Hello from a new IMZ M61 owner.

[Macabry]

Good afternoon to you all,
It's been over a decade since my last foray into eastern block motorcycles ( I had a Dnepr K750).... Part of me said never again, the massochist in me always new I wanted an m61 or m62 though. So..... my young son who has a bit of a thing for soviet stuff asks me if we could get a "russian" bike, and after a bit of searching here we are ... a 400 mile round trip later and a rather tatty, tired and mismatched M61 is sitting on my drive.... and my son is already in love with it ( I'm undecided

I say a big hello to you all and hope to eventually renovate this beastie with help of your sage advice

Thanks in advance,

Shane

[Macabry]

Sooo ..... latest update:

Been out of action with bad weather, a stinking cold and work.... but having had a good look around the old heffer i am fairly sure of the following:

- she has a later Dnepr gearbox
- working reverse
- working gearbox which is shifting well
- The front fender is riveted and probably M72 but drilled and screwed to fit the higher later braces.... the stays have been cut off.
- front and rear wheel bearings that are scrap
- rear brake lever is totally wrong
- front brake is absolute junk
- forks are pretty rough

So she is almost exactly as i suspected with a slightly better engine and much better gearbox (i like the reverse too). Planned for a total rebuild of carbs, brakes, fuel system and a new wiring loom before I'd even bought her so no nasty surprises yet.

As for the plan.... we are probably going to go sympathetic resto mod with mostly original styling and parts, perhaps keep the m72 front fender and add fork shrouds. Paint will either be a satin CCCP drab green or a totally custom gloss very light grey colour (non military) with pinstriping and some IMZ transfers on the tank .... I'm keen to give a nod to the heritage of the bike and I kinda like a military feel but I want to avoid the Farby Wehrmacht feldgrau look.... shes a rooskie and i want to celebrate it.

Regards to you all.
Shane

[propwash]

Pictures?
There use to be a ratty one around here.

[Happytrails]

I have never seen the real one in life.

[Macabry]

20191029_165025.jpg

[Macabry]

20191029_164952.jpg

[propwash]

Nice. You and I vary on the definition of "ratty".

[Claus]

we are probably going to go sympathetic resto mod with mostly original styling and parts, perhaps keep the m72 front fender and add fork shrouds. Paint will either be a satin CCCP drab green or a totally custom gloss very light grey colour (non military) with pinstriping and some IMZ transfers on the tank .... I'm keen to give a nod to the heritage of the bike and I kinda like a military feel but I want to avoid the Farby Wehrmacht feldgrau look.... shes a rooskie and i want to celebrate it.

I like the way you think about it, Shane. I used to have a very old M72 and kept it in it´s 65 year old patina. I sold the rig as it was but had the idea to restore it once or twice. And I was thinking about the same colours. I certainly not would paint such a bike in Wehrmacht feldgrau.

[Macabry]

Shes much rougher up close .....

The paint is shiny but soooo bad, rattle can over hand brushed. Every bearing and seal and rubber part is perished and shot .... typical example of how a bike looks clean in pics but is in reality ..... in my opinion, it's important to understand these bikes and their limits .... not worth extensive/ expensive resto unless its for love, you can tune them fairly well but you can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear....i view them like a pretty old tractor, beautiful and ugly in perfect balance

As you can see, the front end shrouds are wrong ... from a later bike with a side ignition switch. It is interesting to see the frame though .... very like a M72 but the plungers are a bit longer.

Probably gonna keep the K302 carbs too .... I find them simple to mess about with, however if a can't get them balanced and running nicely i could be tempted into a set of mikuni vm28s.

Regards,
Shane

[propwash]

So, it sounds about right! I would just ride it, watch it and fix what knocks & leaks (maybe).
I have K301s on my M63 and had K302s on my MV750. I lot of people cry about these, but I didn't have problems.
Here was the one I spoke of...

hmmm.jpg

[Macabry]

Ohhhh ... that's really pretty

Yep, i like the k302.... i view carbs like i did women when i was a teenager.... if i can strip it in under 5 minutes I'm interested

I never found the k302s as bad as they say, leaky until you tweak the floats and needle but otherwise they're fine.


Did you rivet that emblem on ?

Regards,
Shane

[propwash]

No, I did not nor would not. That was done prior.
I would have done something like this...
viewtopic.php?t=724
or

[Macabry]

That's why i asked, mine has the original tank (or at least a period correct one) ..... the transfers are still evident under the crappy paint

They are at the same slanty angle too

Thanks,
Shane

[Macabry]

Here it is:

20191029_182529.jpg

[propwash]

Dang. Maybe ask around and find some light solvent and take your time and recover the emblem; 'twould be a shame to lose it.