Really wanting a Ural/sidecar bike...impressions?

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http://imz-ural.com/2015-gear-up.html

I've recently become very interested in a Ural Gear-Up bike in Woodland camo. Really neat looking ride. They have such a vintage look and seem to really be fun from what I've read.
Does anybody out there know much about the latest models? I know where they are made and that in the last couple of years thy improved the fuel delivery as well as the sidecar dampening. I saw a person on one this past summer and was instantly drawn to the bike. I actually thought it was just some old WW2 vintage bike. Then I realized later that it was new. Only about one dealer per state so they are not very common at all....but clubs and groups are out there that are really into them.

Anyway...just thought I'd ask if anyone here has experience with them.
 
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Don't make the camo anymore.
Headquarters in Washington, near Seattle.
Ural Northwest (uralnw.com) is near Bellingham. They just moved to a town that begins with F, cant think of it. One of the best dealers in the country. I live in NC and bought mine from Ural NW.
2013 is the last of the carb models, 2014 went to FI. Carbies are much simpler bikes.
MPG 30-35.
New ones run close to $15K
Low mileage used ones can be had for $5k up.
2006 and up are the best years.
2wd is fun, but the 1wd is simpler, cheaper, and can do almost everything a 2wd can.
Great fun in snow and backroads. Will go anywhere a jeep will go.
Top speeed about 60-65.
More fun than you can imagine.
Be prepared for UDF (Ural Delay Factor). Everyone will want to talk to you.
4 forward and 1 reverse gear.
Ural is the only production Sidecar bike. Some people will add a sidecar on a 2 wheeler, but it is not the same.
I own 4 bikes, and the Ural is by far my favorite.
www.sovietsteeds.com is thye best site for info. I post as blueridgewheeltor on there.
 
Generally they have substandard reliability compared to the main brands you find in America. Closest in reliability would be Royal Enfield. In other words, be prepared to do some wrenching on them. They are a tinkerers brand.

Personally for a better sidecar setup I would look into putting a sidecar on a Triumph Bonneville for a vintage look. Easier to find parts for them, they will hold their value longer, and you will get superior build quality. And trust me, people all the time come up and talk about your Triumph. When I am gassing up I get old timer bikers that come up and chinwag at me about the vintage Triumph they rode/customized.
 
Now that is an expensive Rusky replica of the WW2 BMW R75.

The only good thing about it that I can think of was that pretty much anything on that bike was fixable with a hammer a screwdriver and a piece of stringwire.
 
http://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/2015-ural-ct-review


Warning: (R Rated) Language not very mild mannered and may be dated.

http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/why-you-should-not-buy-a-ural-motorcycle.794963/

hero-lg-2.jpg
 
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My cousin bought a new Ural back in the 80's and owned it for some 15...20 years.

Things, that were recommended to be done, were to
- change the wheel bearings to Western ones
- change the tyres to Western ones
- open the oil pan or something along those lines to remove possible metal shavings from the engine

This is what he did and was relatively happy with his bike.

They used - probably still have - a list Ural guys phone numbers around the country which would/could help if anything should go wrong. And things tended to go wrong.

My cousin told me that when he and his two buddies all took their Urals to Lapland one had a spare engine in his sidecar, the other had a gearbox and some other stuff in his sidecar and the third had fishing stuff and the guns.
grin.gif


Also, he used to have three engines for his Ural:
- one that was in the bike
- second that sat on the bench in the garage complete after repairs/rebuild
- third that sat in the garage waiting for repairs/rebuild

It was not expensive, just time consuming and a bit risky. But fun.

After he sold his Ural he started riding Moto-Guzzis so some but not that big improvement.
whistle.gif
 
Bunch of [censored] being spewn here from people who don't know what they are talking about.
The old 650 motor was less reliable. The new 750 is fine.
Many of the critical parts are outsourced: Brembo brakes,Desno alternators,Ducati electric ignition.
They are not fast, and some people sell them because of that. There are some around with lots of miles on them.
They are like a tractor: strong, slow,rebuildable.
Most of the improvements are backwards compliant- you can upgrade an older bike.
There is no comparison between a Royal Enfield and a Ural. The Ural is much better. I know, I own both.
The thread on ADVrider was written by a whiner called Bokad. There is an accompanying thread on ADVrider called "why you SHOULD buy a Ural motorcycle."
It is expensive adding a sidecar to a two wheeler. They are not made for that.They are not geared for that. Many times you have to add a subframe$$$ and the steel tub of the Ural is way better than some of the fibreglass add ons.
Reverse gear is wonderful.
Check out soviet steeds dot com for feedback from real owners.
 
