Production Of Ural Motorcycles Moved To China
- 2,136
The decision was the result of a multi-year crisis caused by sanctions.
Irbit Motorcycle Plant (IMZ), Russia's only manufacturer of heavy sidecar motorcycles, is moving production to China. The decision follows a years-long crisis caused by sanctions, logistical problems and the loss of key markets after the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine, "7×7".
As the publication recalls, back in 2022, the plant partially moved assembly from the Sverdlovsk region to Kazakhstan in an attempt to circumvent Western sanctions and maintain access to imported components, the share of which in motorcycles exceeded 70%. However, this measure did not save the company from losses. The decisive blow was the decision of the administration of US President Donald Trump to raise duties on imported goods from Kazakhstan to 25% in 2025, which made the Ural exports to the US market unprofitable.
As a result, IMZ management concluded an agreement with the Chinese company Yingang. In 2026, a new Ural Neo 500 model was introduced, fully developed and manufactured in China. It retained the branded stroller, but is radically different from the classic "Ural" in design and equipment. The market launch is scheduled for May-June 2026, and the price will be about $15,000 versus $20,000 for the former flagship model Ural Gear Up.
The transfer of production was a forced move after a series of setbacks. The 2022 sanctions cut the plant off from supplies of critical components: Italian Brembo brakes, German Heidenau tires, Japanese NGK plugs and Swedish SKF bearings. At the same time, "counter-sanctions" (a ban on exports of a number of goods, including motorcycles, introduced by Vladimir Putin in 2022) and a fourfold increase in logistics costs deprived IMZ of its main markets: before the war, 40% of sales were in the United States, 30% in Europe and 25% in Asia.
The move to Kazakhstan allowed the plant to temporarily resume exports, but did not solve the structural problems. The Russian workshop in Irbit reduced its staff to two assemblers by 2024, and in 2025 it switched to producing spare parts and warranty services. Kazakhstan's production, which had reached 300 motorcycles a month, has been undermined by US tariff policy.
In 2016, the factory previously said it was proud of its resistance to "general Chineseization." Now, as "7×7" states, IMZ is forced to follow the path that many Russian automakers have already taken after 2022.
Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims
You can contact us by the e-mail charter97@gmail.com
