have heard of one guy using a coke can as a clutch plate. You can open up the engine and have a look in side as there is no pressure seal. The tyre’s traction is excellent and capable of covering clay, rock or wet and its suspension is great. The bike is ideal for any trip into the mountains of the north of Vietnam. Its drawbacks are its lack of speed on the strait and its Russian heritage which doesn’t like the heat. In hot weather you really need to keep the engine from overheating. Like other former Soviet classics like the Voxhod, Isch, Ural or Jawa, all you need to do is get a spark, a puff of air and a splash of petrol all together in the same place and you have an engine up and running. It’s satisfying to be confronted by a minor problem somewhere up in the middle of nowhere which after inspection you realise you can fix – it feels great. That’s why we love the older bikes. They go wrong – you learn how to fix them – you go.

The 1996 Model

In 1996 two versions of the standard Minsk were made. They look exactly the same but on the inside one is better because its alternator is stronger and easier to fix. If you buy the bike new then for an extra US$10 they will put in the better version. The weaker alternator is easily recognised because it has a number of round holes drilled through its cover. Both the 1996 models have a more economical carburettor which is fine on the flat but a little short of power in the mountains. This carburettor is easy to recognise because the top of it is circular and can be unscrewed. Again, ask the dealer to put in the older, rectangular-tube shaped one for better performance in the mountains. Also opt for the round shaped head-lamp rather than the square one – it’s easier to remove and replaced if smashed.

The Sports Minsk

In addition to the two standard models in 1996, a more expensive, sports version of the Minsk was also released. It has a larger petrol tank, higher front suspension, its seat is higher (but harder) and its more quiet due to a muffler stuffed with glass fibre. Its fourth gear is larger than the normal Minsk so this bike will go faster on the straight and the engine block is bigger so it handles the heat with more distinction. A good option for taller riders.

Older Models

 The easiest way to spot an older Minsk is that the control panel – where the speedometer is – comprises of two round tubes whereas the newer ones just have one rectangular box. The serial number stamped onto the steering column of the left hand side of the bike has a code to say how old the bike is. The eighth last character – its a letter – denotes the year of manufacture as follows. ‘L’ is 1990, ‘M’ is 1991, ‘N’ is 1992, ‘P’ is 1993, ‘R’ is 1994, ‘S’ is 1995, ‘T’ is 1996, ‘V’ is 1997, ‘W’ is 1998, ‘X’ is 1999 and ‘Y’ is 2000. The engine is easier to date as the last two characters inscribed on it on the left hand side are numbers like ‘94’ or ‘96’.

Wildcat Minsk

A new version appeared in the US (sold at US$1,350!!). It seems to be a new development of the Sports Minsk (same tank and side covers). Engine looks the same but frame and suspensions got a new look. The bike looks worth a try in Vietnam although, unfortunately, the mud cover for the driving chain has gone. Front suspension has been changed as well. Available at Cosmopolitan Motors.

Tommy Smith from North Carolina shares his experiences with the Wildcat (which he bought for US$900 plus US$250 shipping):

Clutch problems. The cables on the Wildcat are like bicycle cables and did not work well. The clutch was so hard that you almost had to be a body builder to pull the clutch in, and it was rough and squeaked when you did. I made numerous adjustments, trying to find the sweet spot. The cable eventually broke. The fix I used included replacing the clutch lever with a Honda ATV lever, and for the clutch cable I used one from a Yamaha YZ-250. Also, the clutch bushing that pushes in the clutch plate needed modification because it is plastic and required a threaded steel insert put in so I could put in a grade 5 bolt through it. This allowed the clutch plate to be pushed in more reliably, because it is so, so hard to push in. Now the clutch works pretty good, but is nothing as nice as a Japanese dirt bike.

Tires: The tires had to be replaced with Pirelli dirt bike tires. The tires that came with it are more for road, or mild off road. If you get into any real dirt or sand, the bike front wants to push out from under you.

Chain. The chain kept coming off. One time when it came off, it got kinked up like it normally did, but this time it knocked a hole in the crank case. I still require a new chain, but can’t find one. I just got some JB Weld and epoxy and patched up the hole. It’s holding up so far.

Rear Sprocket. The rear sprocket is huge, allowing a lot of torque I guess. But this really winds out the engine. I have not been able to ride the bike off road past 3rd gear. So, I guess it is required because of the lack of power.

