Of course, motorcycles can be divided according to cross-country ability, but who can be called a champion....... and the winner in terms of cross-country ability can be called a little-known type of motor vehicle - pneumatic: a type of motorcycle with huge tires. Such motorcycles (and they are made of nickel) are quite popular in difficult areas of our planet: the tundra, the far north, etc.
Due to their huge size and ultra-low pressure inside (about 0.2-0.3 atmospheres), they provide a wide contact patch and, as a result, low pressure on the ground. That’s why a pneumatic is capable of driving not only through any mud, swamp and snow, where there is nothing for other vehicles to “catch”, but even swim.
Pneumatics are the most environmentally friendly type of ground wheeled transport - they do not destroy grass cover. Nature will especially highly appreciate this quality when used in the North, in the tundra, where the “scars” from any tracked or wheeled vehicles do not heal for years.
For those who are tight on money for a new snowmobile, but have their hands in the place, a motorcycle turned into a wheeled snowmobile is a panacea for all transport ills. In addition, pneumatics, in comparison with the most common snowmobiles on tracks in hard-to-reach regions, have a lot of undoubted operational advantages. The most significant thing is low fuel consumption and all-season use. Another important “plus” is a guarantee of safety during winter driving on ice in water bodies: if you get into an ice hole, you won’t drown.
A little about the variety and design
There are two- and three-track pneumatics. Three-track ones are the simplest - in their design, more than half of the “stuffing” of the motorcycle is preserved. The fact that this is really simple is confirmed by the fact that in the North all existing brands of domestic motorcycles and even mopeds are converted into pneumatics.
The front fork stays are replaced by two pipes with strongly spread lower ends so that a large wheel fits between them. On some, they leave the fork with the “native” motorcycle wheel, but attach a ski to it (in this case, the further forward the ski is placed, the better the cross-country ability on soft snow). It's easier. However, in this case, the pneumatic tire loses its buoyancy, as well as the ability to ride in the summer.
Instead of a standard pendulum, an axle with two wheels is installed at the rear. Theoretically, it is possible to make a pneumatic with one wheel at the back (like a regular single motorcycle), but only stuntmen could ride such a device.
The cameras are wide, they seem to be under-inflated, because everything that rests on them is constantly “floating” - the design reacts completely inadequately to obstacles. Therefore, to maintain balance on a two-wheeled caracate(someone’s light hand gave this ironic nickname to pneumatics) is very difficult. Although judging by the photo, “Kulibin” solved the problem - he put skis on the sides!
Some designers increase the buoyancy of cars: they make the hull airtight, install a propeller or an additional outboard motor.
There is no such thing as perfect in technology. Pneumatics also have disadvantages. The first and most important scourge of “crooks” is the fragility of the cameras. The large dimensions of the wheels and the absence, as a rule, of a differential make these cars clumsy, and the low pressure in the chambers deprives the driver of precise control. When driving at above-zero temperatures, dirt and water flying from the wheels are annoying - it’s not at all easy to cover such large wheels with wings. Therefore, it is better not to drive on public roads with pneumatic tires. The cross-country ability of a pneumatic in deep snow is still worse than that of a tracked snowmobile (at least the Buran). Only all-wheel drive 4- and 6-wheeled designs can compete with Buran in cross-country ability.
The human desire to increase the cross-country ability of a motorcycle is as old as the motorcycle itself, but the most successful version of its implementation - designs on ultra-low pressure tires - appeared relatively recently. It is difficult to say exactly who and where built the first pneumatic. But as an option, we can consider the apparatus of Tula father and son Vladimir and Vyacheslav Laukhin to be the first to be “lit up” in the press.
In the early 80s, living in Tula and not having a scooter was considered bad manners. He was in the Laukhin family. The head of the family attached two cameras from a farm trailer to his semi-homemade “Ant” in place of the rear wheel, and a plywood ski in front. On this all-terrain vehicle, the inventors plowed through suburban swamps, fields, and frozen ponds. There were some incidents: more than once at night, truck drivers, not figuring out where the road was in the dark, drove onto a slightly snow-covered track from an “Ant” all-terrain vehicle and... ended up in arable land. They say they were looking for the inventor to punch him in the face...
