I've been riding these Soviet sidecar rigs since the late 1980s. I have owned NEVALs, DNEPRs, and URALS. the only issue with URALS is the owners. these are "old school motorcycles" and require an owner who loves to tinker. the pre-injection models are basically lawn mowers. and if you can't keep a lawn mower running you shouldn't buy one of these rigs. I currently own a 2010 Gear Up and have been riding it for three years all year long in northern Ohio. these bikes have taught me how to be a better mechanic
Without a doubt, but there are still unacceptable quality control issues, poor material sourcing, and shoddy assembly problems. Tell me what maintenence or special care would have prevented the oil catch from failing? The fact they STILL don't bolt the slingers is atrocious. I tinker, that's why I still own it. I'll push back on your "lawn mower" analogy a little because a lawn mower doesn't put you in traffic at 55mph. A mechanical failure on a mower leaves you in grass at 1mph, while the same failure on these rigs leaves you dodging cars or going into a ditch.
Bought my first Troyka in 2006 and ended up having to sell it off maybe 3 years back for personal reasons. Haven't ridden on since, but my wife knew I needed something to do with all my time in retirement, so she allowed me to go out and purchase another '05 Tourist. Been happy as a lark ever since until I happened to wonder why she did that. I may have to check out if she has upped my life insurance. ;-) At 74 years old this next month, maybe she has a plan, huh? ;-) Nah, this rig was not particularly kept with good maintenance and there are some small things to be done on it, but it gives me a sort of a hobby during all the lockdown pandemic crap. Unfortunately, the two dogs I now own are not like my previous dogs who absolutely loved my Troyka and are requiring some training before they can be the newest hack monkeys. It is amazing as to how much I have unlearned during my absence of owning a Ural, but it is coming back quickly. Hoping this "new to me" rig stays up and running with no real major issues. I love the carbs myself and the EFI stuff just does not fit well with me, as I normally drove my '30 Model A as my daily driver and wrenching was what my father did for a living and tried to teach me. I just wish that more of what he tried to teach me had remained in my old noggin. ;-) It is a crap shoot just as you state, but both are special bikes to me, and the high price of new ones are simply out of my league of poorness as a peon. My neighbors think I am stupid crazy to be riding a motorcycle like this at my age, but they all sit and watch tv all day as retirees and do not get out into the world to enjoy life. Me, I can ride, tinker, ride and then put her away and dream about riding again tomorrow. They, In the meantime, can while away their hours watching tv and being couch potatoes who are too afraid to step out in the world and enjoy life to the fullest. With my Troyka, the only real problems I ever had were of my own making. Hopefully I can limit any on my Tourist though. ;-)
Thanks for this video. I didn't know they were so needy. Ive got 3 young kids and thought this would be fun for them to cruise around with me, but def dont have time to tinker in this stage of life. You may have just saved me from hating Urals. I'd be calling it a urinal for sure.
Owning a Ural is like having another kid. Both the best and worst times, sometimes all at once. They're work, but you'll see in some of my other videos that my girls and I have built some amazing memories on it.
Gee, have 120K Km on my '11 Retro, NO rust issues, runs great, a bit tired, but geez man, take care of your Ural it takes care of you! Beat the crap out of it, well, it beats you. But is fun! My 18 Retro, zero issues, 15K miles... OH sure gad a 15 Ural I named Christine and have a '95 Ural with a BMW motor, see my comment to James Conner...
Heyho. I'm riding my motorcycle (Honda cbf600) for a year now and im a total mechanical newbie. But i fell in love with the Ural. Im will to learn how to repair everything ad im fascinated by it but I'm unsure if i should buy a new ural or an older model. Any advice?
