Hi. I attended a dualsport rally and saw the guys and gals on hacks having so much fun. I generally ride small offroad trail bikes, and I converted my dirtbike to street legal to ride in dualsport rallies. I haven't been enjoying these rallies because my bike is too small power, and I cannot ride the bigger power bikes because my legs are too short. I think I want a Ural because it was my dream is to own and ride a BMW GS boxer motorcycle, but my legs are too short and my upper body strength is not so great. So I think the next best thing is a Ural. I like a brand new one with reverse gear. I don't want to wrench no more. Just want to pay someone else to get dirty. I've never ridden a hack. When I ride with them on dirt and gravel roads, they always fly down the straight aways and zoom around curves faster than us two-wheel guys. Does it take a great deal of learning curve to ride a side car motorcycle well? I still like to ride small trail bikes. Would learning to drive a Ural confuse my muscle memory in dirtbike riding skill?
Not suggesting one way or the other but a couple things to think about. Don't know about your 2 wheel muscle memory getting confused but driving a sidecar outfit will acquire totally new muscle memories. Not much (actually hardly anything)you learned riding 2 wheelers is transferable to hacks. Point two. if you're now having upper body strength issues with a two wheeler a hack is not for you unless you're good with improving upper body strength. Not that big a deal in 1WD on pavement, even us tired old farts adapt, but a Ural in 2WD mode is a serious upper body work out. Regarding your concerns I suggest trying one out offroad before spending any money. The only learned two wheel experience that directly transfers to 3 wheelers is "situational awareness". PS as mentioned above, if you're not willing or capable of maintaining your bike especially after off pavement use...look elsewhere.
I love my Ural but agree completely with the post above. Sounds like a Ural may not be a good fit for you...
Wouldn't trade my ural for anything.......... But they require owner partisipation, if you want gas-n-go look elsewhere. Riding a sidecar is nothing like riding a bike, its a whole new skill to learn.
I don't mean I can't do my own maintainence. I've been buying used bikes and fixing 'em myself to ride. My last ride, a Kawasaki, got me real sour about fixing bike because there was so much wrong with it that I spend many nights and weekends working on it when I could have been out riding. I just don't want something old and worn out or a piece of lemon to fix. I'm fine doing oil change, fixing little things here and there. I just don't want big jobs like an engine rebuild. I want to buy brand new, guarantee to handle well from the manufacture. I just don't have time to test setup by trial and error. But I thought the new Ural are suppose to be reliable, have Japanese ignition and carburetor. Am I wrong to think that? I plan to ride alot by myself in the sticks. I need reliable.
Yea. they are pretty reliable, especially the newer ones. They are working hard to eliminate all of the shortcomings of the pre-2005 models. But they are like owning an air-cooled Volkswagen, ya gotta do a lot of maintenance that many people aren't used to doing these days. And like stated above, you are going to have a few different muscles hurt that you didn't know you had. If you have ever ridden ATV's off-road, your learning curve won't be so difficult.
A properly set up Ural is ready to ride without any fiddling, thats not an issue if you buy from an experienced dealer. They are constantly improving, but they are still hand made, limited production vehicles, there is more variability than contemporary bikes, about what you would expect from a bike in the late 70's. Urals warranty support is second to none, if something comes up they will sort it out. Urals almost always sell for MSRP, shop by dealer reputation, not price. A Ural requires owner participation, the service interval is 2500km for oil change, and check/adjust valves. On a less regular schedule, adjusting the rear and hack brakes, checking spokes, greasing U-joints and shaft splines, adjusting clutch, checking fasteners, wheel bearing retainers, steering head bearings and other things. Balancing the carbs, and adjusting idle speed, for the first 2500-5000km as needed. It requires more attention than average, but it's very easy to work on and is actually less demanding in terms of overall time and money than many other bikes I have owned. I have been using my rig as my full transportation, off pavement riding, snow riding, enduro rallys, and road trips for 5 years .I have managed to break it a couple of times through severe abuse, and have had a couple of minor road side repairs, but overall it has been reliable. A Ural isn't for everybody, in fact a Ural isn't for most people.......................the same can be said for sidecars in general.........................but they can be very addicting.
I only have my Ural since last December and 4000kms.... Only one arm fully functional (talk about upper body strengh!) and I love it... I am trying to check everything all the time and have no probs whatsoever: does not use oil, tires do not deflate, valves do not run out of adjustment, spark plugs fire etc. it came with 3 years warranty and the only pieces changed were a brake switch and a clutch arm release. I am afraid (or happy!) but it looks like Urals are not the special elite bikes they used to be!!!
I pick up my new Tourist next monday. I have enjoyed getting out in my man cave and working on my previous bikes so I think monday will be the start of a very beautiful thing.
If you get a Ural you should be careful w/ day dreaming. There will be visions of riding down old mining trail & trying to watch your kilometer gauge turn right on 7,000. Then you look up to see an antilope standing in your path. These thoughts are dangerous while riding a Ural. But they are also very true. Also becareful about young ladies, yes this is another issue w/ these Urals. They are a real honey getter. My dog is now my best friend, so we have little time for the bitches. He understands the Ural better than I understand it. You will wake up making strange hand turning movements. You will not get much sleep during the first year of ownership. Maybe worst of all, you will be the reason so many other riders will also join the ''Ural thinking". You will just stop careing about get anywhere fast. Worst of all, you will reach out to make new friends who also like to ride Urals the same way you want & ask openly, w/o shame to sleep in their backyards. This has been a very humble time for my BRO. But he never looks back.
What he said. I got a Ural in part because I wanted to gain more experience with wrenching than a modern bike typically provides. Mine has been quite reliable, but it definitely requires more owner involvement.
Yes, because they are cool and you will be too, as soon as you get one! That's why I'm getting one. Oh yeah, and to make all the BMW owners mad! I mean jealous! :)
Urals are well........ Urals. If you plan on actually putting some miles on it you will indeed be wrenching on it. Unless you want to spend a whole lot of time waiting for someone else to work on it for you. They are easy enough to work on and after a while you will feel like an old pro. I think most will agree that it is a product that is getting better and better every year. Still when I compare my 2011 GSA with a DMC sidecar and the 2007 Ural there is a lot more routine stuff on the Ural. If you really do not want to get your hands dirty, I am not sure the Ural is a good choice.
I love my Ural so much I want another one. Not a gas and go machine, but it's fun and necessary to tinker. Don't get one if you don't want to attract attention.
