Irbit Motor Plant: history, products

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The Irbit Motorcycle Plant is the only enterprise in the world for the large-scale production of heavy sidecar motorcycles. The Ural brand has become synonymous with high cross-country ability, mobility and decent quality. 99% of products are exported. Surprisingly, the Ural model has become a cult model in the US, Australia, Canada on a par with Harley-Davidson, Brough and Indian.

Spy Story

By the end of the 30s, Soviet military leaders came to the conclusion that the army lacked a light mobile vehicle for reconnaissance, communications, ammunition delivery, rapid movement of advanced motorized infantry units, and tank support. The cars of those years did not have the necessary characteristics, got stuck in mud, were too noticeable on the battlefield. The use of horses was already considered an anachronism.

Motorcycles with a sidecar, which appeared in the German troops, were the perfect solution. However, getting them was not easy. After all, the goal was not just to purchase a batch of three-wheeled "all-terrain vehicles",and establish their own production. A special operation was developed to purchase five BMW R71 cars in Sweden and covertly deliver them to the USSR. In the future, a revised model of the "iron horse" under the name M-72 began to be produced by the Irbit Motor Plant. By the way, the BMW R71 also became the prototype for the American army motorcycles Indian and Harley-Davidson.

On the roads of war

As with most businesses, World War II was the primary reason for the formation of a motorcycle company in Irbit under the protection of the Ural Mountains. In 1941, the workshops of the Moscow Motor Plant were transferred here. I had to huddle where I had to. The main facilities were deployed in a former brewery, part of the equipment is located in the distance, on the territory of a trailer plant.

The first batch of M-72s was produced by the newly formed Irbit Motor Plant on February 25, 1942, a few months after the evacuation. Throughout the war years, factory workers worked in poorly adapted, cramped conditions. However, this did not prevent the production of 9799 pieces of equipment. Motorcycles were actively used in the army after the end of the Second World War.

Peacetime

Only after the war did the factory workers breathe freely. In 1947, plans were approved for a significant expansion of the production base. During the post-war five-year plan, the Irbit Motor Plant was actually rebuilt. In the new workshops, everything was thought out specifically for the production of sidecar motorcycles. Significantly expanded staff.

Although the army did not need so many more motorcycles, the equipment was purchased with pleasureorganizations, agriculture, police, ordinary citizens. Until 1950, 30,000 “peaceful” copies rolled off the assembly line. In 1955, updated models of various colors entered the country's roads. These were M-72s with a reinforced frame and wheels, and an improved engine design.

Creative experiments

IMZ designers, together with US, were looking for other directions of development. Eyes turned towards the automotive industry. In particular, a model of a minibus with a body of the Belka wagon layout, unusual in terms of design, has been developed. The speed of the vehicle based on the M-72 reached 80 km/h.

The experimental line includes an all-wheel drive utility vehicle for rural areas - a competitor to UAZ. The SUV under the cute name "Spark" used components and an engine that was produced by the Irbit Motor Plant, spare parts from Moskvich 410 and other manufacturers. The speed of 70 km/h was acceptable for the villagers.

At the same time, under the patronage of the military, no less exotic equipment was designed - a floating all-terrain vehicle of project 032. Designed for evacuation, ammunition delivery and reconnaissance, it had a design feature. The steering shifted to the left side, and the driver could control the all-terrain vehicle, moving by crawling on the ground. However, design experiments did not go into series.

Irbit Motor Plant: "Ural"

Most people in the country know sidecar motorcycles under the Ural brand. She is more melodious than the faceless "M", andemphasizes the geographical affiliation of the enterprise. The name was first used in 1961. "Ural M-62" was equipped with an overhead valve engine 650 cm3 with a capacity of 28 liters. with., which allowed to accelerate to 95 km / h. More than 140,000 motorcycles with a "mountain" character have found owners over the five-year period.

The Ural brand has become a symbol of the best motorcycle with a sidecar. Two-wheeled specialized modifications for escort and patrol service were also produced. Under the USSR, the enterprise remained a powerful center of mechanical engineering, producing over 100,000 pieces of equipment annually.

Downs and ups

It's hard to say whether the Irbit Motor Plant has stood the test of time. In market conditions, such an impressive volume of motor vehicles turned out to be unclaimed. Most of the shops were closed, out of 9,000 workers, a few hundred remained to work. At the same time, the company switched to high-quality manual assembly. The frame and a number of nodes are made at IMZ, components are supplied by foreign partners.

The team managed to bring the quality of "Urals" to a previously unattainable height. Motorcycles have won the respect of a selective American public. Owning equipment under the Ural brand in the US is considered prestigious.

Products of the Irbit Motorcycle Plant

The appearance of the Urals has changed little. It is the vintage design and strong brutal construction that delight buyers of motorcycles of the legendary brand. But the quality of components has fundamentally changed. The once simple technique has received a gloss due to the abundancechromed metal, improved paint quality, attention to detail.

Today IMZ offers wheelchair models under the Ural brand:

• "Retro";
• "Retro M70";
• "City";
• Patrol;
• Gear-Up.

Differences mostly relate to design and small technical features. The price of models is high and exceeds 600,000 rubles. However, the cost of equipment does not stop devoted fans of the legendary brand. The Irbit Motorcycle Plant annually manufactures about 1000 motorcycles to order.