Germany here. I ride a 2019 Ural T TWD. Completely painted in black.Ural is still my dream bike. Riding this bike is so emotional. It's not me, it`s the Ural that decides which people or landscapes I meet during a trip.
Cool video! We are on our 2nd Ural Gear Up, having owned the first for ten years. Our new Ural was made in Kazakhstan and is made very well. The 2nd generation fuel injection/ignition is amazing. The engine has much better power and torque and at 55mph-65mph is smooth enough that the mirrors are clear. I maintain our Ural with simple hand tools. The most important things to do to keep your Ural reliable and running forever are to follow Ural's owner's manual maintenance. Especially frequent oil changes (3000 miles maximum) using a premium full synthetic oil with the best additive packages (Diesel rated is great). I grease all the fittings and lubricate everything regularly as well.
A little know fact. Ural now is a USA company based in Redmond, WASHINGTON, USA. The Ural updates were the result of a very generous American customer who loaned a great deal of money to engineer the improvements such as, disc brakes, fuel injection, etc. I enjoy riding my Gear Up 2020 Sahara with my pup as the sidecar monkey. Thanks for your well documented video.
Thanks Mate, I really enjoyed making this video. It is my personal favourite video. I knew Ural headquarters were based in the USA but I did not know they were an actual American Company. But yes I did check (not that I didn't believe you) and you are correct. Very interesting and thank you for the info. I do not pretend to know everything. If I don't know something for a fact I just leave it out or say something like "it's reported". The internet and many books are wrong on so many things, it does my head in. Even the doco I am currently working on, the amount of wrong info is just insane. Cheers and yes I do have a Ural myself.
As part of the Molotov - von Ribbentrop Treaty includes the gift of drawings and two samples of the tacticsl motorcycke with sidecar. The factiry was establisged in Moskow but with the WW2 unfolding, Stalin moved the factory behind the Ural mountain to a more safe snd unreachable location.
A woefully incorrect history section. BMW, which had a history with the Soviet Union going back to 1922, offered the Soviets a choice of three models, the R12, R71 and R75. The R12 was outdated, the R75 was only available after 20,000 units had been manufactured, and the R71 which was mothballed in Munich. All other BMW motorcycles were made in Eisenach. The three samples offered by BMW are in the Irbit State Motorcycle Museum. The R71 was a failure for BMW, as was the R72 based on it that was offered to the Wehrmacht. To avoid building Zündap's KS750, BMW hastily created the R75. BMW supplied plans, some tooling and five R71s fitted with Stoye military sidecars, as opposed to the civilian Royale sidecars that BMW used at that time. R71 production was restarted in Munich in early 1941, presumably to train Soviet workers. MMZ was moved to Irbit and only became IMZ in 1945 when the decision was made not to return it to Moscow. The Leningrad and Kharkov plants were transferred to Gorky where they remained until 1948, when transferred to Kiev. KMZ made the confiscated Wanderer 100 up until 1952 when the first M72s were made with 500 engines and transmissions supplied by IMZ. GAZ/GMZ made all sidecars up unto 1948 when the machinery was transferred to IMZ and KMZ. The Dnepr name was first used in 1967 on the K-650 for the 50th Anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. The largest number of Red Army motorcycles was the WLA (35,000). The biggest Soviet manufacturer of motorcycle and sidecars was IZH, around 15 plus million, compared to IMZ's 3.25 million. I could go on, but that's enough corrections for now.
@@peterwilliams2152 appreciate your input but almost nothing you go on about is relevant to whats contained in this video! I didnt even mention american motorcycles etc, etc .. just because you read something in a book or on the internet does not mean it is factual, its just something you read!
Scenarion 3 is real true. Russia has no experience in good motorcycle. Their PMZ 750 Podolsk - copy of BMW and HD have problem (PMZ was translate by customer Try Me Start - Poproboj Mienia Zapystit :) ) TIZ AM 600 copy of BSA sloper - was also not good. Production of M-72 start at once without big problem, and motorcycle has all parts make from right material with right tolerance and dimension. First engine blok was produce on BMW mould so even oil return under cylinder from R66 is also visible on first M-72. First bike has also often rear gear from germany or bearing from germany.