Originally Posted By: Studebaker
Bunch of [censored] being spewn here from people who don't know what they are talking about.
The old 650 motor was less reliable. The new 750 is fine.
Many of the critical parts are outsourced: Brembo brakes,Desno alternators,Ducati electric ignition.
They are not fast, and some people sell them because of that. There are some around with lots of miles on them.
They are like a tractor: strong, slow,rebuildable.
Most of the improvements are backwards compliant- you can upgrade an older bike.
There is no comparison between a Royal Enfield and a Ural. The Ural is much better. I know, I own both.
The thread on ADVrider was written by a whiner called Bokad. There is an accompanying thread on ADVrider called "why you SHOULD buy a Ural motorcycle."
It is expensive adding a sidecar to a two wheeler. They are not made for that.They are not geared for that. Many times you have to add a subframe$$$ and the steel tub of the Ural is way better than some of the fibreglass add ons.
Reverse gear is wonderful.
Check out soviet steeds dot com for feedback from real owners.

Although appreciated...I am surprised by all the comments being so negative on here. In the few days of looking up information on the Ural, I'd say 90% of people that own one, love it. Yes, Russians tend to be crude in manufacture, but apparently the latest model Ural is a well built and executed bike. Reliability seems to be MUCH improved over years past. Regular maintenance and adjustments seem to be a little bit more part of ownership than other bikes. I think I read somewhere that oil changes are required every 1500 miles? I've really not seen any negative comments on one excepting to say that they aren't fast. That doesn't bother me in a sidecar bike. I have no desire to speed long in a configuration like that...it would be for taking it easy (maybe with my dog in the sidecar) and enjoying the backroads.
I'll check out the website you've highlighted.
 
Originally Posted By: Studebaker
Don't make the camo anymore.
Headquarters in Washington, near Seattle.
Ural Northwest (uralnw.com) is near Bellingham. They just moved to a town that begins with F, cant think of it. One of the best dealers in the country. I live in NC and bought mine from Ural NW.
2013 is the last of the carb models, 2014 went to FI. Carbies are much simpler bikes.
MPG 30-35.
New ones run close to $15K
Low mileage used ones can be had for $5k up.
2006 and up are the best years.
2wd is fun, but the 1wd is simpler, cheaper, and can do almost everything a 2wd can.
Great fun in snow and backroads. Will go anywhere a jeep will go.
Top speeed about 60-65.
More fun than you can imagine.
Be prepared for UDF (Ural Delay Factor). Everyone will want to talk to you.
4 forward and 1 reverse gear.
Ural is the only production Sidecar bike. Some people will add a sidecar on a 2 wheeler, but it is not the same.
I own 4 bikes, and the Ural is by far my favorite.
www.sovietsteeds.com is thye best site for info. I post as blueridgewheeltor on there.



No more camo? I saw on the Ural website that they made one for 2015 models. I asked a dealer and he said those are sold out until the 2016's arrive. I have been trying to find out if Ural will still offer the camo Gear-up in those new models. So far, no luck getting that information.
Do you know something about the new, coming 2016's and color choices?
 
I'm not too surprised by the negative here, its about par for the course.

Plenty of owners on ADV, I agree most of them seem happy...
 
Originally Posted By: Andy636
Now that is an expensive Rusky replica of the WW2 BMW R75.

The only good thing about it that I can think of was that pretty much anything on that bike was fixable with a hammer a screwdriver and a piece of stringwire.
+1. A used R65 would be a better choice and BM parts are easy to get.
 
Originally Posted By: Joshua_Skinner
All I can add is to drive one before you buy. You may not like herding a side-hack around if you're used to what a motorcycle can do.


Yes, I will go take a ride possibly this coming Saturday. I realize the steering/handling is weird at first...especially for right turns. Some suggest adding weight in the sidecar for a newcomer until you feel comfortable enough to have a passenger.
I think my main area of concern is the mechanical aptitude possible required to own one. I am not mechanically inclined...but am able to perform maintenance like oil/filter changes and minor stuff. If I think the Ural will break down on me, I will probably pass on it. The earlier models (pre 2006 I'm guessing) seem to be troublesome.
 
Originally Posted By: Robenstein
http://www.longhaulpaul.com/ride-stories-2/against-a-slight-breeze/

Here is a good story for you to read. Guy tried to Iron Butt a 750 Ural and it blew up not far from the start. It even had all the "tricks" done to it and he had Ural sponsorship.

He went through multiple motors, had multiple issues(one of which caused a crash).



Wow...scary story. Must have gotten a lemon or something. I would seriously hope that things like that are not common.
On some of the motorcycle websites I've been to, you see both sides to the Ural. Most people seem to say that they've had one for a few years and had no issues other than keeping up on maintenance. That seems to be one key requirement. I enjoy that sort of thing, just not mechanical repairs or complex issues. I'd take it to a dealer for that.
One guy on one of the websites said he's had a nice BMW, but after owning the Ural and riding it thousands of miles with no problems...he's selling the BMW as it's not near as fun as the Ural.
 
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When you see such diametrically opposing opinions on a product like that, it means one thing. Poor quality control at the factory. You see this with old Ironhead AMF era Harleys too. Some are problem free and some are HORRIBLE.

It is a [censored] shoot. If you are okay spending that much scratch on a [censored] shoot, go for it. I really dug the looks of the older Ural Retro, but was not comfy gambling with my hard earned money.
 
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