That's a tough question! It really depends on your local supply of used Urals and parts. Each generation of Ural has pros and cons. Dnepr has a better reputation for quality, but they're growing increasingly hard to find in some areas of the world. Some 650 Urals have some better qualities over the 750s because of materials used at the time, but the parts market is filled with sub-quality producers. Carbed 750s have the best used and new parts market I think, but the market is larger because so many large parts are prone to breakage. I'm far from an expert, but the bottom line is do homework and find local Ural riders to research whats available nearby and go from there. Iwish you the best!
Either love'em or hate'em. There's no in-between with Urals, Old Nortons and Triumphs or old two stroke HDs. ''If you want Honda reliability get a Honda.'' is what I got told once... 2021 GU is my current obsession. Like all obsessions they can drive you insane or give pleasing results. I went with buying new because of the warranty. If it grenades it will be a pain in the ass but also covered 100%.
I have old HD, BSA, Triumph, Enfield and a 650 Ural. All require regular wrenching maintenance but the Ural is my old standby for reliable transport. Never let me down.
ive had my 2016 ural for a few years its been good not an issue in saying that i never been over 55mph that seems to be its sweet spot speed a lot off people push them to hard and they break so id say slow down enjoy the scenery the ural is more the dirt road adventurer not highway burner regardless off what the dealers of will tell you
@malcolmmathers2690 for sure. Many of these things will run on pavement at 50-55mph in 70deg F weather for years without issue. Some of us ask a bit more from them and pay the price in wrench time. Some of us get rigs thrown together at 3pm on Friday.
Doing similar with my 2004. It had 1286 km and no sidecar or front fork when I acquired it, I attached a CJ sidecar, sheared off the alternator drive gear and bent the crank at 7000 km. Rebuilt a 650 and we're right about at 14000 km. This is since June 2021.
Thanks for the video. I really want a ural because they look awesome and want to ride to Alaska....im really good with wrenching also. However, Ive got a yamaha vstar 1100 Im thinking of attaching a sidecar rig too....if for anything, the reliabilty. Wish I could purchase a ural side car only! I hate the looks of all the universal side cars out there.
I would not recommend using a Ural for such a ride. Some can make it, but I would not try with mine or any I've personally encountered. If you want a reliable touring sidecar rig, consider a custom frame being made and attaching a Ural sidecar tub for the esthetics. Those can be found online relatively easy if you check regularly.
@@highplainshollarhomestead3188 you'll find them used if/when you find them, and need to look in many places regularly as part of your daily routine until you find the right one. Join Sovietsteeds.com and check the black market forum daily. Check Craigslist, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, etc. regularly. Periodically Google "Ural sidecar for sale". It takes time, there aren't many working Urals for sale and when one dies it's common to see them parted out or sold in non-working condition. You may have to buy a whole dead rig for just the tub, and part out the rest yourself. It took me 2 years to find a working late carb model with 2wd within 200mi of me at a reasonable price. They're just not very common. Keep a few thousand dollars set aside for the project and jest keep looking regularly, scoop it up when you find what you need at a price you're willing to pay. There are a lot of folks reluctant to keep a Russian product because of Ukraine, so deals happen.
what is your view on the original 650cc Urals? im currently riding a 1996 tourist got it for 2800$ with 11000km on it. all i want to say bolts rattle loose, the engine never stop leaking oil so as the gear box, surprisingly the valves haven't break yet as I saw from the internet that saying that if you run them too lean the valves is going to detach and destroy the whole cylinder
@P_Five65 I have no personal experience with the 650s so take everything I say with a grain of salt, but I've heard and read about the same level of crude construction with comparable but different issues than the 750s. You have to treat any of these as an aircraft or piece of military equipment, with particular checks before, during, and after each ride... weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, and mileage based preventative maintenance; that is, replacement of parts before they break because you know it'll happen and cause more damage later. I think the biggest issue with the 650s is parts availability. Many parts for the carb 750s have already been phased out in the parts supply chain, but Ural has been kind enough to engineer the newer EFI 750s so many of their parts are able to fit on the old blocks. It's just a pain, for example, because they don't carry the old exhaust headers anymore and the new headers don't fit the old heads, so if you bend/break a header you're buying new exhaust and cylinder heads. But at least there's an option to keep them on the road. A huge slice of the 650 parts chain is 3rd party garage manufacturers on ebay, so the new parts are a crap shoot. Like with any generation of Ural, you've got to love it to own it and ride it.
