The Dnepr Solo of 1991 was a road motorcycle without a sidecar, built by KMZ when the demand for heavy outfits was falling. The factory code was KMZ 8.157.01, and the model was followed by an updated Solo, a Chopper and a touring project that never reached series production.
Dnepr Solo at a glance
| Maker | KMZ, Kyiv |
|---|---|
| Production | from 1991 |
| Model code | KMZ 8.157.01 |
| Type | solo road motorcycle |
| Engine | 650 cc OHV flat twin |
| Wheels | 18-inch on the 8.157.02 |
| Final drive | higher-ratio final drive on the 8.157.02 |
| Exhaust | two silencers on the 8.157.02 |
| Chopper version | 8.157-022, 1992, with an electric starter |
| Tourer project | 157-23, two examples built |
The Solo is described in the Russian history of the Dnepr marque; this page uses that section and the English overview of the range.
History of the Dnepr Solo
A Dnepr without a sidecar
In 1991 KMZ introduced a solo road motorcycle called the Solo, with the factory designation 8.157.01. It used the familiar 650 cc overhead-valve flat twin but was intended for riders who wanted a single-track machine rather than a sidecar outfit. The Solo came at the end of the Soviet period, when the factory was looking for models that could compete with imported motorcycles and when the sidecar market was beginning to shrink.
The 8.157.02
A second version, the 8.157.02, differed from the standard Dneprs in many details. It had a different final drive, a gearbox with a special speedometer gear for accurate readings with the taller gearing, and the reverse lever was blocked. The wheels were 18-inch with chrome rims and Izhevsk tyres, the mudguard was fixed to the fork legs and had a different shape, and the fork used softer springs with an aluminium top triple clamp. The 8.157.02 also received crash bars, a smaller handlebar, a tool box under the seat, a mounting for a pump, side covers, a swingarm on tapered bearings, indicators on both sides, a different rear brake rod and lever, softer chrome springs and two silencers.
Chopper and tourer
In 1992 KMZ added the 8.157-022 Chopper. It was distinguished from the base Solo by its bodywork and had a higher compression ratio for AI-92 petrol. All Choppers were fitted with an electric starter, and the first batch used five-speed gearboxes. The factory also prepared a more ambitious touring motorcycle, the 157-23, with a large fairing, two plastic panniers, an electric starter, a five-speed gearbox, four crash bars, wide seats with a backrest for the passenger and a foot platform. Its wheelbase was 90 mm longer than the Chopper’s and its dry mass was 35 kg greater, at 260 kg. Only two examples were built before the change of management that proved disastrous for KMZ.
Design and features
- Solo layout: a single-track road motorcycle after decades of sidecar outfits.
- 18-inch wheels: chrome rims and Izhevsk tyres on the 8.157.02.
- Revised chassis: a softer fork, a swingarm on tapered bearings and a different rear brake linkage.
- Chopper version: bodywork, higher compression and an electric starter from 1992.
Dnepr Solo versions
- 8.157.01 Solo (1991): the original solo road motorcycle.
- 8.157.02: the updated Solo with 18-inch wheels, a taller final drive and two silencers.
- 8.157-022 Chopper (1992): bodywork, higher compression and an electric starter.
- 157-23: the touring project, two examples built.
The Solo was a solo alternative to the MT-11 and the MT-16 outfits. More models are in the Dnepr collection.
Sources
- Днепр (мотоцикл), Russian Wikipedia: Solo, 8.157.02, Chopper, 157-23
- Dnepr (motorcycle), English Wikipedia: the KMZ range after the Soviet era
