Production of the MT-11 started in 1985, as an all-purpose civilian machine. Top speed was around 105 kilometers per hour, or just over 65 mph. The engine made a claimed 32 horsepower at the beginning, though it bumped up a bit over the course of the MT-11's run. The gearbox had four speeds and a reverse gear. Later on, the MT-16 came along—which took the basic idea of the MT-11 but made it 2WD (which the MT-11 was not).
The MT-11 is, of course, one of many sidecar descendants of the former Soviet-era M72, which was derived from the civilian-market BMW R71. For those unfamiliar, the sidevalve-engined, 750cc R71 was originally meant to replace the R12, which was in heavy use by German military forces of the time. The R12 had a cheap, pressed-steel frame, which wasn’t exactly suitable for the stresses of sidecars. Meanwhile, the R71 utilized a shiny, new tubular steel frame—which worked much better on sidecar duty.