@johnduryea9925 I just ordered them through Holopaw Ural, Crawford Sales, or Ural of NE. Depending on the part, most were on the shelf and shipped quickly. There were exceptions though, like during the engine rebuild. Camshaft took over a month because it came from Russia. Oddly enough the longest wait I've ever had for parts were tires this year. 9mo backorder because there are like 2 global producers of the tires. Also for being parts with quality control and technology on par with a makeshift shed in Siberia, they're unreasonably pricey. I have not tried to buy parts since the... ehem... "special military operation" that has turned 95% of world governments against Russia. They've since moved most production of new parts to Kazakhstan, but I have no idea on availability of used parts. I still love Roza though. My trashy mistress.
I've done that and know someone (named Bural) that has also replaced everything engine all the way back to the final drive with BMW. Guess what, you now have a Ural with +40 year old parts, no reverse, putting stress on them that they were never meant to have...same guy also did about 20 conversions, I have the last one. An old full time 2 wd one. Yep its a hoot, yep it's old and yep, the BMW engine has failed me while the manky Ural crap has not.... His full conversion, has eaten a few BMW final drives... (note, I've had 7 BMWs, so not a hater) With these things and the stress that is put on them, something is gonna break...
I've been riding these Soviet sidecar rigs since the late 1980s. I have owned NEVALs, DNEPRs, and URALS. the only issue with URALS is the owners. these are "old school motorcycles" and require an owner who loves to tinker. the pre-injection models are basically lawn mowers. and if you can't keep a lawn mower running you shouldn't buy one of these rigs. I currently own a 2010 Gear Up and have been riding it for three years all year long in northern Ohio. these bikes have taught me how to be a better mechanic
Without a doubt, but there are still unacceptable quality control issues, poor material sourcing, and shoddy assembly problems. Tell me what maintenence or special care would have prevented the oil catch from failing? The fact they STILL don't bolt the slingers is atrocious. I tinker, that's why I still own it. I'll push back on your "lawn mower" analogy a little because a lawn mower doesn't put you in traffic at 55mph. A mechanical failure on a mower leaves you in grass at 1mph, while the same failure on these rigs leaves you dodging cars or going into a ditch.
Bought my first Troyka in 2006 and ended up having to sell it off maybe 3 years back for personal reasons. Haven't ridden on since, but my wife knew I needed something to do with all my time in retirement, so she allowed me to go out and purchase another '05 Tourist. Been happy as a lark ever since until I happened to wonder why she did that. I may have to check out if she has upped my life insurance. ;-) At 74 years old this next month, maybe she has a plan, huh? ;-) Nah, this rig was not particularly kept with good maintenance and there are some small things to be done on it, but it gives me a sort of a hobby during all the lockdown pandemic crap. Unfortunately, the two dogs I now own are not like my previous dogs who absolutely loved my Troyka and are requiring some training before they can be the newest hack monkeys. It is amazing as to how much I have unlearned during my absence of owning a Ural, but it is coming back quickly. Hoping this "new to me" rig stays up and running with no real major issues. I love the carbs myself and the EFI stuff just does not fit well with me, as I normally drove my '30 Model A as my daily driver and wrenching was what my father did for a living and tried to teach me. I just wish that more of what he tried to teach me had remained in my old noggin. ;-) It is a crap shoot just as you state, but both are special bikes to me, and the high price of new ones are simply out of my league of poorness as a peon. My neighbors think I am stupid crazy to be riding a motorcycle like this at my age, but they all sit and watch tv all day as retirees and do not get out into the world to enjoy life. Me, I can ride, tinker, ride and then put her away and dream about riding again tomorrow. They, In the meantime, can while away their hours watching tv and being couch potatoes who are too afraid to step out in the world and enjoy life to the fullest. With my Troyka, the only real problems I ever had were of my own making. Hopefully I can limit any on my Tourist though. ;-)
You'll find cult followings of all sorts of awful things like Chevy "3 on the tree" or quadrajet groupies. Ural is no different.
