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The Kovrovets racing motorcycles were made by the Degtyarev Plant in Kovrov ,Vladimir Region , around 300km southeast of Moscow.
This production facility was already building weapons and various machines when motocycles were added to that list in 1946.
The motorcycle was a copy of the German DKW 125RT of which the red army had occupied the machines and drawings.
The little 125 was first simply called "K" and later on Kovrovets.
In 1957 this humble bike had evolved in a somewhat larger bike of own design. This bike was called Voskhod 175 ,and it was the technical base for a series of special motorsports bikes.
With some small changes to the housing ,a big alloy-finned cylinder ,a better crankshaft and special ratio in the gearbox the DKW origined engine was made suitable for motocross ,roadracing or motoball.
In 1959 the first roadracer was produced ,and in the years that followed there was a steady flow of racebikes leaving the motorsports department of the factory.
The roadracer was called "Kovrovets" again (like the old roadbike) ,referring to its roots in the city of Kovrov.
There is little known about the production numbers ,types or dates.
All Kovrovets racers had a special made frame ,of which roughly 3 types can be recognised. A high frame with short swingarm ,a high frame with a longer swingarm ,and a lower frame.
Also three tanks are used: ,a curvy long special-made steel tank ,a normal Voskhod road tank with a fibreglass part behind it to make it long enough ,and a squared tank which was used on the last racers with the lower frame.
Three kind of cylinders are also recognized ,with exhaust angled to the side ,with exhaust straight out ,and the same with a reed valve intlet.
This information could create the idea that 3 types of racebikes were made ,but this is not so.
Oficially there are two types: The Kovrovets Sh-K 175 (WK in Cyrillic ,the W is translated Sh) This bike varies a lot and combines the first two of the three parts varieties.
And the Kovrovets Sh-K 175* ,also called Voskhod Sh-K 175* which shows that marketing tactics even found their way in Russia (name your racer after the roadbike..)
The Sh-K 175* features the lower frame ,aerodynamical bodywork ,the square racetank and the reedvalve cylinder. Its general apearance has something similar to the Honda MT125 productionracer.
The Sh-K175* production must have started somewhere in the early '80s.
All Kovrovets racers (even the last ones) have the same horribly underpowered brake ,a copy of a CZ motocross brake.
The roadrace competition in the USSR countries had special rules that prohibited the change of various parts like this cursed brakedrum.
The 175 class was also very popular as a womens class. Woman had their own races in USSR countries.
The production of racing bikes was stopped somewhere in the end of the '80s.
Total output might be around 200 racing bikes.
Today the Degtyarev Plant still produces motorcycles ,and also a 200cc engine which is still recognizable as a member of the large DKW family ,but earns his remarkable powerplus (compared to the DKW125RT) on the technical base of the last Kovrovets racing engines.
Should anybody know more about the Kovrovets racing motorcycles ,please donot hesitate to contact me.
Martijn Stehouwer ,2007
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