Yes, I think you are correct but it seems nodody knows 100%, it does seem to be the most believable scenario. Thanks for watching mate and taking the time to comment.
Nieprawda. Plany oraz mnóstwo oryginalnych części BMW R-71 zostało przekazanych ZSRR w ramach paktu Ribbentrop -Mołotow. A fabryka BMW skupiła się na produkcji BMW R-75 Sahara na potrzeby wojska. Więc nic nie zostało skopiowane z motocykli przeszmuglowanych przez Szwecję 🤷.
Masz rację, rzeczywiście tak jest w scenariuszu nr 3. Przyznaję się bez bicia🤗. Jednak właśnie ku temu scenariuszowi skłaniam się najbardziej. Dlaczego? Dlatego, że III Rzesza niemiecka była zbyt potężnym państwem i (jeszcze do czerwca 1941r.) łączyły ją stosunki gospodarcze z ZSRR. I dlatego sadzę, że Związek Radziecki nie odważyłby się bezczelnie skopiować planów BMW R-71. Niemniej jednak Ruscy często kradli zachodnią technologię kopiując ją jako coś, co im się należało w ramach "zdobyczy wojennych". Pozdrawiam.
BMW судя по количеству выпущеных мотоциклов,, сосредоточился,, на самом массовом BMW R 12. (36000ШТ!) А R75 был очень дорогим в производстве и их выпустили всего 16500 шт...
И врядли в таком важном документе как пакт Молотов-Рибентроп шла речь о каких то мотоциклах. Может конечно это и упоминалось, но вероятно только в его,, секретной,,неопубликованой части 😁
Great video - the Cossack / Dnieper / Ural / Neval (usually pronounced in the UK as 'Neeval' - more often 'The Evil Neval') seem to have been around just forever. I've been riding for 45 years and I've always had a soft spot for them and so your video was uberinteresting for me! Unfortunately in the UK they are now pretty expensive (about £17k I think); probably because of the need for a left hand sidecar (it is illegal to register a RH sidecar outfit in the UK since a piece of very misguided legislation in the 80s). Thanks!
Appreciate you taking the time to give me some feedback, thank you! Some legislation is a joke I know. When I was researching for the series on motorcycle trailers in some countries the laws are a joke. I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
The video clip that was shown when the reliability issue was mentioned was from a RU-vid channel called "bikes and beards". You can see the whole video there. He use to sell motorcycles here in central Pennsylvania. He moved to Tennessee (I think 🤔) but still puts out content. With that being said, I need a bigger garage, I have 2 motorcycles now but I would love to add a Ural.
Yep that is spot on. I fail to see how anyone can call a bike that still starts after the engine is full of water is unreliable. I bought a Ural last year and not one issue so far.
Interesting video. But i am definitely not a Ural Motorcycle Fan at all. I know very little about these Machines but they are quite popular among the Classic bike Fans and collectors hear in Sri Lanka. And back in 1976 a batch of One Hundred Motorcycles i believe were imported by the Police department for the Non Aligned Conference held that year. Not sure what model designation but i understand they are 600cc Twins. My memory goes back to around 1978/9 when i used to see bikes still in use by the Police. And then of course in the recent past i see a couple of them running around and with Collectors. A friend of mine was even Fooled into buying one dressed up and disguised as a BMW Twin. 😂 To me its Never a Classic on my list.
They really are astonishing bikes. I met a bloke up in Mt Isa Qld on a Ural outfit that had ridden the thing across the globe without many dramas at all. What I liked most was the rugged simplicity and the benefits of things like the removable fuel screen in the fuel filler neck and the hand gear selector. I remember a bloke called Simon who had a shop selling Urals on Parramatta Road near Homebush back in the early eighties. I walked in there one day with my BMW R100RT parked out front. I wanted to see if it was possible to just buy the sidecar . He said to me, ‘why bother trying to fit your weak-framed BMW with a sidecar when I can sell you a complete outfit for under $5,000!! I was extremely tempted. But, I’d heard a lot of bad stories about the lack of spares and catastrophic unreliability! To be honest, the styling was attractive but they look very agricultural with bits stuck on and that unfinished look of the alloys.
