First a bicycle, then a motorcycle

DIY two-seater four-wheel velomobile with soft suspension

No one will argue that a velomobile is good for your health. And for lovers of technical creativity it is doubly useful, as it provides invaluable experience before building more advanced designs. The velomobile described here was designed and built in the workshop of the Young Technicians’ Station in our city together with club members. Read more…

The best in Europe

F2B Control-Line Aerobatic Model: Čech Design

At the 1983 European Championship, many athletes’ attention was drawn to the “aerobatic model” designed and built by Czechoslovak modeler Stanislav Čech. The unusual engine position, increased bending elasticity of the detachable wing, simple and effective contours of the fuselage that read excellently in flight, and a whole range of design innovations benefited the operational, Read more…

Buggies for training and sports

Buggy: DIY Cross-Country Car Build Guide

Many youth technical stations have their karting sections. The kids who train in these sections build and improve their karts themselves, achieving very good results in competitions. So what’s next? Logically — high-speed racing cars. But teenagers cannot compete in them: driver’s licenses can only be obtained from the age of 18. In recent years, Read more…

Two-wheeled recovery vehicle

Homemade tow dolly for passenger cars

Motorists know that cars sometimes suffer breakdowns that make towing them on a rope either prohibited (steering or braking system failures) or impossible (certain transmission or running gear damages). For such cases I made a tow dolly. The broken car is loaded onto it partially — only the front or rear axle is rolled up. Read more…

IZh becomes a tractor

DIY Izh mini tractor from motorcycle for homestead work

In recent years, with the growth of personal household farms, demand has increased for the Muravey cargo scooter; it is especially needed by rural residents. In 1983 alone, 12,000 of these machines will be sold. For the huge number of our villages, this is, of course, not much. By contrast, almost half a million motorcycles Read more…

An all-season luggage rack

Universal roof rack for sailboards and skis | DIY build

When designing this car roof rack, the aim was to create a device that, in addition to everyday use, would suit the active outdoor enthusiast—allowing two sets of sailboards to be carried in summer and (with minor changes) 5–6 pairs of skis in winter. Given the considerable weight of two sets of sailboards (about 54 Read more…

“Agidel” — a tourist’s companion

Agidel Micromotorcycle: DIY Build Guide & Plans

In Bashkortostan, we call the Belaya River “Agidel” — a favorite recreation spot for Ufa residents. I named my micromotorcycle “Agidel” as well, because it was conceived primarily as a standard design for fishermen, mushroom pickers, and lovers of long journeys. The purpose determined the main qualities of the machine — high reliability, ease of Read more…

An all-purpose vehicle for a farmer

Bychok Self-Propelled Chassis: Build, Plans, IZH-P-3 Engine

I built the self-propelled chassis called “Bychok” (Little Bull) more than ten years ago. Over this substantial period of use the machine has proved unpretentious, reliable and capable. Its layout is classic: cargo body at the front, driver’s station (in this case open) and engine at the rear; front axle steering, rear axle driven. “Bychok” Read more…

Compact gearbox for a low-pressure tire vehicle

Reversible two‑stage gearbox for low‑pressure tire ATVs

Low-pressure, large-diameter pneumatic tires are excellent propulsion systems for all-terrain vehicles even in the most difficult road conditions. However, when they work with modern high‑speed engines, they require a significant reduction of angular velocities by means of the transmission and, as a result, an increase in the number of gear stages, as well as in Read more…

What is water karting?

DIY Hydrokart "Pioneer": Build Your Own Water Kart Guide

Four wheels, an engine, and a driver’s seat. Such are karts—tiny sports cars that surprisingly quickly gained widespread popularity in all countries of the world. Thanks to their simplicity and accessibility, karts opened the way to motorsports for broad segments of youth. Karting—racing in miniature cars—became a favorite sport of schoolchildren. Recently, the kart-car got Read more…