The Amazing Restoration of an Old Soviet motorcycle: The 1969 Ural M63

In the video, the restorer does an amazing job putting his talents to use. His restoration involves, taking the bike completely apart, removal of paint, electrolysis, copper plating, flushing the gas tank, changing the wheels, brakes, brake lines, grips, headlight, and just about every other part. It is a painstaking task but the outcome as you can see towards the end of the video was well worth it. A big thumbs up to the restorer: Great idea

(video and restoration is by: Great idea)

The origins of the IMZ-Ural are linked to developments in the East during the second world war. At the time, the Soviet Union was preparing for possible military action by Nazi Germany. Stalin-the leader of the USSR, ordered the Soviet military to prepare in all possible areas against a possible invasion by Germany. Having witnessed the devastating effects of the German blitzkrieg on Poland in 1939, an emphasis was placed on mobility and improving the speed at which the Soviet military could increase its speed at deploying forces.

A meeting was held at the Soviet Defense Ministry to devise a motorcycle that would be suitable for the Red Army. Up to that point, the motorcycles used had not been satisfactory; their technology was outdated and the manufacturing quality was inadequate to endure the harsh terrain and climate of the Russian winter.

The Russian Ural was modeled after a late-1930s BMW sidecar bike called the R71, which Nazi Germany provided to the Soviet Union after the countries signed the nonaggression Molotov–Ribbentrop pact in 1939. The R71 was agile yet tough, and had a side car which could carry a second passenger.

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 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 first prototype was made and named, Dnepr M-72. The motorcycle was shown to Stalin who made the decision to enter it into mass production. Of the original BMWs purchased one still survives to this day, and is displayed in the IMZ-Ural factory museum.

As production escalated, the Moscow Motorcycle Plant was established, producing hundreds of Russian M-72 sidecar motorcycles. The Nazi Blitzkrieg was so fast and effective that Soviet strategists worried that the Moscow factory was within range of German bombers. The decision was made to move the motorcycle plant east, out of bombing range and into the resource rich Ural mountain region. The site chosen was the town of Irbit, located on the fringe of Siberia in the Ural Mountains.

1969 URAL M-63 SPECS:

The Ural M-63 (with sidecar) was a two-cylinder boxer, four-stroke standard produced by Ural between 1970 and 1980. Claimed horsepower was 20.12 HP (15.0 KW) @ 5200 RPM.

The engine was an air cooled two-cylinder boxer, four-stroke. A 78.0mm bore x 68.0mm stroke result in a displacement of just 650.0 cubic centimeters.

Stopping was achieved via expanding brake in the front and an expanding brake in the rear. The bike weighed just 705.48 pounds (320.0 Kg).