Ural reviews

Ural's "From Russia With Love" edition (FRWL) is the best model so-far produced by Ural (including the 2022 line-up, a topic for another post). The FRWL was a limited edition of 35 units, all themed on James Bond's silver Aston Martin DB5. Here, Ural made a credible effort to include 007-esque features (covered extensively in other articles) and furthered the exclusivity of the edition by giving every unit a distinct name, each based on a noted Soviet-era female spy and stitched into the sidecar's leather dashboard (I own "Polina"). The rig is, in a word, gorgeous. 1. RELIABILITY The model is still too new to comment on long term reliability, but we can expect it to be Good based on Ural's commitment to improving and correcting past woes. Rather than "fixing" Russian-born issues, Ural applied proven components from trusted brands such as Ducati, Brembo, Keihin and Kuryakyn. The 750cc engine is air cooled and reliably simple, turning a robust shaft drive to the pusher wheel (with another shaft that can be operator-engaged to turn the sidecar wheel). The carbs were replaced by Ural with fuel injection. Disc brakes on all 3-wheels. A time-tested leading link fork. Literally battle-proven frame and sidecar. Failing that, all new Urals come with a 2-year/unlimited mileage warranty. 2. QUALITY As mentioned above, Ural is persistent in making the brand better year-by-year, an effort quite apparent in 2019 and later models. Still not equal to top-name motorcycle brands, but most of the FRWL quality shortcomings are cosmetic rather than functional (e.g., chrome parts that surface rust too quickly). If you buy a Ural, buy wax. 3. PERFORMANCE The Ural is powered by a 750cc air cooled engine. By conventional motorcycle standards it is under-powered, even without the sidecar. If you want to pull an 10-second 1/4-mile with the weight of a WWII sidecar and passenger tagging along, you don't want a Ural. If you want to cruise at 65 mph and aren't in a hurry to get there, you won't be disappointed. Ural's braking performance is better than adequate, especially given inherently awkward sidecar dynamics. BUT I do wish Ural offered anti-lock brakes. Off-road performance is remarkable: A low first gear gives the operator a sense one could climb trees, and true 2WD that allows me to keep-up with ATVs. This same traction lets me cruise snow-covered New England streets that otherwise keep most bikers grounded. The Ural has a rare ability to perform competently on Show less

'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

The best Ural yet. Reliable, beautiful, & will drive at 65 all day. All steel, reverse, classic lines. The 3rd russian mc I have had. I have over 7000 miles on it & have had not 1 problem. Show less

This thing is amazing. It rivals even the best Japanese and European bikes as far as quality and reliability are concerned. I've put almost 40k on mine and still not a single problem. It is the best thing I have ever purchased! First time I rode a friends I said, "I've got to get me one of these. Show less

The Ural with sidecar and a real reverse gear, both standards, is more fun than an adult should be allowed to have. Our other motorcycle, a big V-twin, (you guess what kind), has stayed in the garage all summer. My wife prefers to ride in the Ural sidecar; it's more comfy and she says it beats looking at the back of my head! We've taken this machine places where we wouldn't dream of going on an expensive two wheeler. It's as close to a street legal ATV as you can get. And Ural has been obsessed with quality improvements. From sealed bearings, a 55 amp alternator and monster Brembo disk brake, there are just too many upgrades to list here. Take a look at the improvements and you'll see what I mean. No, I don't work for them; I'm just excited to be able to ride a motorcycle down a gravel road, on wet grass or just to the store and have a blast doing it. No worries about where to park or if the bike will fall over. It's not a freeway cruiser, it takes it's time getting up to 60, but it makes exploring fun. No problems at all with this bike. Did I mention how large the trunk is? Show less

Purchased my Troyka Jan. of 05. Did quite a bit of research before buying and waited for almost 2 years before reviewing. Well...It's been a blast. I keep it most of the year in NC. My wife & I go riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway quite often. It's my honey do errand vehicle. She knows when I go out, I'll be out for a while. Have to answer a lot of questions. Winter it comes back to Florida for sunset cruises. No major issues to date. Starting to see some leakage in the front end seals. Just wish there were more dealers for service. Email with questions. Show less