@@marcconyard5024 the stories are rubbish buddy. In aussie at least spares are cheap. I love mine and I will never sell it. Sure they are old school and not for anyone that is into modern shit.
@@motorcyclecafe I detest the look of “modern” bikes now. Some of R/01 etc series from Yamaha look like they’ve had a swift kick up the arse and all the bits have fallen back into weird places! My pleasure ride is an 08 build Guzzi California, last year or so of the traditional two-valve heads. It might be the last real motorcycle I own with the arses trying to kill petrol and diesel power across the globe. I bought the Guzzi to see me into retirement and even at 15 years old I get young leather clad zingbox monkeys telling me how vintage the Cali looks😂 The work commuter is a Honda Forza 350 scooter built in 2022. It has all the bells and whistles that the Guzzi doesn’t have. It does the job well but is about as inspiring as an ingrown toenail. My retirement project is a Honda CBX750F built in 1984. That’s another story. Cheers. Love your channel. I’d love it if you did a feature focusing on the big Suzuki two strokes! What an era.
@@marcconyard5024 they are agricultural for sure but I love that about them. They are made of steel not plastic. Everything except the headlight shroud. As for parts Ural Australia are great never had an issue getting stuff when I need it.
Mines a 2015 you will love it once you get used to it buddy. They are old school so it will take some time. Its probably the worst motorcycle that I've ever had but it's the best motorcycle I've ever had lol. Makes no sense i know but after a while you will get what i mean.
@@motorcyclecafe i used to have 2 1947 re 500 s and a handful of old beemas still have old beemas1983 650ls so i got a handle on old school i come from old school never had a side car tho so some learning process for me
That was DKW with small and medium size two stroke motorcycles, the RT 125 and the NZ 350, whose factory in Zschopau, Saxony was dismantled and brought to Izhevsk along with a couple DKW engineers, where the bikes were continued to be built under the name "Izhmash" or Izh for short. Allegedly the first 83 or so bikes were even built completely from DKW parts.
Now my part for puttin' another piece to the puzzle. :P : It's right that the Soviet Army took s.c. "reparations" from 'their' occupied region of Eastern Germany, former known as DDR/GDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik / German Democrate Republic) after WW2 from the year of '45 to around '52/'53 as a "build up service" for the UdSSR and more or less punishment for the country. They took apart most of the 'heavy industry' (iron work field, wood work field) aspecially in 'mobility'. Not only the DKW factory in Zschopau (later in UdSSR formed Izh), the OPEL factory of Eisenach (in UdSSR formed to Moskvitsch, early model M400 based on the Opel Olympia as kind of a 'replica') and the BMW Motorcycle factory [wasn't dismantled completely only partialy in the prod. lanes/tools of the R72 whitch got to the east*; production from the leftovers in tools and parts even started again in building the 'old' BMW R35, first as reparations/export and after a lizence/name lawsuite from BMW in West Germany/Munich they renamed to EMW (Eisenacher Motoren Werke) and build the s.c. EMW R35 and made it even better over the years of production (gearshift to food, stiffer frame, better suspension etc.) compared to the 'original'. :D The EMW is really a wonderful bike. :) ] based in Eisenach too. But from far earlier, in the late 30's/early 40's the Russians get (a little bit changed from the originals ;P) plans/tools from N-Germany for the production of sertain type of motorcycle, based on the BMW R72 (maybe partially R51/61 too, would match their build time from '38 to '42), for their military as a gesture of friendship from "Uncle Addi" to his (at least in this years) very own "Best Buddy Joseph". ;D The newest Ural for '23 got kinda pricy compared to the previous made in Irtribit to now in Kasastan... In 2020 a non 2WD cost around 14.000,-€ and in '23 it's over 22.000,-€!!! xD Kinda crasy prices for a Ural.^^
Great video! I have a 2021 Gear Up as a daily driver, it turns heads everywhere. And now my 2 year old daughter climbs up into the sidecar and wants to ride with me.