Like ripples on the water, rumors about the miracle device spread in all directions. The idea of the people's "rogue" was picked up and the magazine "Modelist-Constructor" began to "promote". All-Union Society of Inventors and Innovators, DOSAAF. From 1984 to 1991, all-Union competitions for home-made pneumatic all-terrain vehicles were held. It is curious that at the second such competition, held in Arkhangelsk, many DIYers gathered with their devices made... from plywood. In appearance they looked more like boats than land vehicles. The motorcycle engine drove two pairs of rear balanced chamber wheels from the GAZ-53. The front wheels were suspended on a transverse balancer. These are the six-wheeled caracats that appeared before the eyes of amazed journalists.
Long-distance runs across the North have become widely known. After them, the number of pneumatic ones increased sharply. By the end of the 80s, in the Arkhangelsk region alone there were 11 thousand of them, and in total there were about 100 thousand of them in the North.
Naturally, with such a surge of interest in pneumatic all-terrain vehicles, attempts were made to produce them in series. In Neftekamsk, the Bashselmash plant produced pneumatics for several years, based on Voskhod. About 800 of them were collected. Later, in Zelenodolsk, at the Sergo Plant, several hundred three-wheeled motorcycles were made based on the liquid Izh Jupiter. The general decline in motorcycle production in the late 90s again transferred the production of Russian pneumatics to private garages and sheds.
Recent years in the north have been marked by some surge of interest in cars with ultra-low pressure tires. The main reason is that the North needs environmentally friendly transport that does not destroy the tundra. However, a modern pneumatic is no longer the same as it was 30 - 34 years ago.
The driver and passengers are in a comfortable cabin, and high driving performance is achieved by an effective suspension and a large number of wheels (usually six), made using special technology. Yes, this is more like a car. But life was given to him by a motorcycle…….
They rightfully occupy first place in cross-country ability among specialized equipment in this class, leaving behind such very powerful motorcycle equipment as choppers, hard enduros, or trials. The owner of the highest cross-country ability is, of course, the pneumatic, the main feature of which can be called huge low-pressure pneumatic tires. In this regard, the area of contact with the ground is quite extensive, which provides the caracata, or, if you prefer, pneumatics, with a very low coefficient of pressure on the ground.
It is precisely because of this design feature that caracats and pneumatics are able to overcome road surfaces of almost any degree of difficulty, be it swampy areas, snow piles, or “impassable” mud. This special equipment is very useful for use in difficult conditions of the north, in the taiga, and simply for lovers of real hunting or fishing. On top of everything, even pneumatics, or other types of carats, are recognized as the most environmentally friendly vehicle, which, moreover, does not destroy the grass when driving, which is important for the cold regions of our country.
Any person with at least basic technical skills can make a karakat or a pneumatic on low-pressure tires; the main thing is the desire and availability of suitable conditions, in the form of a warm garage, for example, and as for the funds, the costs of developing and manufacturing this the vehicle will not be large at all, at least that’s what those who were directly involved in the independent construction of pneumatics or caracats say. In addition, this type of transport has a great advantage over all well-known all-terrain vehicles on caterpillar tracks; they are very economical, lightweight and safe (although somewhat clumsy), since, in the event of overcoming a water obstacle, low-pressure tires will not “allow” it to drown. . Caracats and pneumatics come in various types and designs, 3 and 4 track, with 3, 4, 6 wheels, as well as with and without all-wheel drive.
I think that the desire to embody the fabulous “our sleigh drives itself” appeared exactly at the moment when I screwed the internal combustion engine to my Reitwagen. However, if everything was clear with the engine - it was invented, then with the propulsion unit things were noticeably more complicated. The snow wheel is not very suitable. It still rides on dense and rolled roads (and who will roll it), but not on “chubby” roads. An excellent solution is runners or skis, but they cannot be a propulsion device, and the obvious technology of a caterpillar drive at the beginning, and even by the middle of the last century, did not develop beyond canvas rags with transverse hooks. The option of metal tracks for small equipment, of course, was not suitable.
Snowmobile
A solution was found: on the wave of aviation moving by leaps and bounds, an aircraft engine was attached to a “cart” standing on three or four skis and equipped with an aircraft propeller. We didn’t even have to redo anything - we just turned the screw the other way around so that it went from pulling to pushing - and off we went.
