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Post by fairway1987 on Jun 21, 2012 9:00:19 GMT
Hello everyone! My name is Ashley, I'm 24 and from Kingston Upon Hull, East Yorkshire. I'm a class 1 HGV driver and do mainly long distance European work. I currently work for a firm based in Aarhus in Denmark working regular runs into and all over Sweden. I often spend 8 - 10 weeks away travelling, then come home for 2 or 3 weeks then go back to work again. I currently own two motorcycles and two cars; * 1990 Peugeot 309 1.3 Style - Owned since October '08 and normally my daily driver. Currently parked in the office car park at work in Aahus. Will be fetching this back to the UK soon to begin a complete strip down and full restoration. (Mileage 87,000 miles)     |
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Post by fairway1987 on Jun 21, 2012 9:04:32 GMT
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Post by fairway1987 on Jun 21, 2012 9:11:54 GMT
1986 125cc Minsk And last but not least, my Minsk. My bike was first registered by a chap in Healing, Grimsby, North Lincolnshire, in June 1987. It was used untill June 1990 having covered 2,500 miles, when he decided to remove the cylinder head to de-coke it. For some strange and unclear reason, this never got done, and the bike sat in his garage, untouched, under a tarpaulin sheet untill 2011. The owner, now retired for some years with failing eye sight decided to clear his garage out with the help of his neighbour, a chap called John. He found the old Minsk exactly where he left it 21 years ago & was going to let the next passing gypo or rag & bone man take it away. John stepped in & said the bike is far too good to scrap like that & offered to sell it on eBay for him. After having it explained to him exactly what eBay was, the elderly owner agreed. I was the second bidder and won.  My priority here is recomissioning, and later restoration. As far as I am aware there are currently only either 2 or possibly 3 Minsks registered with the DVLA in the UK and they are all on SORN. I'm hoping to get mine through test soon (its very nearly ready!) and have the only example of a Minsk on the road in the UK. (Mileage - 2500 miles)    
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Post by dungbug on Jun 21, 2012 11:10:40 GMT
Welcome to RR chap.  |
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Post by TerraRoot on Jun 21, 2012 22:36:11 GMT
bloody hell that minsk is tidy!
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Post by fairway1987 on Jun 22, 2012 1:31:28 GMT
bloody hell that minsk is tidy! Thanks! But to be honest apart from an engine rebuild & a lot of cleaning thats all I've done to bring it to this condition. Some of the paintwork is not exactly mint / concourse condition, but I'm getting there slowly. It will be ready for MOT after a new headlight glass and throttle cable I've ordered arrive in the post & it will be the only one on the road in the UK if I get it through test! |
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Post by bigbiker on Jul 29, 2012 14:20:05 GMT
Hello everyone! My name is Ashley, I'm 24 and from Kingston Upon Hull, East Yorkshire. very sorry to hear that ashley, but i guess we all gotta come from somewhere  (im a codhead meself! moved to leeds few years back) |
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cossackman
Retro Fitter
Custodian of Old Cack and Tat
Posts: 126
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Post by cossackman on Jul 29, 2012 22:15:03 GMT
Welcome Ashley.
There may be more Minsks in the UK than you think. Neval was the Hull-based importer of re-badged Minsks and Dneprs back in the 80's/90's. I used to sail with a couple of Hull lads back in the 90's who had Minsks, Dnepr 650's and an IZH Planeta 350. They were both as mad as a bag of kittens! I've owned a couple of Dnepr 650's too so I can totally relate to that!
Nice to see more folk appreciating Eastern European bikes. That Minsk will attract more attention at shows than any modern stuff will.
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Post by fairway1987 on Aug 3, 2012 21:36:07 GMT
Hello everyone and thanks for the kind comments and warm welcome!
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Post by fairway1987 on Aug 3, 2012 21:51:09 GMT
Welcome Ashley. There may be more Minsks in the UK than you think. Neval was the Hull-based importer of re-badged Minsks and Dneprs back in the 80's/90's. Hello Cossackman! I did some research on the rather dubious website 'howmanyleft.com' and as far as I could see, there are only perhaps 3 Minsks currently on SORN in the UK - however I don't know how far this goes back as I'm sure there will be several Minsks out there that have been stored and almost forgotten about in dusty sheds & garages for many years. Also, according to that site there are currently NO Minsks taxed and on the road in the UK. How true that is I dont know. I have however traced another Minsk owner from the London area who imported a 'new' unused Minsk to the UK from Hannoi back in 2006. He imported it with the intention for completeing a charity fund raising bike ride on it from London to Mongolia. He went through all the faffing about of registering it with the DVLA and taxing it (it was allocated a 'Q' registeration plate because he couldn't proove the exact date of manufacture) but then unfortunately, the bike suffered a terminal breakdown on the M25 involving the gearbox, chain and rear suspension (I believe he was pushing the bike beyond its limits, Minsks where never built with motorway cruising in mind!!). After covering just a few hundred miles the bike was stored in his garden shed untill thisd year. I e-mailed him asking after his Minsk and I told him the story & showed him pictures of mine. He has the parts to repair his bike and now has the encouragement to get it recommissioned. I'm hoping we could arrange a meet one day in the future, would be great if we both had the only two Minsks on the road in the UK together at the same place  His blogg is here - www.mongolbikers.com/?m=200609 |
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Post by sambaman on Sept 1, 2012 12:43:39 GMT
Hi Cossackman and fairway 1987,I have just registered on here,I have an IZH 350 twin 1991,just sold my 1971 IZH 350 and my 175 Voskhod, I don't know if this will help,but I'm sure that I read an ad somewhere recently from a guy with a Minsk engine for sale,it my have only been the bottom end ,but I will try and find the ad if you are interested? ?
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(im a codhead meself! moved to leeds few years back)