I have an old Ural sidecar . I connected it to a 2012 Vulcan KN900 classic . Now it looks good and goes great . I enjoy riding with my dog.
Hell yeah! I've got a 2008 VN900 classic. I rode the snot out of that bike, over 80k mi. Great bike.
Thanks for this video. I didn't know they were so needy. Ive got 3 young kids and thought this would be fun for them to cruise around with me, but def dont have time to tinker in this stage of life. You may have just saved me from hating Urals. I'd be calling it a urinal for sure.
Owning a Ural is like having another kid. Both the best and worst times, sometimes all at once. They're work, but you'll see in some of my other videos that my girls and I have built some amazing memories on it.
Gee, have 120K Km on my '11 Retro, NO rust issues, runs great, a bit tired, but geez man, take care of your Ural it takes care of you! Beat the crap out of it, well, it beats you. But is fun!
My 18 Retro, zero issues, 15K miles... OH sure gad a 15 Ural I named Christine and have a '95 Ural with a BMW motor, see my comment to James Conner...
Think you got a lemon? My 2016 ct is doing well, knock on wood, 14,000 klm later and so far so good.
I hear the newer ones have a slightly better record. Which is good, because they couldn't have gotten much worse.
Heyho. I'm riding my motorcycle (Honda cbf600) for a year now and im a total mechanical newbie. But i fell in love with the Ural. Im will to learn how to repair everything ad im fascinated by it but I'm unsure if i should buy a new ural or an older model. Any advice?
That's a tough question! It really depends on your local supply of used Urals and parts. Each generation of Ural has pros and cons. Dnepr has a better reputation for quality, but they're growing increasingly hard to find in some areas of the world. Some 650 Urals have some better qualities over the 750s because of materials used at the time, but the parts market is filled with sub-quality producers. Carbed 750s have the best used and new parts market I think, but the market is larger because so many large parts are prone to breakage. I'm far from an expert, but the bottom line is do homework and find local Ural riders to research whats available nearby and go from there. Iwish you the best!
Either love'em or hate'em. There's no in-between with Urals, Old Nortons and Triumphs or old two stroke HDs. ''If you want Honda reliability get a Honda.'' is what I got told once... 2021 GU is my current obsession. Like all obsessions they can drive you insane or give pleasing results. I went with buying new because of the warranty. If it grenades it will be a pain in the ass but also covered 100%.
"Idle hands" is a curse for me, so the Ural keeps me occupied.
I have old HD, BSA, Triumph, Enfield and a 650 Ural. All require regular wrenching maintenance but the Ural is my old standby for reliable transport. Never let me down.
ive had my 2016 ural for a few years its been good not an issue in saying that i never been over 55mph that seems to be its sweet spot speed a lot off people push them to hard and they break so id say slow down enjoy the scenery the ural is more the dirt road adventurer not highway burner regardless off what the dealers of will tell you
@malcolmmathers2690 for sure. Many of these things will run on pavement at 50-55mph in 70deg F weather for years without issue. Some of us ask a bit more from them and pay the price in wrench time. Some of us get rigs thrown together at 3pm on Friday.
Doing similar with my 2004. It had 1286 km and no sidecar or front fork when I acquired it, I attached a CJ sidecar, sheared off the alternator drive gear and bent the crank at 7000 km. Rebuilt a 650 and we're right about at 14000 km. This is since June 2021.
Once you systematically go through and replace all of the stuff that was garbage, they're perfectly mediocre machines!
