Might get a Ural

[Ivan Rider]

Before Ural put a weight limit on the new bike I had my Retro loaded down with Wife and camping gear and rode it over the Truck Scales in Oregon. It registered 1800 lbs. That's 1000 lbs or 1/2 more then the weight of the empty rig. So I wouldn't worry about your 275 lbs.

[NortwestRider]

I sold Urals back in the lates 90's here in Seattle and we could not give them away!!.I could have bought them for pennies on the dollar.Now mind you they were NOT like they are now,we had one come in,opened the crate and tore down the top like we always did.It was missing a piston!!,not just a ring or two but a whole piston !!!.


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[The Rat]

I've had an M72 (restored, too damn slow, but cool!) and a '98 650 Ural. The brakes were borderline unsafe fully loaded, but after sorting out the bike, it was rock solid. Like a fool, I sold it. One day I found an old YouTube video I had posted. You see, my son is 95% blind and a complete gear-head. At VIR one year he drove me around in the sidecar. Check out that smile! (it was a spur of the moment thing, yeah we're ATGATT Nazis, so FYYFF, sometimes life just happens!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnq8h...e_gdata_player
After I watched the video, remembered how much he loved riding, I took him to Frontline Eurosports in Salem Va (great dealer) yesterday and picked up a 2012 Patrol. I'll take him offroading and camping this summer. Life is too short to waste time "thinking about it"!

[MagyarMan]

Rat,

You can see happy written all over his face! Good move on the new Ural!

[NortwestRider]

Originally Posted by The Rat

I've had an M72 (restored, too damn slow, but cool!) and a '98 650 Ural. The brakes were borderline unsafe fully loaded, but after sorting out the bike, it was rock solid. Like a fool, I sold it. One day I found an old YouTube video I had posted. You see, my son is 95% blind and a complete gear-head. At VIR one year he drove me around in the sidecar. Check out that smile! (it was a spur of the moment thing, yeah we're ATGATT Nazis, so FYYFF, sometimes life just happens!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnq8h...e_gdata_player
After I watched the video, remembered how much he loved riding, I took him to Frontline Eurosports in Salem Va (great dealer) yesterday and picked up a 2012 Patrol. I'll take him offroading and camping this summer. Life is too short to waste time "thinking about it"!

That my friend is what life is all about !!
Good for you and your son..


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[dbigkahunna]

I was one of the "Might" :Been Looking" "Checking them Out" people. I have a DS KLR 650 set up for some serious off the highway travel. I knew knothing about hacks or riding them. It was just something I wanted to do. I had a health scare early this year and decided what did I have to loose. I am not a professional wrench by any means but kept my old Harleys running when I was experiencing my misspent youth.
I pulled the pin on a 2012 GU in June of this year. I just turned 5K on my rig. I love it. I have ridden my KLR twice since I got the GU. I get to take my granddaughter with me on my jaunts and we learned flying the chair together. The maintenence necessary is not hard and anything needed to be done can be found on the internet. And the skill set you learn on riding this rig is fun. One day you are going down the road and you flash that Hey, I am not thinking about riding the rig, but just enjoying the ride.
Are they perfect? Of course not. But the people I have met so far either in person or on the SS forum have been great. I remember the old HD days when the bikes had a soul and a personality not a marketing niche. Urals have a soul.
If you want a ride it and forget it, then DONT get a Ural.
If you do not like strangers coming up to you to talk to you, then DONT get a Ural.
If you want to go fast and do your riding with large groups of simillarly clothed riders with manufacturer logos on everything , then DONT get a Ural.

[Boondox]

Originally Posted by dbigkahunna

If you want to go fast and do your riding with large groups of simillarly clothed riders with manufacturer logos on everything , then DONT get a Ural.

Do any sidecarists do this? Every one I know is an individualist no matter what rig they drive.

[NortwestRider]

The only time I ride with any other sudecars is at the CSR..
The main reason is that there just aren't many of us around,in fact I only know of 1 other in my area ( windmill ) !!.


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[biggziff]

Originally Posted by windmill

My firsthand "research" in 5 years and 75.000 km of off road, on road, and daily commuting says your full of beans.

Amen, brother... Never listen to the "I've done lots of research, but have zero experience" guys, especially when there are so many experienced opinions here, on SS and Russian Iron to name a few.

I bought my 07 with 21654 Km on it. It had not been babied, but had been maintained as per the manual. It runs like a clock, will go places I'm not willing to ride it to and everyone that has ridden on it has grinned ear to ear....including me.

My BMW has sat in the garage for nearly 2 months...unridden since I got this thing.

[prestonpaul]

Originally Posted by The Rat

I've had an M72 (restored, too damn slow, but cool!) and a '98 650 Ural. The brakes were borderline unsafe fully loaded, but after sorting out the bike, it was rock solid. Like a fool, I sold it. One day I found an old YouTube video I had posted. You see, my son is 95% blind and a complete gear-head. At VIR one year he drove me around in the sidecar. Check out that smile! (it was a spur of the moment thing, yeah we're ATGATT Nazis, so FYYFF, sometimes life just happens!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pnq8h...e_gdata_player
After I watched the video, remembered how much he loved riding, I took him to Frontline Eurosports in Salem Va (great dealer) yesterday and picked up a 2012 Patrol. I'll take him offroading and camping this summer. Life is too short to waste time "thinking about it"!

That is so cool! Was that your son's white cane I saw tucked in the rear rack? As far as bikes go, I can't think of anything other than a hack that would let a near blind person have that experience!

[The Rat]

Yup, that's his cane. You should have seen people's faces when he parked and walked away with his cane!

[madeouttaglass]

Originally Posted by windmill

Who belonged to that Gobi?

I love mine. It's honestly the most fun toy I've ever had.