The URAL is too good to be true.. (Disappointed)

Since I was a young buck dreaming of my teenage years, I had always wanted a motorcycle with a sidecar. The utility aspect and overall fun factor was intriguing, especially when I first learned about the Ural. The Gear Up model offers a handful of tactical esque accessories but the icing on the cake is the 2wd system. With a driveshaft connecting the hubs, you can quickly engage the sidecar wheel and tractor your way through almost any condition.

In today's video we finally got the opportunity to buy one so we load up on the trusty scooter and head down the interstate to buy yet another dream bike.

Little did I know it would be a huge letdown and would change my opinion on the Ural forever..

#ural #sidecar #motorcycle

[AdventureDaily]

To everyone getting triggered about the Chinese comments I am well aware they don't use Chinese parts, it was more a reference to how the bike felt, which was CHEAP, and with a price tag that doesn't reflect that these things just aren't for me. I get the novelty aspect and can appreciate the appeal and history but I am not willing to spend that amount of money for something that is widely known to be unreliable and I was just pretty upset because I had higher expectations. As with everything online take this as you will and everyone has an opinion. Cheers and happy riding.

[stephenmergner]

Your complaints about handling and "whallering" is applicable to virtually all sidecars. If you are not happy with Ural handling you will be displeased with all sidecars. That is just the nature of the beast. Modern Urals are NOT made with cheap Chinese parts. This is simply not true. They are sourced from all of the major motorcycle suppliers that everyone else uses. They come with a three year warranty and they honor it. DO NOT believe his massively misinformed idea that the "old Russian" bikes were better. He has NO IDEA what he is talking about. The opposite is true. These bikes are however an 80 year old design. If you are looking for a bike that is time warped out of the 1940's then this is your ride. There are exceptions of course with fuel injection, increased compression, disc breaks, etc.. With any 80 year old design you will find yourself working on it regularly. Short maintenance periods, greasing and lubing the way grandpa used to do it. Don't buy a vintage air cooled bike and complain about maintenance. The gears shift in a rough manner as they are non-syncronized. They slam together with the clunk of a tractor. That was the best tech in 1940s. The problems really arise with uninformed expectations, when people buy an 80 year design and expect modern performance and maintenance. You must do your research first! The fact that you were surprised by all of these "quirks" tells me that you didn't even attempt to do the minimal research before test riding the bike, let alone buying it. There are no shortage of lengthy diatribes regarding Urals. This is heavily covered territory by seasoned moto-journalists and vloggers and yet, it apparently is all completely new to you. Really??? Have you ever even Googled the phrase "Ural Motorcycle Reliability"???? You have every right to have your expectations with a modern designed motorcycle. Just don't buy this bike expecting it. These bikes are not only not for everyone, they are for THE FEW who are willing to tolerate the design and maintenance. Please see the Soviet Steeds message board for real world, if cultish, advice and experience. And the price? It's a hand-built, old school bike, built in very limited numbers. Of course the price is going to be high. This video review is a celebration of doing no up-front research and winging it the day of. That might have impressed your high school english teacher, but it falls flat in adulthood.

[ralfriess]

I get my brand new URAL Ranger end of march this year. I am from Germany. My first tour was with friends in Vogesen (France) 1500 km. In August I visited friends in Albania and Croatia with in total 6000 km. And four weeks ago I ride with my son the Netherlands and German TET. No failure, engine and bike are running propperly for more than 15000km this year.... I love my URAL

[Multheman]

I have a 2016 ural ct and I have absolutely no complaints if you want a freeway cruiser don’t buy a Ural, if you want a bike to travel the back roads then get a Ural, that simple.

[AmericanAdventuresTJ]

I bought my Ural new in 2011, still riding it. The Ural is not for everyone, but I love mine. If you can't tell if it is low on gas, it may not be the bike for you.

[staryjanek]

Riding a sidecar outfit it totally different from riding anything else. It will "wander", it has "quirks", ALL outfits exhibit these NOT just the Ural. It is more physically demanding than two wheels, you would develop a lot of upper body strength if you rode one regularly. The Ural requires 100% maintenance too, just as bikes used to in the old days, it's part and parcel of owning one. It is not a ride and forget thing, like riding it and parking it up until the next time, it is old school and nearly everything can be done by the owner. You are going back in time with these things.