Snowmobile KA-30
Snowmobiles were quite popular in Siberia and the Far North, plying along frozen river beds, serving remote settlements, shifts of drillers and geologists, as well as reindeer herders living in the tundra. Snowmobiles were also widely used during the Great Patriotic War, both by our troops and by the Germans.
One of the most popular and widespread models in the USSR was the Sever-2 snowmobile, developed at the Kamov Design Bureau in 1959. The body of the GAZ-20 Pobeda car was taken as a basis, to which skis and an AI-14 aircraft engine were attached - a star-shaped nine-cylinder unit with a volume of 10.4 liters and a power of 260 hp. The speed of the car was low, the fuel consumption was noticeable, and such a car could carry little cargo or passengers.
However, much closer to our snowmobile theme are the numerous home-made vehicles that local “Kulibins” built in huge quantities in workshops and garages, fortunately the design did not have any particularly complex elements. The body was often completely absent: a seat on the frame, skis, a motor, a propeller - and off you went.
The obvious disadvantages of any snowmobile are high fuel consumption at not the highest speeds, mediocre handling, almost complete absence of brakes, difficulty in overcoming deep areas of powder and not the best acoustic comfort for riders. Apparently, for a combination of these reasons, the topic of a hybrid of an airplane and a sleigh was not developed.
Pucker karakat
Machines on low-pressure wheels - pneumatics - turned out to be much more efficient and versatile. In different parts of the country they are called differently: caracats, pneumatics and even pukers, but the meaning does not change. Caracats are partly classified as snowmobiles in the strict sense of the word, since they are able to move on any surface from swampy swamps to hard soil and snow and can even swim. However, it is in winter that these devices can be seen most often.
Karakat on the units and frame of the Izh Planeta-5 motorcycle - a classic of the genre
The design of such machines is most often based on a motorcycle engine from Izh, Minsk or Voskhod, and now craftsmen are installing Chinese units. The layout can be three- or four-wheeled. If the three-wheeled version is most often a modified motorcycle, then four wheels already required the manufacture of an independent frame.
The main advantages are simplicity and low cost of production in a garage. This is what accounts for the popularity of pukers to this day. However, this type of snow machines also has a fair number of disadvantages: the inability to drive in deep snow, low speed, poor handling, the invincible “tenderness” of wheels made from inner tubes of trucks and tractors. Naturally, there can be no talk of any entertaining use of such machines: the maximum they are capable of is moving a body or two in space. Slow and boring.
A motorcycle dog is a man's friend
Once upon a time, the motorcycle was a very common means of transport in the USSR, which primarily led to the appearance of a large number of caracats. However, now finding an old but serviceable motorcycle in the garage is quite a task, and not everyone has the time to “do it yourself,” and the need for a cheap and compact snow vehicle has not gone away. For the same fishermen, it’s not at all sweet to stomp 5-10 kilometers on the ice to a cool place, but buying a snowmobile for this is also not an option. Therefore, at the moment, the most compact, simple and cheap way to move yourself and a small load in shallow snow is a motorized towing vehicle or a motorized dog.
A simple frame, a caterpillar (most often from Buran) on rollers without any suspension and a motor for power equipment - the same as those used in gas generators and motor pumps. The picture is completed by plastic sleds with a rigid coupling - that’s the whole recipe.
Motorized dogs can vary in size and power, have a CVT or (more often) not have it, just like headlights and seats - these are all options. But the average design fits into the trunk of a station wagon, which, without a doubt, raises its functionality to the skies.
Naturally, it is also impossible to talk about the recreational use of such sleds. There is zero comfort, speed is slightly faster than a pedestrian, maneuverability is at the level of a railway carriage. The slogan “but not on foot” suits this transport perfectly. Considering that “on foot” you often have to travel many kilometers on ice, this sounds especially relevant.
Microsnowmobiles
For those who do not want to ride a “trough with a motor,” modern industry, both ours and the Chinese, offers a higher level of technology – microsnowmobiles. In terms of layout, these are almost real snowmobiles, albeit quite small. Often the devices have a collapsible design and can also fit into the trunk of a large station wagon or minivan.
