In the past, a motorcycle was the sign that the driver was certainly not a worker, but certainly not (yet) a notable one. Workers went on foot or by bike. Notables had automobiles.
Sidecars were designed for people without money for an automobile, but with a proven fertility. And even with more than 1 child a sidecar combination could continue to serve.
In what was once 'Russia', the situation is still the same in large parts of the fragmented 'country'. And the IMZs and KMZs that we here endearing, and increasingly see as affordable classics, are often just 'transport' there.
In Genemuiden we found at Richard Busweiler's convincing proof of Russian craftsmanship: A two-person sidecar ...
The growing popularity of 'Old Russian' is also reflected in the prices. On the purchasing side, for example, Richard has to pay his Moldovan supplier the bribe costs for the local export officials. Otherwise, trade will not even get out of the country.
All this results in a well-functioning sidecar combination quickly coming up against the 1700 euro. And then he has to be registered too! The side flaps, the real BMW R 71 clones even cost way over the two mille. And a very beautiful, very early (1942) M72? He recently went abroad for more than four billion dollars.
We are going to experience that the proud list of Harley, BMW, Honda and Triumph will soon be supplemented with IMZ and KMZ.
With Irbitski Mototsikletni Zavod and Kievski Motocycl Zavod.
Just say "Ural" and "Dnepr".
And do you know why the two wheel drive machines, after they had served their army, are still so popular with Russian / Moldovan etc. small farmers? Such a tricycle is not only transport for the whole family, is not only for transporting goods to the market.
The two-wheel drive makes such a simple ex communist particularly suitable for pulling the plow