I assume you know that you can leave it in first when you do it? My 2010 Gear Up (and I assume all other Urals) goes into neutral from 1st just by putting it into reverse. I have a tank shifter and find it easier to find neutral doing it this way as opposed to using my foot shifter.
I'll be taking my first "trip" on my ural this weekend, only had it a few weeks but I'll be riding 200 miles north to the catskills. On my bike this would be a relatively mundane ride, but since it is my first longer Ural ride, I am really looking forward to it.
We followed this thread instead of the "shouldn't" thread. Good choice. The wife's 2012 patrol, purchased last month from UralNE (great people): I am blown away by how much smoother and quiet it is than I expected it be. It's a real blast.
The borscht flavored kool-aid maybe stronger than the orange kool-aid the KTM riders drink. Still, not as strong as the feeling of superiority that belongs to the motorcyclist master race. Dirty communist Urals! I want one ._.
I thought (scary I know) I'd add my .02 to this dead thread. Just shows the happy owners are too busy ridden & posting RRs to post here I read all the woes & why NOT's but went on and found a 2003 2wd Gear Up for $5k with 4400km a couple hundred miles away, so off we went! I'm a ASE master tech & have worked on motorcycles for a living for the last 21 years, so when it broke I would fix it. This was 3 years ago and this has been my daily driver and ADV dual sport ride for all but a few weeks, shortly after we got it had to repair few things from previous owner I still have other sickles but rarely ride them anymore, even completing selling some. I was going through phots & decided to make & share a video/slideshow of my 3 years of Ural ownership-riding-wrenching-modifying-sharing If you've got 10 minuets to kill check it out Urals are not for everyone, no type of motorcycle is, but I'll ALWAYS HAVE ONE & it'll be close to the garage door because I'll BE RIDING IT!!! You never know where your sickle life will take you Forever Two " no Three" Wheels!!!
Just got mine. A new left over 2013 Gaucho Rambler. Only put a couple hundred on it but every inch I love it more! We have high plans for this summer. Health shoved us off 2 wheels and this one will put us in the wind!
My list of bikes owned: 1. Suzuki TS 185 2. Honda CB500/4 3. Kawasaki Z1R 900 4. Yamaha XT600 Tenere - rode it across Oz 5. Harley XLH1100 6. Harley FXE1200 7. Yamaha RD350LC 8. Honda CB750/4 9. Honda XR350 10. Honda XT600 11. Yamaha RX125 12. BMW R1150GS 13. Kawasaki KLR650 14. Harley XLH883 15. Suzuki DR650 16. Triumph Bonneville - was going to put a chair on this but too expensive 17. 2010 Ural T - still got her - been across Oz 3 times 18. Honda CTX200 Ag bike 19. Harley XLH1200 - rode it around Oz 20. BMW R1200RTP (P denotes ex Police bike) 21. Harley FLSTN Softail Deluxe - still got it, probably not for long. The Ural is by far the most fun of them all. My favourite car of the 31 I've owned was new 1990 Mahindra Stockman - google that if you dare. It's interesting that my 2 most favourite vehicles are retro. Here's my girl...on the way to Tasmania 2014...8,798km round trip
I had a Honda ST1100 when I bought the Ural. After sitting in the shed unused for 12 months I finally sold the Honda.
I heard that Ural imports about 1200 a year and the current total here in the US is about 6,000 rigs or thereabouts. Not sure if the numbers are correct but I think if they import more than 1200 a year the National Highway folks and the EPA will impose stricter regs on them making it nearly impossible or extremely expensive to meet the standards.
I think that there are about 600 imported into the US and total production from the factory in Russia is about 1000. I'm sure that the Urals imported into the USA have to meet the same EPA standards as any other motorcycles. One reason that Ural went to EFI in 2014.
Another Ural booster here. Two plus years on my '11 Gear Up and I was still head over heels when I decided my neglected '02BMW GS Adv needed more love. So I hacked it! Now that the GS has its own Russian tub (Dnepr) it gets a lot more use, but there is no way I am going to sell the Ural. Like many, I love the fire roads and skid trails that are common here in Western NC. The Ural bashes along as fast as I want to go in the boonies and has more clearance with the exhaust mod. When I want to go faster, especially climbing up local blue highways through the mountains, the GS Adv is the tool of choice. I especially like the CSM anti sway bar for higher speed cornering. It really is about which tool for the job you have in mind. But if I could only afford the space or funds for one sidecar rig, I could have stopped at the Ural and been quite happy. Whatever sidecar you buy, as long as it is set up properly, you will have a lot of fun. It takes me back to the thrills I first felt in a fast go kart, almost too much fun for a (so called) adult.
No middle ground on Urals. First and only rig so far, still my first choice when going for a ride - anywhere. I'd sell and replace with another sidecar outfit just to experience the difference, not too brand fussy. Love the old timey look. I have nothing bad to say about the experience of owning a Ural, still laugh outloud while riding it. Gotta go refill my Koolaid glass.
Sounds like you've already been drinking from the pitcher but seriously, I'd have a Ural if I could tolerate slower than my Bonnie rig.
That's a very good way to look at it. With a few exceptions, it IS a vintage bike. As for my Bonnie, I'm moving the tub to my baby GS tomorrow, then probably selling the '10 Bonneville SE.
