Russian Motorcycle Brands

Russian motorcycles have never been more popular in the world than in the middle of the 20th century. It was the Soviet era, which today everyone tries to portray as the darkest and most undeveloped, that saw the peak of the Soviet motorcycle industry. The collapse of the USSR led to the practical destruction of this type of industry. Attempts to restore its former glory today have not yet been successful. Single cases still cannot compare with the large-scale successes of the past. Today, the maintenance of the Russian motorcycle industry largely falls on the shoulders of old but well-known brands that have gone through difficult times.

What are Russian motorcycle brands?

The most famous Russian motorcycle brands that have entered the global market are Ural, Stealth, ZID, BaltMotors, Irbis, AVM, and IZH.

Comparing today with the history of the Russian motorcycle industry cannot be objective or at all possible. The famous Soviet brands were full-fledged products of Soviet production from cog to seat, gaining worldwide recognition as a whole product of the country. Modern companies, loudly positioning themselves as leaders of the Russian motorcycle industry, can boast only of their motorcycle design or the ability to make them ride, assembled into a single mechanism from spare parts from foreign manufacturers. But recently, new developers have begun to appear, trying to support the domestic brand on the basis of designs assembled from elements produced in Russia. Today, we can say that the return to the former successes has begun.

Ural

The most famous Soviet motorcycle brand was and remains the IMZ-Ural enterprise. The enterprise was founded in 1941 by the Soviet government in Irbit. Since then, its products have held the palm of superiority among the best Russian manufacturers for many decades. The brand was able to withstand the most difficult period of the state collapse. This was facilitated by the constant demand for Ural motorcycles in some European countries and the USA. The first model was based on the basic design of the BMW R-71. Heavy motorcycles with sidecars were characterized by high power and passability, thanks to the drive on both wheels. The technique was indispensable in off-road conditions. In addition, the company produced an urban version – the model ST. Due to the high popularity of its products, the company continues its activities.

The central element of the emblem was the alphabetic abbreviation IMZ. The sign is a stylized wheel of two circles inscribed in each other. An isosceles triangle is inscribed in the small field. The inner space of the figure is occupied by the abbreviation of the name of the manufacturer. In the field between the small and large circles in the upper part, there is an inscription – URAL MOTORCYCLES. The color of the logo is black monochrome. It characterizes the seriousness and seriousness of the state production aimed at meeting both civil and defense needs.

Stels

Stels is one of the brands born in the new Russia in 1996 in Lyubertsy, Moscow region, as one of the activities of Velomotors company. The creation of the brand was caused by the necessity to form a separate division engaged in the production of motorcycles and bicycles. Stels contributed to the possibility of individualization of the company’s products on the market, which was quite saturated with one-size-fits-all offers. The company develops its motorcycles, ATVs (since 2009), and bicycles, assembles them based on components from China and sells them through a wide dealer network around the world. In 2013, the company’s products passed international certification.

The Stels logo is a vivid example of modern minimalism. The emblem is made in a monotonous light yellow color. This shade has a pronounced positivity, thanks to which it demonstrates visual self-identification particularly well. The trademark is a light yellow square with a slight slope to the right. Inside the figure, on the white background of an unfinished circle, the symbol “S” – the capital letter of the brand name – is inscribed. The white color creates a visual impression of the presence of the symbol, echoing the Chinese “yin” and “yang.” The name of the brand is placed under the sign – Stels, made in a lowercase font, close in execution to the Comic Opera Oblique JNL font by Jeff Levine in light yellow color. The slant of all elements of the logo is a symbolic visualization of speed and the possibility of getting what you want today and now.

ZiD

One of the popular Soviet two-wheeled vehicles was the legendary “Kovrov resident” – the Voskhod moped. Voskhod production was formed on the basis of the ZiD – Degtyarev plant, founded on August 27, 1916, in Kovrov, Vladimir region of Russia. At the time of its formation, the enterprise was part of the First Russian Joint Stock Company of Rifle and Machine Gun Factories. In Soviet times, it produced Fedorov, Degtyarev, and Goryunov machine guns and the world-famous PPSh. In 1946, the production of the first motorcycle, the K-125, was organized. Today, ZiD is a part of OJSC “High-Precision Systems” (Rostec) and has several divisions in the motorcycle industry. ZiD produces motorcycles based on the developments of the USSR times and motorcycles of the Chinese brand Lifan.

The logo of ZiD repeats the image of a wheel in its form, which is traditional for enterprises of mobile Soviet equipment. During this period, very little attention was paid to the attractiveness of the brand. All the forces of production were directed to the simplicity and recognizability of the product, which was to be recognized by the consumer for its quality and the possibility of long-term operation. Therefore, brevity, simplicity, and uniqueness of emblems were the main directions in their creation. The emblem of ZiDa was made in a monotonous blue color. In the center of the circles with the right slope was placed the abbreviation ZiD. A five-pointed star “fluttered” above the middle letter.