Rust. Keep it out of the rain, or it will rust up quickly on you.

Throttle. The throttle is kind of cheap, with a lot of play. I adjusted it the best I could, but there is still play in it.

Responsiveness: The 125cc feels more like a 50cc moped than 125cc 2 stroke engine. Lacks power and torque. Even in 1st gear, it would not pull itself out of a 6 inches of mud. I had to push it out even with full throttle.

Shocks: Only good for trail riding. Bottoms out very easily. (I weigh 200 pounds)

Foot Pegs. I ramped it and the foot pegs bent and gave way. A sledge hammer and vise grips fixed it, but not as good as it was.

BUT.... Good things:

Starting. Choke it and it normally starts on the 5th kick, even after sitting for a while.

Muffler. I like the muffler because It is not too loud.

Balance. I know this is only a trail bike, but I have ramped it. The frame is nicely balanced.

Switches. Are a little cheap, but they work very well and are reliable.

Wiring:. Everything is nicely color coded and tucked up very well.

Manual: I think the manual is pretty good. It goes into details.

The Minsk Wildcat is down right now because I can not find a chain in the United States. All the cycle shops can’t figure out what chain it is

Trolly Minsk

Based on a normal Minsk model a trolley was developed. Nobody has seen it yet. Doubts exist about sufficient power to pull the trolley. The front suspension seems to have changed (probably to make it stiffer). The Club will investigate the possibility to construct such a machine in Vietnam. Currently max speed of the trolley is only 30 km/h!! You would be the lady killer on this thing in Lao Cai!!!

BEWARE: There are bikes out there pretending to be Minsks. They are easy to recognize by their wrong spelling of the tank logo. Don't trust them!

 If you have heard of, seen, or even driven any other Minsk models, please, drop us a line

Improvements & Maintenance

New cables make loads of difference to the ease of applying the clutch and front brake. At a buck a piece they’re worth it. Oil them first.

Mudguards: Get someone to make up a pair of mudguard flaps from tyre rubber to stop the mud on Hang Da street.

Seat: If you have a Minsk with a lower, rounded seat then you make your ride much more comfortable by getting someone on Ha Trung street to put extra padding ($5) in it.

Back Suspension: Get either a pair of black heavy duty Chinese suspension springs (US$20) or long thick Russian ones (US$17) fitted to the rear wheel – they’re stronger than the standard ones and will rarely bottom out. Although the result with the Chinese ones is a little stiffer, it is still worth it – most Minsks in the mountains are fitted out with a pair – especially if you plan to carry a pillion passenger. Note that the point where the back suspension is bolted to the frame (the brace) is higher on some Minsk models than others. If you fit a pair of the long Chinese suspension springs to this model then the seat will be raised high above the wheel and the seat will slope downwards. This puts extra stain of your back and leads to premature stretching of the chain. The best thing is to get Anh Cuong to cut off the brace and reweld it a little lower.

Front Suspension: It is possible to replace the standard Minsk front suspension with stronger and more comfortable Bonus or Husky suspension. Price for second-hand Bonus suspension sets you back about US$ 50.

Front-leg Protector: A simple rectangular bar fitted on to the frame which has saved the leg of one member already. Cuong can sort one out for you. Cost US$7.

Pannier racks: Useful for stopping pannier bags getting destroyed on a tour and also great when picking up H'Mong hitch-hikers with 50kg bags of rice. The racks cost US$5 and the bags cost US$25.

Maintenance

Basically all you have to do to maintain a Minsk is to ensure that everything going into the engine is clean – clean petrol, clean petrol-filter, clean air-filter and a clean sparkplug – so you need to stay on top of these things. Then keep an eye on your driving partner’s bike to try and spot any problems with the back tyre, suspension and bearings before it gets the chance to cause a problem. Out in the wild you’re going to have to take an attraction to your bike by regularly going over it, kicking occasionally for loose bits and listening to its sound and the feel of the steering and gears. Otherwise, follow this maintenance regime.

Make sure all the bolts are tight. The brace on my back brake came off once causing the connection rod from the foot pedal to the brake to wrap around the wheel’s axis, bringing it to a very sudden stop.

