The Pick of the Day is a modern motorcycle with military history and comes with a customized sidecar. It’s a one-owner 2010 IMZ-Ural Patrol motorcycle with sidecar produced in Russia.
IMZ is short for Irbitskiy Mototsikletniy Zavod, which is Russian for Irbit Motorcycle Factory, which traces its history to 1940 and the World War II conflict as the Soviet Union needed to mobilize its ground forces for defense against the invading Nazi assault.
One of the ways to mobilize was with motorcycles. As the story goes, the Soviet Army acquired five BMW R71 motorcycles through contacts in Sweden and reverse-engineered them to produce the prototypes of the Dnepr M-72 motorcycles and sidecars.
To produce thousands of such machines, a factory was established in Irbit, in the Ural mountains on the western edge of Siberia.
After the war, production of the rugged motorcycles continued, with sales to civilians and with export to various global markets where such machines were needed for traveling over rugged terrain. Sales reached into the millions.
The Pick of the Day is a 2010 example being advertised on ClassicCars.com by a dealership in St. Louis, Missouri.
“Once a government-issued workhorse of communist Russia, Ural’s rugged motorcycle sidecar has evolved from an agricultural appliance to the steed of choice for many recreational bike riders!” the dealer reports.
“This Ural is a single owner bike, bought back in 2010 and features a very dependable 2-cylinder engine, sporting under 10,000 total miles. A blast to ride solo or share the experience and enjoyment with a companion by letting them tag-a-long in the sidecar attachment, which has had a seat belted added to it.”
The dealer notes that the bike has several options, including heated hand grips, knee protectors, windshield, extra fuel can, a deeper engine oil pan and an ammo box for tools.
IMZ-Ural continues in operation with a US base in Redmond, Washington, and with new motorcycles priced up to $23,899. This vintage model is offered for $9,000.
To view this listing on ClassicCars.com, see Pick of the Day.
