07-04-2018, 01:50 AM
I recently picked up a 2017 Ural Gear Up and thought I’d share some thoughts with my CB friends.
First, they do seem overly expensive at first for what you get, but I have no regrets at all—there’s nothing like them on the market and more importantly, i challenge anyone to find anything that will be more fun going slow. And if you don’t want attention or to chat with strangers, don’t ride a Ural...
It has only 42 HP, and a 4-speed gearbox so its not fast but the engine is surprisingly smooth and has a heavy flywheel, so it pulls cleanly at any rpm (except when blipping the throttle, it stumbles but you learn to work around that). It is rpm limited to around 70 mph, but likes to cruise at 65, if there’s one wish, I wish it had a 5th gear so I could cruise faster on the highway. 75 would do....just 10 more mph and you could really use it to get places in a normal pace.
The handling is a blast, again you’re not going fast but it’s so unique. I didn’t have much trouble adapting to it, once you get the hang of it, you don’t have to think much. The bars require heavy inputs (way more than you would think), so if you ever see a Ural taking a highway on ramp, the rider is actually pushing quite hard on the handlebars, especially turning left since you can turn faster. After my first weekend riding a few hundred miles, my forearms were slightly sore if that gives you any idea. Once I improved my technique, I learned how to reduce some strain (not that it’s a bad thing), like rolling on and off the throttle smoothly so you don’t have to correct the line through the bars.
Turning right is the most fun. The chair comes up pretty gradually, I never used any counter weight, just slow down enough before a right turn and you can throttle through. On a sidecar, using the throttle helps it turn right since the drive wheel is left of the axis. I can “fly the car” for short periods of time. It’s a blast and even easier with a passenger.
As for reliability, Ural has come a long way. I would only look at 2014+ Urals, thats when they made some major updates like disc brakes all around (ha!) and fuel injection. The bike is super easy to service. I’ve tried 3 different transmission fluids, it has a separate case than the engine and settled on Redline Heavyweight Shockproof, it does help cushion the shifts. I’ve not ridden a big Harley but from what I read, the gearboxes may feel similar. Quite the opposite of the CB in terms of feel, but you use a heel shifter to upshift, so a firm clunk is normal. It’s part of the charm...and you will find a few false neutrals here and there if you don’t shift firmly enough. At least there’s only 2 additonal neutrals since you only have 4 gears!
Really, it’s quite a different machine than a motorcycle because of the versatility. The sidecar is deceptively huge and it has a trunk. I can run to the store with it and buy a ton of stuff, it really can be a car replacement. Also, I know this might be stupid of me, but because of the slow speed and the additional stability of the sidecar, if I’m taking a short trip, I don’t feel the need to have to fully gear up (jeans, boots) and can just throw my upper body gear on. Again, I know not the smartest thing so don’t flame me for it.
If you’re looking for something different and unique, I would highly recommend checking a Ural out. I got the Gear Up, mainly for resale value purposes and because if I move, the 2wd might come in handy if I move somewhere where the weather gets nasty, but a 1wd Ural CT handles better and is cheaper, the side car is lower to the ground and from what I’ve read it requries less bar input to steer. There’s a great forum for Urals, http://www.sovietsteeds.com and the community is pretty helpful like ours.
Overall, I’m very happy with the Ural and it makes a nice compliment to the motorcycle collection!
First, they do seem overly expensive at first for what you get, but I have no regrets at all—there’s nothing like them on the market and more importantly, i challenge anyone to find anything that will be more fun going slow. And if you don’t want attention or to chat with strangers, don’t ride a Ural...
It has only 42 HP, and a 4-speed gearbox so its not fast but the engine is surprisingly smooth and has a heavy flywheel, so it pulls cleanly at any rpm (except when blipping the throttle, it stumbles but you learn to work around that). It is rpm limited to around 70 mph, but likes to cruise at 65, if there’s one wish, I wish it had a 5th gear so I could cruise faster on the highway. 75 would do....just 10 more mph and you could really use it to get places in a normal pace.
The handling is a blast, again you’re not going fast but it’s so unique. I didn’t have much trouble adapting to it, once you get the hang of it, you don’t have to think much. The bars require heavy inputs (way more than you would think), so if you ever see a Ural taking a highway on ramp, the rider is actually pushing quite hard on the handlebars, especially turning left since you can turn faster. After my first weekend riding a few hundred miles, my forearms were slightly sore if that gives you any idea. Once I improved my technique, I learned how to reduce some strain (not that it’s a bad thing), like rolling on and off the throttle smoothly so you don’t have to correct the line through the bars.
Turning right is the most fun. The chair comes up pretty gradually, I never used any counter weight, just slow down enough before a right turn and you can throttle through. On a sidecar, using the throttle helps it turn right since the drive wheel is left of the axis. I can “fly the car” for short periods of time. It’s a blast and even easier with a passenger.
As for reliability, Ural has come a long way. I would only look at 2014+ Urals, thats when they made some major updates like disc brakes all around (ha!) and fuel injection. The bike is super easy to service. I’ve tried 3 different transmission fluids, it has a separate case than the engine and settled on Redline Heavyweight Shockproof, it does help cushion the shifts. I’ve not ridden a big Harley but from what I read, the gearboxes may feel similar. Quite the opposite of the CB in terms of feel, but you use a heel shifter to upshift, so a firm clunk is normal. It’s part of the charm...and you will find a few false neutrals here and there if you don’t shift firmly enough. At least there’s only 2 additonal neutrals since you only have 4 gears!
Really, it’s quite a different machine than a motorcycle because of the versatility. The sidecar is deceptively huge and it has a trunk. I can run to the store with it and buy a ton of stuff, it really can be a car replacement. Also, I know this might be stupid of me, but because of the slow speed and the additional stability of the sidecar, if I’m taking a short trip, I don’t feel the need to have to fully gear up (jeans, boots) and can just throw my upper body gear on. Again, I know not the smartest thing so don’t flame me for it.
If you’re looking for something different and unique, I would highly recommend checking a Ural out. I got the Gear Up, mainly for resale value purposes and because if I move, the 2wd might come in handy if I move somewhere where the weather gets nasty, but a 1wd Ural CT handles better and is cheaper, the side car is lower to the ground and from what I’ve read it requries less bar input to steer. There’s a great forum for Urals, http://www.sovietsteeds.com and the community is pretty helpful like ours.
Overall, I’m very happy with the Ural and it makes a nice compliment to the motorcycle collection!
