Ural VIN Decoder & VIN Check — Models, Recalls, Specs, MPG & Safety
“Side Car Adventure”
Ural Motorcycles (IMZ-Ural, Irbitsky Motozikletny Zavod) is a Russian motorcycle manufacturer based in Irbit, Sverdlovsk Oblast, that exclusively produces sidecar motorcycles. Founded in 1941 by Soviet government decree to supply the Red Army with the M-72 sidecar motorcycle (a copy of the BMW R71), Ural became one of the world's only commercial sidecar-only motorcycle producers and continues this distinction today.
Ural motorcycles use a 749cc air-cooled flat-twin (boxer) engine derived from the original BMW R71 architecture, with a chain-drive sidecar wheel that is engageable and disengageable for two-wheel-drive operation in difficult conditions. The cT (Tourist), Gear-Up (military-styled), Patrol (working-class), Solo sT and Sahara variants represent the modern lineup. Annual production runs approximately 600-1,000 units globally, with US, European and Australian markets serving as primary export destinations.
Ural Motorcycles operates in the United States through IMZ-Ural USA. Recall data for every Ural VIN sold in the US is reported to NHTSA. ForCar.org decodes any Ural VIN to surface trim, factory options, open recalls and original delivery price.
Ural at a glance
- Founded
- 1941
- Origin
- Soviet government decree (BMW R71 copy)
- Headquarters
- Irbit, Russia
- Specialty
- Sidecar motorcycles only
- Engine
- 749cc air-cooled flat-twin (boxer)
- Unique feature
- Engageable two-wheel-drive sidecar
- Annual production
- ~600-1,000 units
- Sanctions impact
- Production suspended 2022, partial 2023+
- Basic warranty
- 2 years / unlimited miles
- Powertrain warranty
- 2 years / unlimited miles
Decode any Ural VIN
Enter a 17-character VIN below to retrieve the trim, factory options, original window-sticker MSRP and any open NHTSA recall affecting that specific vehicle. ForCar.org pulls the same dataset that Ural dealers use to notify owners of safety recalls.
VIN Decoder
Signature Ural technology
Ural heritage
The Soviet government established Irbit Motor Plant (IMZ) in February 1941, three months before the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union, by relocating BMW R71 production tooling that had been purchased through Sweden in 1939. The original M-72 was virtually identical to the BMW R71 and was produced by Soviet workers using copied tooling. Post-war, Ural continued the M-72 design through evolutionary updates. The 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union privatized Ural, and the 2000 acquisition by US-based investors led by Ilya Khait modernized the production line and ABS, fuel injection and current safety systems. Ural production was suspended in 2022 due to Russia-Ukraine sanctions, with limited resumption from 2023 forward.
Market position
Ural Motorcycles competes in the niche sidecar motorcycle segment globally, with virtually no direct competitors at the brand level. The closest competitors are Triumph Bonneville and Royal Enfield Continental GT in retro-roadster styling and Harley-Davidson Sportster in heritage-cruiser positioning, although none of these brands offer factory-built sidecar motorcycles. Ural's positioning emphasizes adventure, two-wheel-drive sidecar functionality and Russian manufacturing heritage. Sanctions on Russian goods limit US growth.
New-vehicle warranty
URAL VIN Decoder — Free VIN Check Video Guide
Watch our quick URAL VIN decoder walkthrough. Learn how to decode any URAL VIN number to get full vehicle history, recall alerts, specifications, fuel economy (MPG), safety ratings, and known problems — completely free on ForCar.org.
All Ural models (15)
Frequently asked questions
When was Ural founded and by whom?
Ural was founded in 1941 by Soviet government and is headquartered in Irbit, Russia.
Where is the VIN on a Ural vehicle?
The 17-character VIN appears in four standard locations: dashboard at the windshield base (driver side), driver-side door jamb sticker, the engine bay (firewall or engine block stamping), and the vehicle's title, registration and insurance documents.
How many Ural models can ForCar.org decode?
ForCar.org indexes 15 Ural nameplates. Any 17-character Ural VIN is decoded against the NHTSA dataset to return trim, factory options, open recalls and original window-sticker MSRP.
What is the Ural warranty?
Basic: 2 years / unlimited miles (US import). Powertrain: 2 years / unlimited miles.
How to check Ural recalls by VIN?
Enter your VIN in the decoder above. ForCar.org queries NHTSA's open-recall dataset for that specific VIN and returns any safety recalls or Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) that affect your vehicle.
Disambiguation: This page covers Ural Motorcycles / IMZ-Ural (the Russian sidecar motorcycle manufacturer) — not the Ural Mountains (the geographical feature after which the company is named) or Ural Airlines (an unrelated Russian airline).
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