Review of IZh Izh-7.107K “Planet-5” (1989)
About Izh-Planet-5
Hello. A thread about motorcycles also opened here, so I decided to write a review about my Planet-5. I owned it from 1991 to 2002. Unfortunately, I don’t have any electronic photographs of him - at that time there were still ordinary cameras with film, but mobile phones did not yet have cameras. At least normal ones. But I found a photo on the Internet of a motorcycle exactly like mine.
Review.
We initially bought this motorcycle with a sidecar only because we didn’t have money for a car. But we liked the motorcycle, and when the family finally got a good car, we didn’t sell this Izhak, but simply removed the stroller from it and continued to use it quite intensively for rides, trips to the country, to the forest to pick mushrooms, on bad roads or simply when you had to go somewhere alone over a relatively short distance. My father bought it, but then it de facto passed on to me.
The appearance is typical neoclassical. Beautiful and proportional. Well, they did a good job on his appearance. It was just what I needed - “iron” and not “plastic” and at the same time moderately hooded. Lots of chrome, but not much, like in choppers. The seating position is comfortable—straight. For both driver and passenger. Personally, I immediately did not like the 22 hp single-cylinder air-cooled engine. with its kicking kick and characteristic dull “towing” “thump-thump-thump” at low speeds and a shrill “bamm-bamm-bamm” at high speeds. This is if you accelerate in neutral. The instrument panel was quite thoughtful and informative. In addition to the speedometer and odometer, it contained the ignition switch, rectangular lamps for neutral, turn signals, high beam, oil pressure and battery. When the motorcycle came to me, I tried to make it a normal, convenient device for throwing around the city and in the nearby countryside. I installed roll bars to avoid serious damage in the event of a fall. Next, I had to buy a normal integral helmet with a visor, because... in ordinary, Soviet ones, it was possible to drive more or less normally only up to a speed of 60 km/h. Higher up, the wind made my eyes water and I could no longer see anything.
By the way, about speed. Initially, my motorcycle had a sidecar and therefore the drive sprocket was 16. According to the passport, the maximum speed should have been about 80-85 km/h, but according to my recollections, we never went faster than 60 km/h. It somehow didn’t go any faster, but just started roaring, smoking and vibrating. As much as we drove along the highway with a stroller, absolutely everyone . The only one we managed to get around during the whole time was a MTZ tractor with a cart, which was hovering close to the side of the road. Naturally, this state of affairs with my 350 cc bike did not suit me, so I installed a sprocket at 19 from the single and a wind shield. And still, the speed capabilities of my motorcycle left much to be desired. Cruising speed increased to approximately 80-90 km/h. If you give more, the motorcycle begins to roar loudly. The vibration was such that the rear mirrors were unscrewed and some screws were unscrewed, and there was more smoke than from two old KamAZ trucks. Nevertheless, on the track, if I wanted, I could already be faster than the trucks. I was never able to measure the exact maximum speed - the speedometer needle at maximum speed dangled on the scale in the range from 80 to 140 km/h, and I didn’t have a GPS then, and where could it be mounted? At this speed, I already had to lie on the tank because of the wind and to improve controllability. While maintaining a straight landing, the front wheel was so unloaded that the steering wheel ceased to be felt. According to the passport, the maximum speed of Planet-5 “single” should be at least 120 km/h. In general, if any modern imported motorcycle has a very high cruising speed, then Planet-5’s is unforgivably low. I wanted to increase the cruising speed and also experimented with the drive sprocket at 21. The comfortable speed increased slightly, but the engine naturally stopped pulling. I returned it back to 19. I would like a 5-speed manual transmission, but only a 4-speed manual transmission was installed on the Planets. In general, the bike is not designed .
What else. Handling is also not great. The frame, or rather the rear pendulum, is not very rigid. The tires have a stupid rectangular profile, and therefore it’s risky to “put” the Planet on a turn. You can just catch up. This is especially not worth doing on asphalt with sand - you will 100% slip. The brakes are so-so. Neither bad nor good. Both are drums. I almost didn’t use the front one - it’s inconvenient, because... When you press the front brake foot, you can simultaneously turn the throttle. The rear brake is comfortable, it can skid the rear wheel at any speed, but I still didn’t notice much slowdown. In terms of comfort, the impression is twofold. On the one hand, the suspension is quite soft, the front fork was especially pleasing. Comfortable wide saddle. Comfortable fit. On the other hand, I once went to a neighboring city in it, 70 km away. I arrived there and thought I’d fall off. I couldn't get down for a minute. I think this is out of habit after the comfortable VAZ-2106.
