In WWII the need for quick versatile equipment became essential for the Soviet army. They came up with a solution by reverse engineering BMW's R71 and then adding their own modifications to the motorcycle calling it the M72. IMZ quickly began producing these motorcycles which lasted well into the war. At the end of the war IMZ sold the M72 plans to China who made their own version called the Chiang Jiang. However, even with the plans sold IMZ didn't stop production. They did; however, begin selling their motorcycles to consumers. This changed how the Ural's would be modified in the future. The consumer products needed to be modified for a more user friendly experience.

The M72 (1942-Late 1950's) was built as both sidecars and solos. The sidecar editions were used for their ability tocarry gear. The military also mounted guns to the sidecar so they could be useful in combat. The solos never were designed for fighting. Instead, they were used as escorts, being the eyes of a convoy. While the solos were okay as a motorcycle they didn't sell as well as the sidecars. When sales shifted from military to civilians IMZ stopped creating solos for the most part.  In 1999 Russia put the M72 on a stamp to remember and since then, all Ural models have remained similar. 

Some of the major changes on a Ural are the brakes the fuel intake and minor ground clearance levels on various models. It still looks like it rolled right out of a WWII film, and that's probably one of the best things about a Ural. Even the 2018 models look and feel like your driving a piece of history.