OR a BMW... According to official accounts, after lengthy discussion, the BMW R71 motorcycle was found to closely match the Red Army's requirements. Five units were covertly purchased through Swedish intermediaries. 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
Urals are the logical choice, because their resemblance to the original Wehrmacht bikes. beats the 1980s two-stroke offroad bikes I've seen German soldiers ride in WW2 movies.
BTW, the Harley-Davidson XA model came to be the same way, being a BMW R71 engine and drivetrain reverse engineered basically by converting all metric measurements to inches. 1,000 were built before the army realized Jeeps were better for front line service.
sadly most people won't notice that error.
ReplyDeleteI suppose they were going for the Zündapp KS750 look.
ReplyDeleteOR a BMW...
ReplyDeleteAccording to official accounts, after lengthy discussion, the BMW R71 motorcycle was found to closely match the Red Army's requirements. Five units were covertly purchased through Swedish intermediaries. 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
And the man wouldn't be born for another 12 years, so what.
ReplyDeleteUrals are the logical choice, because their resemblance to the original Wehrmacht bikes. beats the 1980s two-stroke offroad bikes I've seen German soldiers ride in WW2 movies.
ReplyDeleteBTW, the Harley-Davidson XA model came to be the same way, being a BMW R71 engine and drivetrain reverse engineered basically by converting all metric measurements to inches. 1,000 were built before the army realized Jeeps were better for front line service.