Microsnowmobile Rybinka produced by Russian Mechanics. Our answer to the Chinese
This technique can already be called “real” and is suitable not only for moving yourself and your fishing box from the road to the hole, but can also take part in rides around the dacha.
Of course, there is no need to talk about comfort, dynamics or cross-country ability here either, but this is already a fully-fledged snowmobile.
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Chinese answer to Russian snow: Irbis Dingo
Children's snowmobiles
Someone will say: “Ha, this is technology for children,” and they will be only partly right. Of course, 125-150 cc microsnowmobiles are similar to children's snowmobiles, but still primarily designed for adult riders. But those who want to introduce their child to the world of snowmobiles should pay attention to special children's models. There are not many of them: in the world, only a few companies produce children's "snowballs". Among them are Yamaha, Arctic Cat and Russian Mechanics, and all three models are almost identical in terms of performance characteristics.
Domestic RM “Taiga Lynx” – 196 “cubes”, 6.5 hp, 75 kg
Children's cars are full-fledged devices, with the ergonomics and kinematics of “adult” cars, but on a children’s scale. Some young snowmobilers get behind the wheel of such machines at the age of five or six and, like adult riders, saw the snow on the “wrong foot” and drive through the powder, albeit not quickly. For safety reasons, the speed of such cars is limited.
Yamaha SRX 120 – Japanese version of the “first snowmobile”
Fat people
At the opposite “pole” of personal snowmobile equipment lie “mastodons” - large snowmobiles. There are very few of these in the world - due to the limited scope of their use. Nevertheless, there is a demand for such machines, and there is also a supply. Most recently, BRP attempted to market a “luxury” snowmobile, the Ski-Doo Elite, twice. The first attempt took place in the early 80s of the last century.
First generation Ski-Doo Elite
The second incarnation was in 2004. The car was distinguished by a non-standard layout: two tracks and two skis, side-by-side seating for the driver and passenger, and “car” controls. Now the “experiment” has been discontinued. Despite external advantages such as comfort in the “interior” and a soft ride, the car turned out to be rather poorly adapted to life outside of prepared roads. Burying a heavy and clumsy car in the snow is a piece of cake, but rescuing it from snow captivity is a breeze. And in terms of the level of fun and drive, such a “kibitka” is noticeably inferior to a regular “snowball”.
The second generation of the car was released in 2004, but almost immediately became history.
There are, however, “promising developments” from domestic manufacturers of all-terrain vehicles – NPO Transport. Among the usual tracked transporters there is a machine called TTM-Berkut, built on the components of the Oka car, and its second iteration with a more presentable design, which was presented in 2013. However, the “Russian path,” as we know, differs from the paths of the rest of the world, and they will have to understand that such machines are not very viable and practical.
TTM-Berkut - a domestic attempt to make a snowmobile out of a snowmobile
The only production vehicle with a similar “square” layout with two tracks and two skis remains the Alpina Sherpa. The snowmobile also has two tracks and two steerable skis, and is equipped with an engine from a Peugeot 206 with a volume of 1.6 liters and a power of 115 hp. The Sherpa is capable of carrying up to five people on itself, and in addition, it has a trailer that can accommodate six more. By the way, a snowmobile can pull more than just a sled.
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Do-it-yourself caracat all-terrain vehicles
Welcome to the section about various homemade cars and motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, caracats, etc. Below on the page there are links to articles with a brief description of the content. The information on the site is taken from open sources and each page contains a link to the source.Three-wheeled caracats based on motor vehicles and the like. Lightweight caracats made from motorcycles are the most common and simplest transport for overcoming mostly winter snowy expanses. This is an ideal type of transport for winter fishing, as it does not sink, is passable, simple and economical. People also make all-wheel drive caracats 3*3 or even 4*4, which in terms of cross-country ability are not inferior to more serious pneumatic vehicles.
Light all-terrain vehicles with low-power internal combustion engines. Lightweight all-terrain vehicles with a simple body and frame. They are usually made from scratch, and the engines used are motorcycle engines, walk-behind tractors, and other low-power and lightweight ones. The peculiarity of light all-terrain vehicles is their availability for manufacturing, which is why they are in the majority. The design is quite simple, and the materials are usually not expensive. And the design of all-terrain vehicles can be anything.
