How did you end up on a Ural?

Tell us your story. My friends and family still can't figure out my newfound love of Urals. My story in short is that I've ridden motorcycles for 35 years. Last spring I saw a 1996 Patrol on Craigslist that I knew was too cheap. I've never been in or on a hack but rode right over to check it out. 30 minutes later I owned it. Tons of fun and now it's been replaced with a 2010 Gear Up.
How did you end up on a Ural?

gees the temptation is strong to trade my vstrom in and get a ural... dont think theres any 2wd ones here in aus though.

I started riding 2 wheel bikes in college. I love riding on two wheels, but my problem has been my everyday life that gets in the way of riding them. Being a music teacher, I'm constantly carting around instruments, music, equipment of some sort, which immediately rules out motorcycling as a commuting option when you need to transport a baritone saxophone. I had never thought about sidecars until about 4-5 years ago when around 5 o'clock in the morning one day, watching the news, drinking coffee, I spot a commercial for a Ural dealer in Poland, Maine. Sidecars...5 minutes from my house? Never heard of the guy(I thought I knew where all the motorcycle dealers where in Maine.

So I stopped by, checked them out, then again, then again. again. I think I looked at them for about 3-4 years before pulling the trigger.

It boiled down to the ability to carry a ton of stuff, a unique rig to travel the country on(see blog below if interested), something I could commute on 4 seasons(I would get seriously depressed when I put the two wheeled bike away), and be able to do some off road riding.

Pics from yesterday/day before.





-Tom

How?

For this:



Of course, HOW I cam to possess one (or the other way around?) is a bit more convoluted.

I got tired of not being able to ride for three or four months of the year and bought the Patrol for Winter commuting. Of course my driveway looks like this for a few months out of the year also.

I've been looking at them since the 90s but kept putting it off. Finally, after settling down with a child, house, job, etc I decided I wanted to get one.

I enjoy mechanical simplicity; I've owned a few airheads and enjoyed them but hacking one wasn't a plan of mine. It galls me to pay the dealer to do something, i.e. I do not not know how to correctly shim valves, but I hate paying $85hr. I'm now sort of self-reliant minus the community at large for tech support.

I also figured a Ural would force me to slow down and enjoy the scenery; I've spent too much time "making time" on the road.

1967 in college....a motorcycle riding buddy picked a Dneiper up at the Isle of Man TT and brought it back to school. We used to take out the seat, line the chair with plastic and fill it with ice and beer...always a hit at a party/BBQ.....Finally bought one for myself in 2010....He still has the rig and we still ride together.

In 1974 I bought my first BMW brand new. In 1979 I bought a Thompson Sidecar for $500 and attached it to a 1971 R75/5. I rode that bike for 20 yrs while my kids were growing up. I didn't know how bad it handled unitl I bought my first Ural in 1999. I saw it in a magazine called the Soviet Collection for $9695. I bought it sight unseen mail order and sold the BMW I"d had for 20 yrs. I named it "Ivan" and that's why I'm called "Ivan Rider." I still have "Ivan" and 2 other Urals. I've owned a total of Eleven Urals since "Ivan" entered my life. I've parked my Model A's and Willys and not driven them since getting the "Ural Sickness."

Watched for 10 years as the quality improved to "acceptable"/modern/western levels, then pulled the trigger in Oct 2010. Glad I did! What a great ride!

I hadn't ridden motorcycles for over 35 years; more like 40 actually. My airplane, a vintage '46 Aeronca Chief, was killed in a windstorm in July. I couldn't bring myself to hunt for a replacement. I've always been fascinated with sidecar rigs and therefore...

I'm enjoying the very different stories everyone has. Thanks for taking the time to tell them. I hope we hear a few more.

I had a 2007 Suzuki C50T that I put about 14K miles on - but after my wife had full knee replacement surgery back in 2009 she no longer felt comfortable climbing on the back so we looked for options. Stopped in at the local dealer and were hooked. Ended up with a 2006 Tourist and the wife absolutely LOVES it! She gets to sleep while we're tooling down the freeway if she feels like it, and I get to enjoy riding with her again! There's a couple other hacks in our local Patriot Guard group and we usually have the crowd of admirers around our rigs rather than the Harley guys!

Been riding/racing bikes since 1967. SWMBO & I decided on traveling with a sidecar when she retires. I bought an 07 Ural Tourist as an inexpensive introduction to sidecars, simply to see if we would sidecars or not. Recently sold the Ural and am having a Dauntless built to fit my new (to me) 07 1200GSA. There is something about the Ural I know I'll miss.

I'm on my 2nd Ural. Had a 2005 Green Patrol. Sold that one and got a 2010 gear Up. Been riding for over 35 years. The Ural by far is the most fun I've ever had on a motorcycle. Simple to work on. Keep up with the maintenance and it's miles of smiles.... Met some great people through having a Ural... It's been a great ride.....

I found one on the flea market here for 1750 with a burnt wiring harness. Figured I'd pick it up as a winter project and then either ride it around or sell it.

When I went to pick it up, the sit outside had rusted the rings in the cylinders, and did in a few bearings. I offered 1500 and we agreed. Spent 5 months rebuilding it and ended up with this.

Have no intention of selling it. In fact, my plans of trading out the motor for a bmw, or using the sidecar on another bike have gone out the window too. Loving it. 16000km since may, and I plan to put many more on it.

+1 Keep them coming.

very nice job.

I've wanted a combo for years, but never had anywhere to keep it, until we moved house and I got the garage I always wanted. I've had fast bikes, Ive had slow bikes, I've had tourers, heaps, dual sports, more heaps, commuters, the whole lot. Once I had the space for one, it was a case of finding something that fit my wallet - £1000 got me this, without the leg guards or fairing. I've had to do virtually nothing to it, and in the past few weeks since I got it, Ive done a few hundred bimbling about locally, and am hooked.

I don't remember when Urals first came to my notice. I think it was a magazine article back in the early 2000's. I thought "that seems fun" and didn't give them much thought beyond that at the time.

Fast forward to 2006 or so. My daughter was born, and I began seriously thinking of Urals again as a way to make motorcycling kid-friendly and family oriented. I checked some out at a dealer and almost bought one, but decided not to as we needed a new car soon.

Finally, in 2007 I had switched jobs. The new job turned out to be awful to the point that I was pissed, depressed, and anxious all the time - even outside of work. My "therapy" was to try to distract myself by thinking about something positive that I Iiked, so I researched the hell out of Urals, their quirks, etc. and decided I would have one. At the end of the year I got a better job and also picked up a used '05 Tourist from a local private seller. This guy had put on few hundred miles and then left it in his garage - it clearly wasn't for him.

I hardly ride my 2-wheeler anymore - the Ural is the most fun vehicle I've had!

Mr. Cob.