Keep the sparkplug clean – always carry some sand paper and a bit of wire.

Make sure the sparkplug is the right colour – that is brown – i.e. the carburettor is adjusted properly.

Clutch Oil: Make sure there is enough oil in the clutch. The Minsk takes from 500-700 ml of oil to fill the clutch and gear box. It’s a good idea to change it every two months or 2,000 kilometres.

Clean any mud off the engine as it is a heat retainer.

Make sure dirty oil never goes into the petrol tank.

Keep an eye on your bearings. They normally hold for 5000 km and more but a rough 10-day Bao Lac-Bac Ha trip can kill them easily as well.

Keep the air filter clean.

Keep the petrol filter clean.

Have a preference for petrol from petrol stations.

Check for loose and broken spokes.

Wash the bike regularly to inhibit rust build-up.

Tools & Gadgets

Problems do occur when you go driving out of Hanoi, so the better prepared you are, the easier time you will have. The club highly recommends that you take with you the maximum amount of equipment possible. That is everything that is listed below. The whole kit will only cost you around $20. Go to the hardware store at 5 Trang Tien street for fixed prices on tools (or any of the other Government stores) and the Hoa Binh market (Cho gioi) at 26 Thinh Yen for bargains on everything else.

What you need:

a spare spark plug or two and sand paper

a pair of pliers

a sparkplug remover (it is a size 22 so it can also be used to remove the bolt on the back wheel’s axle)

a screw driver

flat head (for removing the casing on the alternator and drive cog, the casing on the clutch, the top to the carburettor, the front head-lamp casing. Also can be used to remove the large rubber seal between the carburettor and the air box and for banging out the axle from either of the two wheels. Note that some bikes have had Phillips screws unofficially put on them so check if this is the case and carry one accordingly

spanners – sizes 8 (for removing some alternators), 10, 12 (for removing the petrol tank, side panels, exhaust pipe and some alternators), 13 (the most important – engine brace bolts, carburettor, some suspension bolts, chain tightening screws), 14 and 17 (for suspension and the back wheel) , 22.

monkey wrench (adjustable spanner) for removing the petrol filter and the wheels

either one prong of an eating fork or the tweezers commonly found on Swiss army knifes (to remove the male clip and the end of the wires from the female plugs)

gaffer tape (electrical tape) for wrapping around compromised or newly made wiring

a bit of thin wire for sparkplug cleaning and a larger piece to tie down anything that might break off

the tool with the strange shape which comes with all Minsks. Used to: tighten the screws at the top of the two front forks; tighten the lock screw at the top of the steering column; adjust the stiffness of the back suspension springs; tighten the exhaust pipe to the engine; tighten the screws half way down the front forks; and tightening the bolt on the back wheel – make sure you have one

tyre repair kit – glue and patches. Before you head out squeeze some of the glue out of the tube as it is prone to breaking open. Then put the tube in a plastic bag just to be safe. Same rational applies to toothpaste – use the stuff in the plastic tubes rather than the metal ones

tyre removing tools – you need a set of three. It is worth buying the flat, more expensive type as they are stronger (about $2 a set). Can also be used to tighten the spokes

air pump (can be stored under the seat)

Digby's repair manual. Minsk 125 Repair Manual

While on a mission also carry the following

spare bulb for the front head-lamp

spare clutch cable

spare accelerator cable – it’s thinner than the clutch and brake cables

spare brake cable

spare petrol tank tube.

Maybe a spray can of RP7 lubricating oil

Gadgets

A loud horn is one of the cheapest (VND50,000) and best ways of staying free of accidents. Replacing the very substandard horn on the Minsk with a stronger and louder horn is highly recommended. All that is required is a capacitor and some other piece of gadgetry to make it work – you do not need to use a battery. The Minsk runs off 12 volts. There are many horn shops in Hanoi at the southern end of Hue street while in the countryside most mechanics know how to rig one up. Next time you go to Cuong, get him to make one for you.

You can buy waterproof trousers from Motorbiking Vietnam at Cuong's repair shop.

Also anyone suffering from weak headlights may find switching to halogen bulbs unnecessary. Making sure that you have the original Russian glass and original reflector in your headlight, instead of those produced by joint venture companies, might help you to avoid stray chickens or dustcarts. Cost around 70,000 VND.