Do you know what the most destructive object in the history of the world is? No, it's not a chemical or biological weapon. No, it wasn't the Industrial Revolution and the pollution it spread across the globe. No, it wasn't the fart your uncle made over Thanksgiving after one too many servings of creamy gravy. And no, it wasn't any of the nuclear or thermonuclear weapons we set off either on population centers or in the atmosphere.
Rather, it's a basic rifle created in the Soviet Union almost 80 years ago. Yep, I'm talking about the AK-47, the most deadly weapon that's ever been conceived, built, and put into use.
Why am I talking about the AK-47, though? This is, after all, RideApart, a powersports website. Well, the folks who make the AK-47, the company Kalashnikov, also make motorcycles, and they're just as robust and incapable of breaking as the legendary rifle is. But unlike the changeless AK-47, Kalashnikov is upgrading its motorcycles with some new add-ons, and they're pretty interesting.
They might make some good captured technicals for the Ukrainians...
The new parts basically enhance the already capable Kalashnikov Izh Enduro line, the brand's off-road bikes specifically built for military applications, i.e., the Russian Armed Forces. What's new, you ask? Well, the Russian company most well-known for the AK-47, has added a trailer and a sidecar option for its Izh 49 all-electric enduro dirt bikes, which makes transporting equipment, armor, personnel, or armaments easier on a battlefield.
And if we're talking about the sidecar option specifically, man, that can get turned into a technical in about three seconds flat. Hell, you could mount Kalashnikov's heavier PKM heavy machine gun from the same factory and be off fighting an illegal war in minutes!
The dirt bikes themselves are interesting, too, as they look suspiciously like those you'd find on Amazon from the Chinese brand X-Pro, though it could be that Kalashnikov is using the same parts supplier as X-Pro. Yet, given the chummy nature of China and Russia, even through their war with Ukraine, I'm not sure I buy that.
According to our friends at Visordown, there are a few more options, including a gas engine. "First, there is a 450cc four-stroke internal combustion option, then a 4kW electric motor," says the outlet, adding, "Alternatively, both the rear wheel of the bike and the sidecar wheel can be fitted with electric motors of either 3kW or 5kW each. Kalashnikov says this range of choices allows customers 'to select the perfect model for their specific need.'"
Currently, Russian civilians can purchase the bikes, but given the state of their economy, as well as the state of Russia, I'm guessing all of these motorcycles are going to the Russian military for use in Ukraine. That said, I'm sure they're tough as nails, which could make for some lovely captured armor. Just saying.
