2011 Ural reviews

'We bought the forest green gear up in Arizona. It came with everything except windshields. After setting the sidecar up to handle to suit me (first time side hack for me), things have gone well. After putting 1,700 klicks on her I set out on a 700-mile round trip. The bike wasn't real fast on the highway, which I knew when I bought it. Half the the trip was on I-25 & I-40, the return was all the backroads home. This trip was from Deming, New Mexico to Gallup, New Mexico, and return. Mileage was good - 31 mpg. It was a fun trip. The seat was a killer. While at Farm and Tractor supply, I found a steel tractor seat, same as on my old Moline tractor. I welded four lugs on the seat so it would use all the original hardware from Ural. I painted it flat black with intentions of having it done up in matching fabric if I liked it. I have owned the bike since June 16, 2012. Today is August 14, 2012 and the bike now has 6,200 kilometers on it. I had the brake light switch go bad and a flat. Since I would have to order a new switch, I used a Honda switch, fit it in the same place and just changed the terminal ends on the wires. My original driver wheel was just rotated to the side car at 6,000 kilometers. It is wore maybe 40%. All my road miles are at 60-65 mph. One time with no wind and cover on the side car it really huffed but it hit 80 mph., and no I won't do it again. Would I buy another one? Yes, in a heartbeat. My wife loves it! Show less

I read about Urals in the May 29, New York Times. I sold my last bike in 1994 and decided this looked like fun. I read a review on some website by an owner who recommended shimming the carburators for smoother operations and told the dealer. He did not have the shims in stock so the first 500KM were without. There was a lot of backfiring and I felt the mixture was too lean. After the shims were installed at the 500 km. service, the engine was a smooth as silk and the dealer is making their installation standard on all future deliveries. Last week we went to Stanley, Idaho and in the morning the frost was thick on the bike, temperature in the 20's. She started with two cranks and I turned the enrichers off as soon as I could reach them. This bike has been the most fun I have had in years! We have done 4,270 km. in less than three months. Show less