| A total of
15,777 M-72s were made between 1941 and war's end in 1945
MMZ: 1753 prior to evacuation to Irbit KhMZ and LMZ: 233 combined, assembled in Gorky. GMZ: 6018 (1941-45) not including KhMZ and LMZ bikes. IMZ: 7773 (1942-45). Only the MMZ, KhMZ, LMZ and maybe very early GMZ bikes had aluminum crankcases, earcases and final drives. From 1944, the twin plate clutch, plunger reinforcements and 4.625 final drive were introduced. Aluminum parts were reintroduced after the war. GMZ remained in production until 1949 when its facilities were transferred to KMZ. KMZ commenced manufacture of M-72s in 1951 with the arrival of 500 engine/gearboxes from IMZ. M-72s remained in production until 1956 when IMZ introduced the M-72M and KMZ the M-72N. The M-72 production line from IMZ was transferred to China in 1957. IMZ continued to supply some parts to China until 1960 when complete manufacture occurred in China. The M-52, M-61 and M-62 plunger frames are different to the M-72 frames. And from Scott: M-72s were made in Russia (IMZ primarily) from 1941 to 1960 (or 1961 depending on sources). They were technically M-72Ms from 1956 onward. KMZ in the Ukraine made the M-72N (or M-72H in Cyrillic) from 1956 to 1959 or 1960. OHV versions of the plunger frame bike continued on at IMZ until 1963-64 as M-61s and M-62s. |
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