Features

1939 Ural M-72 Motorcycle. The Canadian registration indicates it is a 1939 but exact year of production is unknown, it may be 1940 or 1941. The Ural M-72 is a Soviet manufactured motorcycle that is a near exact copy of the 1939 BMW R71.


The origins of this Ural Motorcycle are linked to developments on the Eastern Front during World War II. The Soviet Union was preparing for possible military action by Nazi Germany. Joseph Stalin ordered the Soviet military to prepare in all possible areas, including the ground forces that would be defending the Soviet Union against invading German tanks and infantry. Mobility was especially stressed after the Soviet Union had witnessed the effect of the blitzkrieg on Poland.

A meeting was held at the Soviet defense ministry to devise a motorcycle that would be suitable for the red army. The red army wanted to modernize its equipment after the suspension of the winter war with Finland. The motorcycles used up to that point had not been satisfactory, their technology was outdated and the manufacturing quality was inadequate to endure the harsh Russian climate and terrain.

The Ural motorcycle was modeled after a late 1930s BMW sidecar bike called the R-71.

According to official accounts, after lengthy discussion, the BMW R71 motorcycle was found to closely match the red army's requirements. Five BMWs were covertly purchased through Swedish intermediaries and smuggled back into the Soviet Union. Soviet engineers in Moscow dismantled the five BMWs, reverse-engineered the BMW design in every detail and made molds and dies to produce engines and gearboxes in Moscow. Early in 1941, the prototypes of the Dnepr M-72 motorcycle were shown to Stalin who made the decision to enter mass production. One of the original BMWs purchased through the Swedish intermediaries survives, and is displayed in the IMZ-Ural factory museum.

Specifications

Make: Ural	Color: Grey	Transmission: 4 Speed Manual
Model: M-72 Motorcycle	Engine: 650cc 2 Cylinder Boxer	Odometer: km's
Year: 1939	Interior Color: Black	Price: $9,980