Now for the good stuff. The bike is very light – just over 150kg. And it’s quite easy to manage. Well, you can pull it out from anywhere if you want, so the cross-country ability is absolute. The ground clearance is high. The mot itself is beautiful, but I already said that. The primitive design of the engine also has its positive sides. The device is most reliable. For all 11 years it started with half a kick. The truth can kick hard - you shouldn’t forget about this so as not to break your leg. At low speeds the engine pulls very well, almost without losing speed and is quite quiet. Much quieter than Jupiters. But on larger ones it starts to vibrate and roar strongly. Acceleration to 100 km/h takes approximately 15 seconds. Changing gears is very convenient. Click-click-click. Once, during a trip to pick mushrooms, my father and I crossed a large stream about a meter deep in our Izha. In the middle of the stream we fell into a hole and fell. The motorcycle completely disappeared under water. We picked it up right away, of course. We thought that everyone had arrived. But he started!!! This is really cool! And we drove on as if nothing had happened. I understood then why the Planets are valued. Fuel consumption is approximately 4-6 liters of 76 per 100 km. The 18 liter tank is beautifully shaped. The location of the controls does not cause any complaints. The motorcycle itself is very good. Its appearance is spoiled mainly only by its reliable, but low-power and noisy engine.
Of the breakdowns over 11 years, those that I remember. There were almost none - the device is reliable. Once the exhaust of a corpse was completely clogged with fumes. The motorcycle began to stall and stall. For a long time we couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it, but then we figured it out and cleaned the large shiny exhaust pipe. Once while moving, when the moto was still with the sidecar, the chain broke and the rear wheel jammed. A piece of metal was torn out of the chain casing. The speed at that moment was about 40 km/h and thank God we were not injured. It's scary to think what would have happened if this had happened alone at high speed. Due to the vibration, the PV mirrors were constantly unscrewed and misadjusted. Even if you weld them, they’re still the same. Whatever they did. Then they were tightened through rubber gaskets. The brake pads and chain have been replaced many times. The light bulbs were changed several times. The light, by the way, was not bad. Far in the form of an arrow. Cleaned and adjusted the carburetor. There were no serious problems at all with the engine, gearbox, suspension, etc. We sold it in 2002, we don’t know why. Apparently they are used to cars. Now I'm thinking, maybe I should buy one again? They're worth crap right now. Make it perfect. Tuning it to go 150 km/h - the guys did it. And ride around the city and in nature. I just don’t know which is better. Planet or Jupiter.
Council of JSC Izhevsk Motorcycles.
The motorcycle itself is good. Leave the appearance and design the same. But to make a new well-balanced engine with an electric starter with a power of at least 50 hp. So that the speed is at least 180 km/h. Interlock it with a 5-speed manual transmission. Remove the chain guard as when it breaks, the wheel jams. And equip the motorcycle only with a front disc brake. And the wheels themselves are better spoked, just like they were - they look more harmonious.
General information about the motorcycle
The Izh Jupiter-5 motorcycle is a middle-class road car, adapted for driving on city, highway and country roads. Produced for 23 years , starting in 1985 . The base vehicle had the factory designation IZH 6.113-010-01 with the trade name Izh Jupiter-5 . The side trailer had IZH 6.114-010-01 under the trade name Izh Jupiter 5K-01 .
The engine on the motorcycle is gasoline, carburetor, two-stroke, two-cylinder, air-cooled, with a power of 24 hp . with a volume of 350 cm3 . Battery type ignition system with battery and alternator. All devices in the electrical system are designed for 12 V DC .
The rear wheel is driven, chain drive. The clutch is multi-plate and is in an oil bath. The gearbox is 4-speed with a semi-automatic clutch.
The weight of a single motorcycle is 160 kg , with a sidecar – 255 kg , the permissible load is 170/255 kg . Maximum speed without a stroller is 125 km/h , with a stroller – 95 km/h . The average fuel mixture consumption, respectively, is 5.9/7.1 l/100 km . The fuel used is a mixture of AI-92 gasoline and motor oil in a ratio of 1:25 .
