MINSK Repair Manual page 13

This circular movement of the cam
disk is connected by a large shaft in the
middle of the engine to both the
generator on the right hand side (where
it spins the magnet which generates the
electricity) as well to a cog on the left
hand side (which spins the clutch via a
small chain called the clutch chain). If
you look at your Minsk from above you
will notice that the axis of the generator
on the right hand side is lined up with
the cog (under the clutch cover on the
left hand side). The clutch chain then
takes the power to the clutch which is lined up with the main drive sprocket on the
right hand side. The drive sprocket is what turns the main chain and hence
Clutch
Cover
clutch chain
and cog
under here
the back wheel. In between the clutch and the drive sprocket are the gears.
The clutch is the point where the power of the engine can be disengaged from
the back wheel. When engaged (clutch lever out), six or four clutch pads press
against metal disks inside the clutch with enough force to transfer all the power of
the engine to the back wheel. When disengaged (clutch lever
squeezed in) the pads move away slightly from the metal disks
and the two systems can slide past each other. The clutch pads
and the metal disks still touch each other while sliding past each
other when you squeeze the clutch lever in. That is why you wear
down your clutch pads quickly if you hold in the clutch lever a
lot. This is what's called 'riding the clutch'.
It follows that should the clutch be engaged and the bike in gear, then any
attempt to manually push the bike forward will be difficult because the back wheel
has to force the piston to move up and down contrary to the resistance of the
compressed air in the cylinder above the piston. Only if you change into second
gear and give the bike a good hard push will you have enough power to cause the
piston to move up and down a few times in just the same manner as kick-starting
©Digby Greenhalgh 2000
Minsk Repair Manual
clutch and drive
sprocket run
along this axis
10
generator, engine
shaft, cam disk
and cog run along
this axis
clutch pads
under here
clutch plate