History of the M72

In 1939, the Soviet Union was preparing for war against Nazi Germany despite the Molotov-von Ribentop Pact. Stalin had ordered full military preparation for the defense of the Motherland and ground mobility was an important aspect. The Russian Defense Ministry began studies of plans for modern vehicles, and chose the German BMW R71 motorcycle design for their military model. According to "official reports" 5 units were covertly purchased through either Swedish or Scandinavian intermediaries and Soviet engineers then duplicated the BMW design, creating facilities to produce their own engines and gearboxes in Moscow.

An alternative version of this aquisition suggests that the BMW factory actually supplied the construction drawings and casting moulds as a result of the Molotov-von Ribentop Pact. Soviet engineers had previously been allowed to tour German factories, and as BMW began series production of the R75 in 1941 supplying the Soviets with the older R71 model would not have been unlikely. This could also explain why the Soviets also duplicated the Wehrmacht sidecar. In either case, the entire motorcycle was reversed engineered and early in 1941 the first trial M-72 motorcycles were reviewed by Stalin, who approved production, and a factory was built in Moscow for military production (MMZ models), rolling out 1753 bikes prior to evacuation.

After the Germans invaded Russia in late summer of the same year the factory was moved east for security reasons, eventually relocating to the small town of Irbit on the edge of the Siberian steppes. On October 25, 1942 the first M-72 motorcycles went to the front and during WWII a total of 9,799 M-72 motorcycles were delivered to the front for reconnaissance detachments and mobile troops, although production during the war also took place at Gorkiy where all sidecars were produced, both for the M-72 and Lend-Lease motorcycles. The M-72 was available mainly to the authorities up until 1951 when the KMZ plant in the Ukraine took over Red Army production. The IMZ plant supplied military bikes to the PRC up to the transfer of a M-72 production line in 1957 and continued to supply parts to the PRC until 1960. At this time the Irbitskiy Mototsikletniy Zavod (Ирбитский мотоциклетный завод - ИМЗ) began to concentrate on bikes for domestic consumption and by the 1960's the full production of the plant was turned over to non-military production. The Irbit plant became known as the "URAL" plant due to its location in 1961. This factory continues to produce motorcycles under the Ural name.

The Kievskiy Mototsikletniy Zavod (Киевский Мотоциклетниий Завод - КМЗ) began production of the M-72 in 1951. It began production of the M-72N in 1956 and commenced production of the K-750 in 1958. (The cyrillic letter shaped H is the latin letter N.) . As increasing numbers of K-750s were turned out, KMZ's M-72H production began to wind down. The K-750 had a slightly higher HP output and a more conventional swing arm rear suspension instead of the original plunger type. As with most USSR factories KMZ's product also had no official name until marketing was allowed, but as the KMZ was located near the "Dnepr" river which runs through the capital of Kiev, the name Dnepr was eventually attached to these bikes. This factory also continues production.

* Harley-Davidson also copied the BMW design and delivered about 1,000 Harley-Davidson XA (Experimental Army) flat-twin shaft drive motorcycles to the US Army during World War II.

Production Timeline:

  • MMZ - produced 1753 motorcycles prior to evacuation in 1941
  • LMZ - no complete machines produced prior to evacuation to Gorkiy
  • KhMZ - 233 machines believed assemble with parts from LMZ and KhMZ (possibly assembled at Gorkiy).
  • IMZ - 1942/3 3780 machines, 1944/5 3993 machines
  • GMZ - 1942/3 2694 machines, 1944/5 2882 machines
    Total production 1941 to end of Great Patriotic War 15,335 units. All sidecars produced by GMZ. First bikes produced at IMZ in February 1942. Production at GMZ ceased 1949 and production facilities transferred to KMZ.
  • First bikes produced at KMZ in 1951 with the delivery of 500 engines from IMZ.
  • In 1956 IMZ introduced the M-72M with torsion bar suspension for the sidecar, a ball bearing for the front of the camshaft and new pressed steel - half hubs permitting the use of straight spokes.
  • In 1957 an IMZ production line was transferred to the PRC where it became the 1957 model, later the M1M and now commonly known as the Chang Jiang .
  • In 1956 KMZ introduced the M-72N with short leading link forks and full width aluminium wheel hubs.
  • In 1958/9 KMZ introduced the K-750 with a swing-arm frame. IMZ models were badged as IMZ in the post-war period until the late 1950's when they were badged as "Irbit". With the introduction of the M-62 in 1961 they were badged as "Ural" a name which continues to the present.

Much thanks to Stephen Wiggins for revisions & historical timeline.