Ural Logo PNG
Founded: 1941
Founder: Soviet Government
Headquarters: Irbit, Russia
Official website: www.imz-ural.com
The Ural is the name of a Russian motorcycle brand, which was established in 1941 by the Soviet Government. For the first several years the company was focused exclusively on the production of the military vehicle, but after World War II it switched to manufacturing motorcycles “for all”.
Motorcycle History
Initially, the production of the army motorcycle (predecessor of Ural) with sidecar was launched in Moscow, but in the fall of 1941 it was decided to move manufacturing facilities to a safer area, the Urals was chosen. And just a few months later, at the end of February 1942, the first batch of motorcycles was produced.
The first Irbit motorcycles looked very alike to German machines of that time, though had some differences: they had the same two-cylinder opposed engine with a capacity of 746 CC, developing 22 horsepower. Thanks to the lower arrangement of the valves in the cylinders, it had a great pull at a low level and could overcome any off-road conditions. The few changes that appeared, were dictated by the conditions of production and use of machines: the wheels of the M-72 were thicker, the gas tank did not hold 14 liters of gasoline, as in the German motorcycle, and 22.
In 1955 the military order was transferred to the Kyiv motorcycle plant (that produced engines under the brand “Dnepr”). Ural had no choice but to switch to civilian customers. And it is in this segment of the market Irbit motorcycles have achieved incredible success. The first civilian model was called M-72M.
And only in 1961, when the model M-62 came out, Irbit motorcycles got the name “Ural”. At the same time, wide-scale production of motorcycles unfolded.
Brand Logo
Ural is one of the brands, constant in design and advertising. The brand still uses the logo, created during its early years. The lines of the recognizable badge only got stronger and cleaner throughout the years, an additional inscription in Latin letters was placed on it after the brand expanded to the international market.
Emblem and Symbol
The Ural emblem boasts a circular shape with a triangular schematic image of the mountain in the middle. The handwritten stylized abbreviation is placed on the mountain, with the elongated lines on the letters coming out of it, curving and underlining. On the right from the triangle, there are four horizontal lines of different length, resembling a wing and symbolizing speed and freedom.
Font and Color
The Russian “IMZ” lettering on the Ural badge is handwritten and has no analogs. Its smooth and bold lines balance the sharpness of the geometric mountain, complementing the circular frame of the badge and adding elegance to the brutality and masculinity of the brand’s logo.
As for the color palette, the brand usually uses a monochrome combination, which looks timeless and evokes a sense of confidence. Though in some models the badge can be seen in green and silver, looking fresher and representing success and growth.
The Legends
Today the Ural distributed its motorcycles all over the globe and lately, the Russian brand became popular in the USA. The motorcycle model Ural Ambassador Limited Edition was issued to the 75 anniversary of the Irbitsky plant in a limited edition of only 25 copies. Thus the motorcycle does not differ from the colleagues from the technical point of view. Only several accessories have been added to the package. The engine of the bike is a classic for the modern Ural opposition two-cylinder engine capacity of just over 40 hp, with a four-speed gearbox and a classic sidecar.