Readers of this review and potential riders of this bike have to keep in mind what this bike is intended for, where it was made, and its history. In short, don't compare this with the latest German and Japanese technology! that's an apples to oranges comparison. There is no apples to apples comparison on the market today for this bike. Mount from the left and the first thing you notice is that you don't need to balance. Sit on the tractor seat and your wallet and anything else in your back pockets will jam into your glutes - put wallet/phone/knife in your riding jacket and the seat is very comfortable. The rubber block holding the seat adds significant suspension. Controls, mirrors, and grips are easy and reachable. Foot pegs are soft and comfortable. Pull the left side manual choke, no need to wrap throttle twice (the old priming trick), push start button and it will start instantly. Pop choke back in asap to avoid fouling. Roller bearing engine with heavy flywheel means you must WAIT for the engine to lower RPM when you rev it. NOT modern Japanese bike! In neutral, pull clutch, LOOK BEHIND YOU, place right heel over chromed lever inboard of right footpeg, push down, no clunk, and go reverse. Easy, strong, and very very useful, especially in 2wd. CAREFUL! Reverse can be scary. Look forward, right heel can effortlessly flip chrome lever back up, push shifter down for first, CLUNK, and go. Bike has lots of torque, very smooth roller bearing engine, and non syncro trans. It will pull hard to the right when you gas it hard and pull hard to left when you let off gas abrubtly. This is sidecar inertia effect, don't be scared, learn to use it. Off road manners are a totally new experience. No more picking a line to avoid that rock or rut. Take your hands off the bars and it will just keep going straight, bouncing along. Earles fork is nearly indestructible, and the suspended front, rear, sidecar wheel, and rubber block seat do an excellent job of insulating you - again, this is NOT A JAPANESE MOTORCROSSER with 18 inches of travel! Put your wife and kid in the car, kid on back, and explore fireroads with a picnic lunch. Up steep loose hills, car will pull bike to right side and you will hate being stuck sideways with mom/wife/skeptic. Before big hill, engage sidecar drive, and it will go straight up. Amazing. On the way home, cruise hardtop with the whole family at 60mph. Why go faster? Why would you want to? Front disk brake groans at low speed but stops bike very well. Sidecar brake works nicely. My rear main brake wore out fast. The first gear should be 30% lower for trail/road/heavy load work. My valve covers rattled the threads right out of the heads (blocks fixed it right up.) Fuel lines rotted from the outside-in from Vegas sun/dry heat. Turn signal/brake light issues. Other than that, I love this bike and will hand it down to my heirs. Show less

The Ural Gear-up is the fifth motorcycle I have owed and I am having more fun with it than any of my previous bikes. The bike is still in the break-in period but I have not expected any problems and thus far. The bike does very well in the city and will run at highway speeds, it is no freeway flyer. The engine, while not very powerful (roughly 40HP) produces a lot of torque and that allows the bike to get up to speed quickly. I have used both the electric start and the kick start and find the bike starts equally well with either. The Ural is a mite cold blooded and takes a couple of minutes for the opposed twin to warm up to a nice even lope. The switchgear is all quite nice and functions well. The seats have been the biggest surprise. The seats look very industrial and a bit rough but are really very comfortable. The sidecar accommodations are very pleasant and practical. My wife was a frequent passenger on the back of my Harley but, it was never designed for a person with 37" inseam. Now that she has gotten a taste of the sidecar she may never go back. Her comments revolve around on how nice it is to be able to see where we are going, how very comfortable she is, how nice it is to have a place to put things (her hair dryer/purse/camera/anvil collection). This bike is a constant head turner and seems to have universal appeal. I am constantly stopped and asked questions about the bike (you must not be an introvert if you own this bike). The bike seems to appeal equally to traditional "bikers" and little old ladies. While it is a bit of a "chick magnet" it is also an old guy magnet. Expect to give a lot of rides and answer a lot of questions. The nice thing about all the attention is it the constant positive reinforcement prevents too much buyers remorse. Overall, the bike is a blast to ride and has been maintenance free. Unlike most modern bikes that you can jump on without checking first, this bike does require you to look it over and check tire pressures and fluid levels and warm it up a bit before departing. Down the road it will take more periodic maintenance but, there is a very complete manual and it is a very easy to work on machine. If one is willing to accept some of the limitations this can be one of the highest smile per mile vehicles you will ever own. Show less

Just about the most fun I've had on a bike! The quality is much improved over older models. Mine was purchased used this spring (2005) just out of the break in. I've had the alternator, speedo cable and ignition go bad, and replaced. The drive shaft splines also stripped. BUT, you can't go into this expecting a modern, problem free bike. Buy a Japanese bike, then. These are old tech, with few changes over half a century. But now this bike is getting better and better. It pulls like a draft horse, and easily keeps up in traffic. It handles great, and has become my daily rider (I also own a Yamaha Road Star and an Enfield Bullet). I make more friends on the Ural, as it always draws a crowd and everyone wants to talk about it. I'd get another with NO hesitation Show less