Celebrating Ural's 70th anniversary with the new M70

Most motorcycle manufacturers strive for progress. And in doing so, progressively remove the connection between the rider and the machine. One hand gives with more power, while the other hand takes away—with electronics to control that power. But Ural motorcycles have always chosen the tried and trusted route. The original BMW-based design is now decades old, albeit carefully updated with modern components. (That includes Marzocchi forks, Sachs shocks and Brembo brakes.) This month is Ural’s 70th anniversary, so the company is celebrating—not with a giant leap forward, but with a giant step back. And it’s exactly the right thing to...