IMZ-Ural Group Inc., more commonly known as Ural Motorcycles (Russian: Мотоциклы Урал, romanized: Motosikly Ural), is a multinational company involved in developing, manufacturing, and worldwide distribution of Ural sidecar motorcycles. Headquartered in Redmond, Washington, with assembly facilities in Petropavl, Kazakhstan, Ural is the oldest and one of the world's largest manufacturers of sidecar-equipped motorcycles.
History
IMZ-Ural's origins are linked to developments in the Eastern Front during World War II as the Soviet Union was preparing to repel possible military action by Nazi Germany. Mobility was especially stressed after the Soviet Union had witnessed the effect of the blitzkrieg on Poland, and a small, rugged, multi-purpose vehicle that could handle Russia's underdeveloped road network and pockmarked battlefields was a priority.