[bebekadventure]

Buying Ural is like buying Harley Davidson motorcycle . I said it because i ride Harley Davidson for over 40 years and owned different kind of HD from 1942 to 2007 . No matter what year, Harley Davidson motorcycle is about to fix no matter it is old bike or new bike . Ural is about the same, you have to love the bike and have patience to do self maintenance or fix things .

[revspyder]

I own a 2006 2wd 750 and my first ride was summed up as "Just squirrely enough to make every ride an adventure" but that's a side car, and i got very used to it, very quickly and now of the 5 bikes i own, it's the most ridden! As for dependability, i've no issues other than, Yeah, they shift hard and make scary noises doing it. But they are tractor tough. Owning an older model, i've had to replace a lot of the original rubber components, fuel lines, manifold rubbers etc. But everything else keeps going just fine.

[jss-ueju]

I bought my ural a few months back, love riding it and my dog loves it to. It's not for everyone.

[HotCarl]

I bought a 1995 Tourist in 2005. It had a lot of problems at first, but all I had to do was strip it down to the frame and replace or repair almost every part and rewire it from scratch. Been going great since then. They just need a little tweaking.

[peterrussell]

Riding a motorcycle in shorts and a t-shirt and no gloves. 🙄. Obviously a well-informed rider. I’ve ridden Urals for 20 years (‘04 and a ‘12) and when ridden within their limits (50-62 mph) and serviced properly, they run forever. Not the bike for you.

[PhilQc]

A Ural is simply not for you then. Its my commuter for work and week-end machine. I love my 2018, requires more maintenance than any normal bike yes but eh, it's not a normal bike after all! You shifted way too high in RPM, must be low, always! You don't have to be in a hurry on this bike, 41 HP for that weight and that top speed is just enough. I would have loved a 5th gear for sure. Not so fun on an highway but it shine on the back roads.

[theukuleleclub]

Rode from Uk to Southern Morocco by myself on a URAL Adventure, 600 mile days, lots of maintenance but an adventure of a lifetime..

[fuller]

You missed out. Once you get used to the quirks a ural is a proper travel bike on side roads not interstate. I've done 400 mile days on my 06 tourist and it never skipped a beat. I've taken mine up to 75 for short blast on the expressway and she still is a top runner. My Ural is the one bike in my garage (out of 6) that will never be sold unless it's for another Ural.

[BikerMage]

If it's not for you, it's not for you, but please stop lying. These are not Chinese, you complain about the transmission, those are Herzog (German) gears inside there. I have a 2021 that I bought new and ride almost every day, including commuting to work every day. I've had it up to 80mph, and no real issues save a couple of bolts managing to work their way loose. My bad back had me transitioning away from 2 wheels, my wife was more comfortable with a sidecar than the back of a trike (especially for our new daughter), and there was no other option for "from the factory" piece of mind. For me, a few extra oil changes and a quick valve check are more than worth the thrill of the Ural experience.

[iamyankee]

I bought my first sidecar rig a couple of months ago. A 2015 Ural Gear up. Yes, it is clanky sketchy, and at first, is all over the place. I learned real quick that you have to just go with the flow. I refer to my HD Streetglide as a cadillac to this being a 68 Volkswagon beetle. (which i had driven). The previous owner had a fuel pack on this" for top end", but i removed it and the Ural came alive. i have had 2 riders with me and reached sustainable 70+ MPH. It seems to get smoother at higher speeds (45 & up). Regular maintenance, and learning to loosen up on the controls, (not trying to fight with) is a must and has really made this an enjoyable ride. Hope you find your rig!

[sidecardude]

I've put together about 25 or so sidecar rigs, and proper setup makes the difference. Currently rig is a 1996 Virago with a terraplane sidecar, put an extra set of scooter shocks on the front end to stiffen up the front end and I can ride with one hand. I also have a steering damper that I clip on for long straight highway trips, really makes it a much more enjoyable experience.

[melrichardson]

Thankyou so much from the rider to the buyer great bike love it.

[djsomers]

Sidecar rigs handle in a totally unique way and it takes getting used to. I have had two Urals since 1998 and love them. Simple to work on and reliable if treated right and maintained and most issues are easy to work out. Dont expect another sidecar rig to handle all that differently. You have to stomp on the gear shifter. You are right, it is like a 1950's tractor. Also, trying to fly the chair before you have really mastered the bike is a bit nuts. Thanks for the video though.

[seannash]

I myself am currently disabled and therefore retired (dangit) and still enjoy the occasional repair/adjustment/tweak and would very much enjoy having a Ural.