The front wheel is mounted in a telescopic fork with hydraulic shock absorbers and springs. Fork travel – 200 mm . The rear wheel has a lever suspension with spring hydraulic shock absorbers. Suspension travel 85 mm . The wheels are equipped with tube tires with a standard size of 3.5x18″. The distance between the wheels is 1450 mm . Drum brakes with a mechanical drive are installed on both wheels of the motorcycle and the wheel of the side trailer.
In Soviet times, the cost of a motorcycle with a side trailer was 1,050 rubles . For motorcyclists, this price was relatively affordable. The average wage in the country was 140-160 rubles. per month . The cheapest VAZ-2101, VAZ-21011 cost 5-6 times more, and was completely inaccessible to the majority of the population, either in price or in the possibility of purchasing it.
Main advantages
Motorcycles IZH Jupiter -5 were quite simple in design and did not require large maintenance costs . Today there are many who want to criticize this technique without regard to the times, but the model was in great demand among the population. She is not forgotten even now. On the secondary market only, on Avito websites, more than 2,000 units of equipment . The main reasons for its popularity are:
- Maintainability and simplicity of design.
- The presence of a semi-automatic clutch.
- Smooth ride, comfortable movement.
- Can be used with or without a side trailer.
- Good car dynamics without a side trailer.
- Durable welded tubular frame.
- Reliable and simple gearbox.
- Powerful alternator, good light.
- Confident engine starting in any weather conditions.
This is not an exhaustive list of the outstanding qualities of the machine.
The motorcycle has the highest level of maintainability . The shortage of spare parts of that time has given way to their abundance today. Any components can be purchased through online stores or in markets at affordable prices. With a small set of tools, a motorcycle of the simplest design can easily be rebuilt on the road. Replacing parts of the cylinder-piston group can be done without any problems directly in the field. More complex repairs involving removal and complete disassembly of the engine are possible in a garage without the involvement of large specialists or special tools.
The motorcycle is equipped with a semi-automatic clutch , which greatly facilitates the driver’s work. Gear shifting is possible without squeezing the clutch lever on the steering wheel. The clutch release mechanism is activated automatically when you press the gear shift foot. Before pressing the foot, it is advisable to release the gas - the switching will occur smoothly, without jerking the transmission. No other domestic motorcycle has such a system.
The machine is characterized by a smooth ride in single mode and with a side trailer. Riding a well-maintained motorcycle is a pleasure. The driver's position is comfortable and ergonomic. The passenger in the side trailer feels comfortable, protected from the flow of oncoming air and dust by a high transparent plastic reflector and a soft, durable awning made of leatherette. The trailer wheel has a spring-hydraulic shock absorber, which effectively absorbs uneven road surfaces.
A motorcycle with the index Izh Jupiter-5K-01 can be used with or without a side trailer . Operation of a motorcycle with a trailer is possible only if there is a corresponding mark in the technical passport when registering with the traffic police. When installing a trailer, the final drive gear ratio is changed by installing a smaller diameter drive sprocket with 16 teeth. At the same time, the engine traction force increases significantly due to an increase in the number of crankshaft revolutions. A 19-tooth drive sprocket is installed on a single motorcycle, increasing the speed capabilities of the motorcycle.
Without a side trailer, the machine has good dynamic capabilities. The two-cylinder engine quickly picks up speed and is capable of accelerating the car from a parking lot to 100 km/h in 12 seconds . This figure is 0.5-1.0 seconds better than that of the most advanced car at that time, the VAZ-2109, or the popular imported motorcycle Java-350 .
The motorcycle is assembled on a durable tubular frame , which is simply impossible to damage if used correctly. The side trailer has its own, no less durable frame, made of thick-walled steel pipes.
The gearbox is assembled in the same housing with the engine and has its own crankcase compartment . The unit is powerful, reliable, always working without problems throughout the entire service life of the motorcycle. There is an inspection hatch on the side cover of the clutch drive mechanism to check the oil level in the clutch housing and gearbox.
12 V alternator . Alternating current is converted to direct current by a diode bridge. All old problems associated with the operation of 6-volt DC generators installed on previous machines have been eliminated. The electrical system has become significantly more reliable. The headlight has halogen optics, which produces a fairly powerful stream of light.
The engine starts reliably at any time of the year due to the installation of an emergency start system that supports starting with a weakly charged battery.
