Brand new moped "Verkhovyna-3" 1971 (20 photos)

28 September 2016

Once upon a time, the hero of the popular “Time Capsule” column was the Soviet moped (or mokik, if that’s correct) “Karpaty-2”. It was a device produced in 1991 - one of the last, still made in the Soviet Union. And now we will talk about an older model of the Lviv Motor Plant - the legendary “Verkhovyna-3” with pedal engine start.

Cherry dream of schoolchildren of the early 70s

Sixth-grader Sergei Syroezhkin rode a similar moped (“Verkhovyna-4”) in the cult Soviet television film “Adventures of Electronics.”

So, before you is a completely new “Verkhovina-3” from 1971, which was found in one of the villages of Latvia. The moped was found in the attic of a private house, where it had been stored since the day of purchase. The mileage on the odometer is only 6 kilometers, but, as we already know, from previous issues of the Time Capsule, these are features of instrument calibration at the factory. In fact, this equipment has never been driven.

[media=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=subscribe_widget]

Mileage readings can be seen through many years of dust

Factory tin plate with unit numbers

True, the storage conditions were far from ideal, so rust had already started in places and the chrome coating of some parts began to peel off.

The emblem of the Lviv Motor Plant is similar to the Peugeot logo

"Verkhovina-3" (factory designation MP-048) was produced from 1969 to 1973. The model differed from its predecessors primarily in its modern appearance. It has wheels of a smaller diameter and the shapes of the parts that define the silhouette of the car have been changed.

For the first time, 16-inch wheels were used on a Lviv moped

The frame of the open (spine) type, which forms the basis of the moped, is welded from rectangular steel pipes with a wall thickness of 2 mm. This made it possible to increase its strength and reduce weight. To improve the smoothness and stability of the moped, the front and rear forks have been significantly modified.

Front shield attachment

The rear fork is suspended by two telescopic spring shock absorbers. They are connected to the fork and frame through reinforced rubber bushings.

The rear shock absorbers are flimsy and quickly fail when driving with a passenger.

It’s immediately obvious that the equipment has not been driven

Initially, "Verkhovina-3" was equipped with a Sh-51K engine with a power of 2 hp, produced by the Kovrov Mechanical Plant. Later, the model began to be equipped with a more modern S-52 engine from the Siauliai plant.

2.0 hp 2-stroke S-52 engine

The dry weight of the moped was 51 kg, and the maximum speed was 50 km/h. The gearbox is 2-speed, with steering wheel shift. With a reference fuel consumption of 2.0 l/100 km, a 5-liter gas tank was enough for approximately 250 km.

Gear shift - manual

In Soviet times, mopeds were mainly purchased by teenagers and pensioners. Despite its slow speed, some owners used the Verkhovyna even for long journeys. So, in the spring of 1970, 6 serial Verkhovina-3 mopeds made a run from Lvov to Ulyanovsk, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of V.I. Lenin. The vehicles successfully completed the 5,310-kilometer route without serious breakdowns.