Lot details
Registration No: H799XRH
Frame No: 096963
Engine No: 096963
cc: 650
MOT Expiry Date: None

Russian motorcycles were first imported into the UK by the SATRA UK company who badged the machines as Cossacks, although it should be noted that unlike their western rivals, Soviet factories tended to concentrate on the production of one model or family of related models. Consequently what became known in the UK as a Cossack could in reality be a Ural, Minsk or Dnieper. The Cossack trade name continued until 1979 when the importation of Soviet motorcycles was taken over by former Cossack dealers Neval based in the north east of England. They had originally taken on the distribution of the Minsk two strokes in 1976 and now started to distribute the larger horizontal twins produced at the Ural and Dnieper factories in the UK. By the early eighties it was becoming apparent that the quality of the machines being imported left a little to be desired and Neval addressed this, replacing items such as the plug caps and carburettors with higher quality components. The machines found a limited but steady market, due to their inherent robustness and low cost.

This example of the 650cc overhead valve horizontally opposed twin dates from 1990. Like the majority of machines of its type sold in the UK it is equipped with a military style single seat sidecar complete with a spare wheel and features individual sprung pillion and riders saddles. It is offered with a copy of the original sale brochure, its original service book and a Swansea V5.