KARPATY | 1981-97 | Ukraine (USSR)
A note on the header: the Karpaty was manufactured in Lviv, which is in Ukraine, not Russia. At the time of production the city was part of the Soviet Union, but the factory was always on Ukrainian territory.
The Lviv Motor Factory (LMZ) was founded in 1919 and initially produced vehicle trailers until it began developing moped prototypes in 1958. The factory produced a succession of motorised bicycles and moped models before launching the Verkhovyna series in 1970, which became a milestone in the factory’s history. The Verkhovyna name continued in the factory’s model range until 1982.
In the spring of 1981, the Lviv Motor Factory produced the first Karpaty mokick under the designation LMZ-2.160. Five years later the factory presented an updated model known as the Karpaty-2, designated LMZ-2.161. The mokick was built around a tube frame, a telescopic front fork with shock absorber springs, a pendulum rear suspension, and interchangeable wheels. Both versions were developed in consultation with representatives of the Leningrad Branch of VNIITE, the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Industrial Design.
The Karpaty series, covering designations LMZ-2.160, LMZ-2.160C, and LMZ-2.160-01, was equipped with Sh-58, Sh-62, Sh-62M, and V-50 engines. From 1981 to 1983 the Sh-58, Sh-62, and Sh-62M engines were fitted; from 1984 to 1985 the V-50 with thin shafts, sourced from the Siauliai plant Vairas, was used. The Sh-62 was a more advanced unit produced by the Šiauliai Factory in Lithuania, incorporating a contactless ignition system. The V-50 engine used hand-operated gear changes, while the V-501 variant used foot-operated gear changes.
The Karpaty-2 Sport (LMZ-2.160C) was released in 1986 and differed from the base model in a slightly elongated fork, a carrying handle in place of a luggage rack, a crossbar-style motocross handlebar, foot gear shifting, and a raised front mudguard and exhaust.
The Karpaty-2 Cross (LMZ-2.752) was created for children’s and youth sports schools, was not equipped with lighting devices, and featured a larger front wheel, adjustable suspension, off-road tires, and number plate brackets. In 1989 approximately 500 units were produced and the model was not available for retail sale. It was fitted with a V-501 engine.
In the best years the Lviv Motor Plant produced 300,000 mokiks annually, though by the mid-1980s demand declined and output dropped to around 100,000 units per year. In the 1990s there were attempts to begin production of a new moped called the Lviv, using Polish Dezamet engines as a substitute for those previously sourced from Šiauliai, but the collapse of the USSR, the new international borders, and the shift to currency-based supplier relationships undermined the factory’s capacity and led to its closure. Production of two-wheeled vehicles at LMZ was finally curtailed in 1997, the factory’s equipment was dismantled and removed, and the former factory buildings were subsequently rented by third-party companies unrelated to motorcycle production