I presently have a 2016 patrol. Previous to that I had a 2003 2wd Northern Cruiser. We use the bike to advertise my wife's flower store The Flower Room and I deliver flowers with it. Plan to keep the 2016 Patrol as longs I can although I also like the new bikes
The newer model Urals have quite a few improvements, inside the engine & outside. However they also have more electronics whether you consider that good or bad is a personal choice. My 2015 has electronic fuel injection and thats it. Many new bikes not only Urals do sometimes have issues when these electronics detect errors and the bikes will not start. I'm glad I have a 2015 and doubt I will ever get a newer model, but thats me 😉
Excellent video! I ride a 2016 Gear Up Ambassador (1 of only 25 made), and it’s the most fun you can have with your clothes on. They are NOT an “easy ride”, and I wouldn’t recommend them to a new rider, because “Riding a Ural is like wrestling a drunken bear!”, but acquiring the needed skill set is well worth your time and effort. The payback is indescribable. With over 50 years of motorcycles under my belt (dirt & street), this is my favorite of all time. It’s like an old Ford 8-N tractor. With proper maintenance, it’ll be passed down to your grandkids. P.S., At 155 pounds (70 kilos), I’m not a big guy, and (off road) my stock shocks didn’t even know I was on the machine. They were as responsive as 5 pieces of firewood. I just made a huge decision ($$$!!!) to order up a set of NITRON shocks. If any of you Ural riders/techs have adjustment advice for how I can best set them up (should be here next week), I would be forever in your debt.🙏 THANX, PLJ
I agree with every single thing you said. Spot on! Down the track i am going to produce a video on sidecar suspension etc.. there is absolutely nothing wrong with the std Ural shockies. Its just that nobody spends the time with adjusting them. Combined with correct tire pressures this makes all the difference. If you upgrade while they may be better shockies unless they are setup correctly you probably wont see much benefit. All the 3 positions front, rear and chair need to be quite different settings.
@@motorcyclecafe I’ve done that, and know the machine very well. Like I mentioned, I’m a smaller rider, and the stockies fall flat on their face for riders my size. I ride with 2 other guys with Gear Ups that are heavier than me, and they perform at an acceptable level for them, but not me. It’s not “an adjustment thing.”
About ten years ago, here in Australia, I purchased a second hand 2009 Ural "Tourist" carburettor model they are now EFI. I have never had an issue with mine whatsoever other than a new battery required, changing plugs and front brake pads and after all that time I finally chaged the oil. I have other bikes as well but if your happy to know that 80 or 90 kmh all day every day is this bikes thing then grab one. They are totally different to normal motorcycling in handling and braking so take your time and get used to those issues. I can happily lift the sidecar and steer down the road, it just takes practice. All the dogs I have had love riding around in the Ural. The new ones whilst expensive are very well built and if I could afford one I would buy one. Don't listen to the nay sayers do some research and see if you can get to ride one for a half day or so at the very minimum to make up your mind. This is probably the bike I will keep till I'm really to old to ride anymore.
Same here buddy. I bought mine last year. The bike while far from perfect is a real keeper. It just has so much character, I reckon I will have this bike until the day I die!
@@motorcyclecafe Hey mate, yep, I can't see any reason why I would get rid of it, it's slow like me and if I wnat ot rip around I jump on one of my othr bikes, Moto Guzzi's and a GS1200. The ural or mine at least is old technology really but I am happy with it, the new ones for me are too expensive. When I win the lottery I will buy a new one though ha ha!
I've got a 2013 M70 Solo model. I think they stopped making Solo's in 2014. Any Ural with telescopic forks can easily become a solo just by removing the sidecar. The leading link models have occasionally been ridden solo, but the steep steering angle makes for a "concerning" ride, especially on squared-off tires.
