After yesterday’s Rare Russian, reader David N. though we’d like to see another one. Meet the Minsk Wildcat, a 125cc dual sport made by the Minsk Motorcycle Company of Belarus. Known for being incredibly durable, they are widely available in Russia, Cambodia, the UK, and Vietnam.
Speaking of Vietnam, we first heard of Minsk through the British TV show Top Gear. Normally focused on cars, the show did a special where the three hosts rode little motorcycles from Saigon to Halong City, a distance of 1,000 miles in Vietnam. It’s one of the greatest episodes of Top Gear, and we highly recommend you check it out here (if you have an hour to kill!). As you’ll see, Richard Hammond rocks a Minsk for the trip, with varying levels of success. As a bonus, James May uses a Honda Super Cub.
An excellent learner bike, the Minsk Wildcat features a 125cc two-stroke that produces 10 horsepower and was capable of just over 50 miles per hour. You didn’t get much in terms of extras, but that is one of the fundamental reasons why this bike has done so well in rural environments. You got four gears,a left-side kicker, drum brakes front and rear, 6o miles per gallon, and not much else.
Today we feature two Minsk Wildcats. In Flint, Michigan, there’s a 2000 model here on Craigslist for $400 in a utilitarian blue. Or if red is more of your color, check out this 1999 model here on Craigslist for $999 in Philadelphia.