All-terrain vehicles made on the basis of cars. The section contains homemade all-terrain vehicles on low-pressure wheels, created on the basis of production cars. All-terrain vehicles such as our NIVA, UAZ can be said to be ready-made all-terrain vehicles, which just needed to be equipped with low-pressure tires and the suspension slightly reworked. This way, with minimal effort, you get reliable and comfortable all-terrain vehicles.
Pneumatic all-terrain vehicles made from scratch. Articles about caracats, swamp vehicles, all-terrain vehicles on low-pressure tires, which were built from scratch. That is, starting from the frame and ending with the appearance. Typically, these caracats are all-wheel drive, with low-power engines, economical and designed for leisurely driving and off-road driving. But unlike the first section, these caracats have a more finished appearance and quality.
All-terrain vehicles, caracats on low pressure tires
The section contains articles about homemade caracat all-terrain vehicles created from scratch. That is, not based on donors, but made from the frame and transmission to the appearance and ergonomics. Lightweight all-terrain vehicles with low pressure tires for trips to pick berries, mushrooms, for fishing and hunting.>
All-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle 6*6
A roomy large six-wheeled all-wheel drive floating all-terrain vehicle. The cargo-passenger cabin accommodates up to eight people. Built for long trips for fishing and hunting to be used as a hut 
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Snow-swamp-movement with VAZ2108 engine
This serious all-terrain vehicle is made, one might say, of factory quality. Serious and powerful engine, reliable all-wheel drive transmission and finished appearance. Low pressure wheels TREKOL size 1300/600 
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Homemade all-terrain vehicle with an Oka engine
The all-terrain vehicle is completely homemade, the engine was originally from Izhevsk (IZH Jupiter 5 with liquid cooling), but it “died”. Instead, an Oka engine was installed. The frame and body are completely homemade, Nivskaya transmission 
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Homemade all-terrain vehicle
Engine from Oka, UAZ "kolkhoznik" axles. The all-terrain vehicle is prepared for long-distance and multi-day trips, an additionally installed gas generator, engine heating, electric heater, compressor 
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All-terrain vehicle on UAZ axles with a VAZ engine
A homemade all-terrain vehicle with an engine from a VAZ2107, two gearboxes, a VAZ on the engine and then a drive to the UAZ gearbox and then a UAZ transfer case. UAZ frame with axles, homemade body 
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All-terrain vehicle "Perelomka" on VAZ 4*4 bridges
High-quality budget all-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle-karakat all-wheel drive on axles from VAZ2106. The transmission consists of a belt drive (also known as a clutch), a VAZ gearbox, a chain gearbox and a UAZ steering knuckle 
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Do-it-yourself 6*4 all-terrain vehicle with ZAZ internal combustion engine
An interesting option for a budget simple all-terrain snowmobile. The suspensions do not have shock absorbers, but are made according to the rocker principle, the rear wheels move along the body, and the front wheels move across, the rear wheels are driven by a chainAll-terrain vehicles based on cars
A car, almost any one, is an excellent donor for creating an all-terrain vehicle based on it. The advantage compared to building from scratch is that there is already a body, salt, electrical equipment and a power unit. Basically, all that remains is to rebuild the suspension and install larger wheels. Also, an all-terrain vehicle made on the basis of a commercially produced vehicle is easier in terms of obtaining all the necessary documents for movement on public roads. 
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Homemade all-terrain vehicle from VAZ2106 and UAZ469
In general, they sent the “six” to the village, but with rear-wheel drive it was not very helpful, they needed a passable vehicle to bring firewood from the forest and drive along village roads, so they crossed a VAZ and an UAZ. 
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Karakat from Zaporozhets
The body and chassis of the Zaporozhets remained unchanged, a separate frame was simply welded on which the body and drive from the rear axle are placed, directly from the hubs with the help of chains it goes to the large wheels... 
