Motor scooter "Electron" was developed in 1973 by the design bureau of an engineering plant in the city of Vyatka. The task was to create a light two-wheeled vehicle for two people, economical and inexpensive. The predecessor and basis for the development was the Vyatka-150 model, which was produced since 1957 and was copied at one time from an Italian analogue called Vespa. This prototype was used in many countries, the scooter was of the simplest design and very technological.
A bit of history
Licensed, modernized and even pirated options, released around the world, made the Italian scooter very popular. We could not resist the temptation to use Vespa as a base model for the first Soviet scooter and Vyatka manufacturers. They did not do a full copy out of fear of claims from Italy, but the main parameters were used.
So in 1957 the Vyatka-150 appeared, and in 1964 the Vyatka-150VP modification was created, which differed from the previous version with an extended base, a new body, and a modernized front fork. The rear suspension received a chain drive instead of the previous direct connection of the engine with the drive wheel.
Production development
An improved transmission has become the main argument in favor of the exclusivity of Vyatka-150VP. The modified model could already be sent for export without fear of receiving complaints from Italians about copyright infringement. The new model was launched into the series in 1967, on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the October Revolution, and the former Vyatka was then discontinued.
New model
In 1973, as already mentioned, the Vyatka-Polyansky plant began to produce the Vyatka-Electron scooter, the legitimate successor to the Vyatka-150. The body was radically redesigned, rounded contours disappeared, the exterior became more rapid and modern. The engine added in power, now the thrust was 7 liters. s., and the ignition system was completely redone. Instead of the previous contact on the Electron scooter, a novelty of that time was installed - a device for contactless supply of sparks.
Service Challenges
Because of this innovation, the scooter was named after Electron. Contactless ignition was considered a breakthrough in the motorcycle industry, but a new, underdeveloped system often crashed, or simply failed. There were no workshops for adjusting the device, and the owners of Electron had to look for specialists privately, sometimes without success. The rest of the scooter was quite successful. On the move, it was stable, the engine worked quietly, maneuverability was at a high level. Profitability also pleased owners - gasoline consumption did not exceed three and a half liters per 100 kilometers in mixed mode. And with good adjustment, the Electron scooter consumed 3.1 liters per hundred kilometers.
Drop in demand
However, in general, a good car in the near future was waiting for an unfortunate fate. By the end of the seventies, the popularity of the scooter began to decline. This is primarily due to increased opportunities for the purchase of cars by the population. In addition, many preferred to buy motorcycles as a form of transport more adapted to movement, and scooters did not differ in cross-country ability, they got stuck on a blurred road. They could not pass where the motorcycle easily passed. The speed characteristics of the Electron also could not stand comparison.
Among other things, the USSR began supplying Czechoslovakian Java bikes: a single-cylinder model Java-250 and a two-cylinder Java-350 with a sidecar. A beautiful, cherry-colored car immediately conquered the market throughout the Soviet Union. Young people dreamed of acquiring a prestigious motorcycle, and they simply forgot about the Electron scooter.
All Sporttorg bases in a short time turned out to be overstocked by unsold motor scooters, shops one by one refused supplies. And, as a consequence of this, the leadership of the Vyatka-Polyansk plant was forced to stop the production of Electron, so the history of Vyatka scooters ended there. Only many years later, after the collapse of the USSR, the factory managed to establish the release of a scooter called the Swift - a copy of the German Zimzon.
Motor scooter "Electron": technical specifications
- Number of places - 2.
- The engine is carbureted, gasoline, single-cylinder, two-stroke.
- The volume of the cylinder is 148 cubic centimeters.
- Power - 7 liters. from.
- Scooter weight - 120 kg.
- The top speed is 80 km / h.
- Gasoline consumption - 3.1 liters.
- The capacity of the gas tank is 12 liters.
Repairs
Motor scooter "Electron", spare parts for which can still be found in specialized markets, is subject to restoration. It is not easy to repair a rarity, but the more interesting the work will be.