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Ural is a Russian motorcycle company that makes heavy sidecar bikes. The then Soviet Union gained the design as well as production technique for BMWR71 motorbikes and sidecars. In 1941, the first M-72 model was completed. The first factories were initially located in Moscow, St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) and Kharkov. However, new locations had to be found because the Nazi troops were approaching. Therefore, factories were transferred to Irbit and Gorkiy.

The company came about due to the need for the ground forces to prepare for and be involved in the war adequately. There USSR was getting ready to do battle with the encroaching German forces which included tanks as well as the infantry. It was necessary for the ground forces to be mobile especially as the Soviet Union was all too aware of what had taken place in Poland.

The decision was made to come up with a motorcycle that would be appropriate for the Red Army. The motorcycles in use did not meet the required standards as they were not built for the intense climatic conditions and rough infrastructure of Russia. The BMWR71 was found to be the closest to what the Red Army needed. Russian designers came up with the Dnepr M-72 model which Stalin approved of and production started in earnest.

In 1941, BMW commenced the production of R75 models which ended which brought about the end of the R71s. The Moscow Motorcycle Plant was set up and hundreds of M-72 sidecars were manufactured. The machines Nazi attacks were so efficient that the Russians were worried that the Moscow factory would be obliterated by the Nazi bombers. Hence, the plant was moved to the Ural mountain area. The newly located plant became a research and development facility to look into the possibility of building a huge facility capable of manufacturing the M-72 motorcycle.

The factory grew after the war ended and the 30,000th bike was produced. In the late 50s, the company division in Ukraine started making motorcycles for domestic customers and eventually ceased manufacturing machines for the military. URAL started exporting its machines in 1953 initially to developing countries. It hit the UK market between 1973 and 1979 selling bikes under the Cossack brand.

Currently, the company mainly sells heavy-duty sidecar bikes with two-wheel-drive created for the rugged terrain, as well as the cT model that is well suited to urban infrastructure.