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An M-72.
(1951-1956)
Virtually identical to an IMZ M-72.
Many M-72's and M-72H's from the KMZ factory don't seem to have re-inforced gussets. They have a low mount front fender and a flat loop from the upper plunger that supports the split rear fender. Most should be military rigs since IMZ shifted to civilian production and KMZ used the M-72 tooling from GMZ (Gorky Motor Works) starting around 1951 to make military machines.
It's hard to find a definitive KMZ M-72 photo, but here's what a civilian GMZ rig looked like.
![]() An M-72H (or M-72N dependind upon language transliterated into).
(1956-1960)
Basically, a KMZ with a short leading link front front end very similar to the K-750 one, however the brake plates are different. The brake cable enters the top of the hub on K-750's and through the bottom (where it could be damaged by bottoming out) on M-72H's. (The lower levers on this one seem to be assembled incorrectly.)
![]() A K-750.
(1958-1963)
The K-750 from KMZ in Kiev, Ukraine near the Dnepr River was the first major redesign of the original BMW R-71 layout.
The K-750 was a Soviet improvement on plunger framed R-71/M-72 design to better cope with roads and terrain found throughout the USSR.
Note the rear swingarm on the inside of the frame unlike the later Ural swingarm located on the outside of the frame. The short throw leading link front fork is the equivalent of power steering for a sidecar. It was only used for the first couple of years before a change to modern telescopics.
The original K-750's, like mine pictured below, came with a shorter frame than later variants, a two-piece rear fender, and full hub drum brakes.
Original Equipment.
The cylinder end pieces like below are original only on these early K-750 models. They were never used on M-72's.
The round slide K-37 carbs, 6 Volt generator, and the non-reverse gearbox with a neutral finder lever and a cast air filter mount are also original.
![]() A K-750M.
(1963-1977)The most plentiful of the K-750's.
The frame was extended to accomodate the Dneprmatic gearbox on the 2WD MB-750's. No K-750 left the KMZ factory with this gearbox installed, but many Soviet bikes were later retro-fitted with either an early version (with an air filter mount cast into the gearbox) like mine below, or a later version like mine above (with a plastic canister mount).
Note the change to modern telescopic forks, conventional clutch/brake levers and a solid rear fender.
![]() An MT-12.
The first Dnepr to be called a "Dnepr."
A 2WD model built on a the newer Dnepr frame with the older sidevalve engine.
![]() An MB-750M (or MW-750M or MV-750M depending upon the language transliterated into).
A rarity. Early 2WD MB-750M's were built on the older style frames with toolbox gas tanks. This is a later model, essentially a military version of the civilian MT-12 or a sidevalve version of a MB-650.
An MB-650.
![]() A full-time 2WD model (note the lack of a lever and the sidecar geometry to support the axle).
A well used MB-750M 2WD with the added bonus of a locking differential (note lever).
A K-650
Basically a K-750 with a new 650cc OHV engine.
![]() MT-9, MT-10, MT-11, MT-16.
Basically, the last of the Dnepr rigs.
Visibly, there were some variations on tractor/bench seat, gas tanks, fenders and Dneprmatic gearboxes.
MT-16's were 2WD models.
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