any mechanics that can assure me that the bike may be in working order

[u/psychopathic100118]

So this is kind of an update on my last post about the dnepr I'm buying its labeled as a 650 but I had one person tell me it's a Mt, I'm nervous when buying from Facebook marketplace since the last time I bought a motorcycle it only ran once and never started up again, I would have a mechanic actually check it out but everyone I've called in the area is completely booked so now I've resorted to Reddit lol if someone could reassure me that it may be legit that would be much appreciated

[u/Ok-Database377]

Since I neither know which year nor if it has a reverse gear or not I can't tell if it's a K650 or a later MT-9 model. Both are 650cc bikes and rather similar - and that's me assuming the bike is in original condition and not modified by anyone before.

You are buying a project bike, maybe not immediately, but it will be one in the future. Keep that in mind.

Regarding calling mechanics to take a look at the bike: Believe me, one might tell you the bike is trashed while the other is telling you it's running like new. For this kind of machine you need someone who actually has some experience with how they work and what is supposed to sound funny an what isn't.

So this one has been overhauled, at least repainted at some point. I'm gonna throw in a few points you need to check before handing over any money:

-Check the alternator, ask if it was overhauled and what voltage the system uses. There are 6V and 12V systems. You want to have an overhauled 12V charging system. Check the Voltage when running.

-Check the play of the back wheel. Grab the cardan shaft with one hand and hold it and see if there is massive play in the final drive. Those tend to bugger out and break at some point. Also ask what condition the gearing of the wheels are in (those are connected to the final drive to...well turn the wheel and propel you forward). Those old style hubs are rare and hard to get by now.

-Check if the bike is running well with a cold and hot engine. The sound at the back should sound like a techno concert with both exhaust pipes alternating left-right-left-right. No big pauses.

-While at it ask if there is an electronic contactless ignition installed or it still has the old contact ignition (which can and will be horribly unreliable at some point)

-Invest in a compression tester and watch a video on how to do a compression check. (Hot engine, both spark plug disconnected, full throttle and kick the bike until the tester isn't climbing anymore). Thats the only halfway reliable way to tell the health of the engine without disassembling it.

-Ask when the guy cleaned the oil centrifuge the last time. Those bikes don't have an oil filter, they whirl the oil around in the crankcase, those centrifuge and some other components get clogged with dirt and debris which lead to failure of the oil system if not checked and cleaned leading to drop in oil pressure and finally to death.

- IIRC there was something about an oil leak? Check, and by that be 1000% sure, if it's coming from the gaskets and not some random part around the engine. As in: In the middle of the cylinder heads or around the bolt that holds the engine to the frame (lower one in the front). Those can crack -> Engine housing is usually done for and need replacement, you don't want to weld communist aluminium. Gaskets on the other hand are easy enough to replace.

Hope this helps, but like I said just because the bike runs and drives now doesn't mean you gonna have 5 years without any problems.

[u/psychopathic100118 → u/Ok-Database377]

Wow thank you for the details I appreciate that a lot I will be sure to follow them, I just hope I can get this home, I don't mind it having future issues I would just like those issues to be at home and not two states over lol and fyi it is a 1973 it's only 1wd and he bought the bike from a museum and has only put a few miles on it, he said the museum restored it before selling it so it's still a 6volt so I hope it'll get me home because I have a 8 hour drive back but I am in love with these motorcycles and hope that this will be my steed for awhile!

[u/Ok-Database377 → u/psychopathic100118]

No Problem, another word of advice regarding oil.

API SF SAE 50 or 20W-50 for the engine, nothing modern because modern oil is keeping dirt in suspension (which is good if you want it pumped through the oil filter which is not the case here, you want the stuff as sediment in the oil pan). Depending on the kind of engine gaskets this might already be the reason why it's leaking oil. Some older gaskets start to get destroyed by modern oil additives.

API GL-3 or GL-4 SAE 110 or 80-90 for the gearbox. Newer GL-5 oil destroy the bushings eventually.

EDIT:/ Removed the GL-4 from the No-No list since it should work just fine according to the guys I know driving older rigs.

[u/SmellOfOnion]

650 is CC. Mt is model. It's most likely Mt10-36 or Mt11, depending on some details. Edit2: Nvm I got mistaken. All Dnepr 650 engines have identical parts so in terms of replacement parts you don't have to worry that much as long as you won't try to put Ural parts into it. Check if it's 6v or 12v, what's the type of ignition, those are important things

[u/HistoricalBridge7]

That looks like a 750 to me but I could be wrong. The 650 had rounder heads while the 750 have more rectangular heads. Post the link from marketplace. It sounds a little off to me but that’s very hard to tell

[u/mofapilot]

That's at least a Dnepr engine. Old stock parts are hard to come by. Often they don't even fit, because they probably were sorted Out AS defective in the first place. The new reproduction parts are junk.