URAL, a bit of history
In 1939, as the Nazis were invading Europe. The Russian Army decided it needed a go-everywhere vehicle to combat encroaching German forces. As the story goes, the Russians smuggled five German BMW R71 motorcycles from Sweden (neutral in the WWII) to Russia and began the arduous task of bolt-for-bolt disassembly and duplication. Two years later, the first prototypes were shown to Stalin and with his approval, production began immediately. Through the end of World War II, nearly 10,000 URAL motorcycles joined the fight on the frontlines.
Since those early days, more than 3 million URAL motorcycles have passed through the doors of the Irbit factory, right at the footstep of Ural Mountains of Siberia.