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All-terrain vehicle based on the Oka car
A classic conversion of the Oka into an all-wheel drive SUV on low-pressure tires. The bridges are from UAZ, the Nivskaya transfer case, the differential is welded in the Okovskaya box. Wheels stripped from scratch on homemade rims with offset 
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Oka 4*4 on LUAZ bridges
Oka is an SUV, an all-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle with independent suspension. The suspension is assembled on UAZ axles, which have been converted to the desired layout. The steering is made with steering of the rear wheels, which reduced the turning radius. 
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All-terrain vehicle from OKI frame and UAZ axles
All-terrain vehicle from Oka. The frame with axles is from a UAZ, the transfer case is from a Niva. The wheels are stripped from a GAZ-66, the rims are made from rims from the Volga. A simple all-wheel drive all-terrain vehicle design 
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All-terrain vehicle from OKI all-wheel drive
The all-terrain vehicle is made on the basis of the body and power unit from Oka. UAZ axles, front axle with self-locking. The frame is welded from a profile pipe, the transfer case engine and axles do not depend on the body, it is simply placed on the frameCaracat three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles
Articles about lightweight caracat all-terrain vehicles, assembled mainly on Soviet-made motorcycles, or with installed motorcycle engines, from walk-behind tractors, and others. These are the most common type on low pressure wheels. The advantages of such transport are simplicity, low weight and efficiency since motors with a power of only about 10-20 l/s are enough for a simple leisurely ride. Basically, such caracats are made from surviving Soviet motorcycles, but now “Chinese” ones and even thoroughbred sportbikes are being used. 
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Simple easy karakat
A three-wheeled lightweight caracat, the main purpose of its construction was movement on winter village roads and fishing trips, so all-terrain qualities were not required from it, the main thing was efficiency and light weight, simplicity of design. 
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Simple caracat for fishing
Classic pneumatic drive with a power unit from an Ant scooter 10 l/s. An indispensable assistant for moving on ice and snow, it gets to places where a car or thin ice cannot pass, it carries slowly, but in large quantities. 
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Pneumatic with T200 engine
A simple and lightweight three-wheeled pneumatic runner assembled on the basis of an engine from a scooter, a frame from a sunrise, and the back part is welded from corners. Axle shafts and differential from Moskvich. In general, a classic karakat on cameras. 
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Karakat with Yamaha FZR400 engine
The donor for this car was a Yamaha FZR400, a four-cylinder 60 l/s engine and, most importantly, a 6-speed gearbox with normal and clear shifting, an electric starter. In general, there is nothing even to compare with Soviet motorcycles. 
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Karakat four-wheel drive with two motors
Caracat with an unusual design solution. Four wheels, four-wheel drive and separate parts with their own engines. In the end, we got either two caracats according to the 4 * 2 scheme, or one 4 * 4, the engines were initially planetary, and then replaced with Lifan. 
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Karakat classic with IZh planet engine
Engine IZH planet with cooling from a disabled person. Two sets of wheels, with tubes and BEL-79 tires. Vostovo ignition. UAZ differential and axle shafts from it, no locking. 
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Karakat from IZh planet (smart guy)
Another caracat of a classic design based on the IZH Planet motorcycle. Among the features are standard brakes in a retained drum, and subsequent chain and feed to the large sprocket of the rear axle with a differential. 
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All-wheel drive 3*3 CVT 150cc
All-terrain vehicle trike 3*3 "Cobra" all-wheel drive. CVT engine from a scooter with a volume of 150cc, power 5.5 l/s, has reverse. The caracat is interesting both in design and appearance, especially the use of a CVT engine. 
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Karakat with an engine from a disabled woman
A classic three-wheeled unit with a motor from a wheelchair (IZH Planet), a frame from IZH Planet, and an Ant gearbox. The Karakat turned out to be good in cross-country ability and high-torque. Particular attention was paid to the appearance, there are lights and side lights. 
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Karakat from the Urals + VAZ box + Volga bridge
Three-wheeled caracat with an engine from a Ural motorcycle, a VAZ2101 gearbox, and a rear axle from the Volga. The Ural engine has undergone some modernization, in particular, a blower fan and a VAZ generator have appeared. 
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Karakat from the Urals
A three-wheeled caracat made according to the classical design from a Soviet Ural motorcycle. One of the features is the use of a rear axle from the Niva connected directly to the Ural gearbox. The engine is also cooled using a fan driven by the engine crankshaft. 
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