BaltMotors

BaltMotors” is the first Russian enterprise for the assembly of motorcycles after the collapse of the USSR, founded in 2004 in Kaliningrad. The company’s products are represented by motorcycles, quad bikes, snowmobiles, and low-tonnage motorized tugs. The latter is in special demand in Europe, Canada, and the USA. The company is known for the high quality of its products. It is ensured by the use of modern Japanese and Chinese technologies. Today, the production of motorcycles includes the development and modification of 10 models. The range covers almost all spheres in which they can be used to ensure comfortable human life and sports grounds.

The Baltmotors logo takes into account modern requirements of visualization and the psychology of information perception by the current consumer. The color of the mark consists of black and silver-grey. The round logo has a visual convexity towards the center. In the upper part of the inner field of the circle, the text – baltMotors – is printed in capital Latin letters around the circle. The center is “bm”. A stylized image of a radiator is formed along the circle from the beginning of the company name inscription to its last letter. In the lower part, there is a stripe in the gear design, which is an element of the gear in the extended design.

Irbis

The history of Irbis Motors, a company engaged in the assembly and sale of motorcycles by Chinese manufacturers, began in 2000. The brand BEIJING IRBIS TRADING CO, LTD from Taizhou entered the Russian market in search of representatives, which became the Russian company Vostokscooter. In 2004, the company was renamed “Irbis Motors.” the brand has significantly expanded its capabilities, acquired assembly shops, and moved from the category of “sales only” to a production company. The range of offerings includes:

• Quality and affordable motorcycles and scooters.
• ATVs.
• Snowmobiles under Irbis TM.

They are distinguished by low price and reliability, the possibility of service maintenance, and the constant availability of original spare parts.

The brand’s trademark is the paw print of the animal that gave the company its name – the snow leopard. The whole logo is made in a solid caramel-red color. To the right of the paw, there is the brand name Irbis. The text is made in lowercase font with serifs. Such execution creates a visual sense of acceleration, characteristic of the products and development prospects of the whole company.

AVM

St. Petersburg brand AVM was founded in 1996 as a company trading in foreign-made motorcycles. The name itself was created on the basis of the abbreviation from the first letters of the goods offered for sale – cars, bicycles, and motorcycles. Today, the brand carries out the retail trade of foreign-brand cars, wholesale and retail trade of bicycles, as well as the production, wholesale, and retail sale of light motorcycles and mopeds TM AVM and XMOTO. Later, the company acquired facilities for the production of motor vehicles under its own name. The company has a wide dealer network throughout Russia, which provides sales and service of manufactured vehicles.

The AVM emblem gravitates to the world-famous Audi AG logo. The same gold rings are only made in a number of three pieces and are made by crossing each other. Each of the rings contains a lowercase letter of the abbreviation of the company name. The smooth transition of tonality of the rings provides the visual perception of shimmering gold and gives volume in the form of a triangular prism.

IZh

The most famous Soviet brand for the production of cars and motorcycles – IZH, has been producing motorcycles for 80 years. The company, located in Izhevsk, was a subsidiary of the Izhmash arms factory and was called IzhAvto. The first motorcycle came out of the funds of the plant in 1928 – IZH-1, designer Petr Vladimirovich Mokharov. Subsequently, the model range of motorcycles of this brand was replenished with many types of different designs. Among them, the most famous were Izh-Yupiter-5 of the middle class and sport-touring profile Izh-Planeta-Sport, produced from the 70s to the 80s of the last century. These models were in great demand in Europe and America under the brands “Kazak” and “Neval.” Along with “Ural” and “Dnepr,” which had a rear gear, motorcycles IZh led all motorcycle brands produced at that time in the USSR.

The emblem of the company, which until recently was a leader in the production of the domestic motorcycle industry, remembers all motorcycle enthusiasts in the world. The emblem was a stylized planet Saturn with a ring around it. Interestingly, the appearance of this emblem turned out to be a mistake of the designers they wanted to use for the model Jupiter. It appeared as a result of another race to fulfill the plan and tight release dates. The emblem was prepared in a hurry, entrusting its finalization to a young engineer who had just left the walls of the university. In a hurry, a detailed inspection was not carried out, and in this form, IZH-Yupiter-2 was presented to the state commission. The mistake became a trademark. The ring of the planet and the circumference of the logo were gray. The inner field of the planet was light blue. In the foreground, the ring became the abbreviation of the trademark.