The "BMW R 71" big flat-twin motorcycle was exceptional. It was the Icon of BMW, expensive to build and well engineered. Unfortunately only 2638 motorcycles could be built before production was disrupted due to the War. Original bikes are now rare and highly sought after. Around 500 are known to survive today. It was either licensed to the Soviet Union in 1938 or just copied there, resulting in the Dnepr M-72 (produced from 1942 to 1960) and IMZ-Ural (modernised version still in production) motorbikes .