The Irbit Motorcycles Factory celebrates 70th birthday and offers an anniversary model M70
Editor’s Note: We publish here for our readers a copy of the Ural Monthly Newsletter. We thought it’s an interesting read and hope you will enjoy it.
On 19th of November 1941 the first echelons with the manufacturing equipment pulled up to Irbit, a distant outpost on the eastern slopes of the Ural Mountains. Merely a month after the decision was made to evacuate the Moscow motorcycle plant from the capital. Ahead were long years of the Second World War. Relocated factory was to produce motorcycles for the Army to fight fascists. Thus the story of the Irbit Motorcycle Factory (IMZ) began.
The motorcycle was called M72. First units rolled off the production floor just a few months after the evacuation. Altogether approximately 9.500 motorcycles were built and in use throughout the war for mobile troops, reconnaissance detachments and to carry wounded.
It was women and children in the distant Siberian factory labouring relentlessly to supply the Front with the motorcycles that defeated the enemy. Like the people who built it, the motorcycles were rugged, resilient, undefeatable. Could have they imagined that 70 years later this factory would remain the only sidecar manufacturer in the world and Ural would become a cult motorcycle?
Since 1941 over 3 million motorcycles have been produced by the Irbit Motorcycles Factory.
On 19th of November 2011 we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the IMZ-Ural factory and introduce Ural M70 Anniversary Edition.
We dedicate it to the first M72 built in Irbit. We keep the details as close to the original as possible. We meticulously picked the paint for this model and the material for the tonneau cover. MG mount is installed on the sidecar to keep true to the military roots of the models used in the war. Interestingly, the red round IMZ badge did not appear on motorcycles until 1956. We sourced the original IMZ badge and replicated it as close as possible but gave it a more refined finish.
While M70 keeps the aesthetics of the original M72, more importantly it brings to light the best kept secret of the Ural model line up – an extraordinary street sidecar motorcycle.
M70 comes equipped with 18” wheels, Marzocchi telescopic forks, Sachs shocks, four piston Brembo front disc brake. Plunger style frame, low clearance and low center of gravity make this model “grab” the road and handle like no other Ural. Not to mention the smoothest sidecar ride for the passenger!
M70 is available both as a solo and sidecar model.
The first units of anniversary model Ural M70 will leave the Irbit Motorcycles Plant on 19th November 2011 and will be available from your favourite Ural dealer exactly one year until the 19th November 2012.
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