Thanks for the video. I really want a ural because they look awesome and want to ride to Alaska....im really good with wrenching also. However, Ive got a yamaha vstar 1100 Im thinking of attaching a sidecar rig too....if for anything, the reliabilty. Wish I could purchase a ural side car only! I hate the looks of all the universal side cars out there.
I would not recommend using a Ural for such a ride. Some can make it, but I would not try with mine or any I've personally encountered. If you want a reliable touring sidecar rig, consider a custom frame being made and attaching a Ural sidecar tub for the esthetics. Those can be found online relatively easy if you check regularly.
@WanderingUral yeah, like I said, My yamaha is super reliable. I just cannot find a ural side car anywhere. Where are you finding them at?
@@highplainshollarhomestead3188 you'll find them used if/when you find them, and need to look in many places regularly as part of your daily routine until you find the right one. Join Sovietsteeds.com and check the black market forum daily. Check Craigslist, OfferUp, Facebook Marketplace, etc. regularly. Periodically Google "Ural sidecar for sale". It takes time, there aren't many working Urals for sale and when one dies it's common to see them parted out or sold in non-working condition. You may have to buy a whole dead rig for just the tub, and part out the rest yourself. It took me 2 years to find a working late carb model with 2wd within 200mi of me at a reasonable price. They're just not very common. Keep a few thousand dollars set aside for the project and jest keep looking regularly, scoop it up when you find what you need at a price you're willing to pay. There are a lot of folks reluctant to keep a Russian product because of Ukraine, so deals happen.
@@wanderingural9308 Thanks for the tips!
@@highplainshollarhomestead3188 good luck!
what is your view on the original 650cc Urals? im currently riding a 1996 tourist got it for 2800$ with 11000km on it. all i want to say bolts rattle loose, the engine never stop leaking oil so as the gear box, surprisingly the valves haven't break yet as I saw from the internet that saying that if you run them too lean the valves is going to detach and destroy the whole cylinder
@P_Five65 I have no personal experience with the 650s so take everything I say with a grain of salt, but I've heard and read about the same level of crude construction with comparable but different issues than the 750s. You have to treat any of these as an aircraft or piece of military equipment, with particular checks before, during, and after each ride... weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually, and mileage based preventative maintenance; that is, replacement of parts before they break because you know it'll happen and cause more damage later. I think the biggest issue with the 650s is parts availability. Many parts for the carb 750s have already been phased out in the parts supply chain, but Ural has been kind enough to engineer the newer EFI 750s so many of their parts are able to fit on the old blocks. It's just a pain, for example, because they don't carry the old exhaust headers anymore and the new headers don't fit the old heads, so if you bend/break a header you're buying new exhaust and cylinder heads. But at least there's an option to keep them on the road. A huge slice of the 650 parts chain is 3rd party garage manufacturers on ebay, so the new parts are a crap shoot. Like with any generation of Ural, you've got to love it to own it and ride it.
How hard is it to get parts if needed?
@johnduryea9925 I just ordered them through Holopaw Ural, Crawford Sales, or Ural of NE. Depending on the part, most were on the shelf and shipped quickly. There were exceptions though, like during the engine rebuild. Camshaft took over a month because it came from Russia. Oddly enough the longest wait I've ever had for parts were tires this year. 9mo backorder because there are like 2 global producers of the tires. Also for being parts with quality control and technology on par with a makeshift shed in Siberia, they're unreasonably pricey. I have not tried to buy parts since the... ehem... "special military operation" that has turned 95% of world governments against Russia. They've since moved most production of new parts to Kazakhstan, but I have no idea on availability of used parts. I still love Roza though. My trashy mistress.
Thanks. I love the bikes but n longer want one 😉
I'll probably hit that point one day too.
So basically put a BMW engine into the ural
Even then you're still confined to the Ural gearbox unless you modify the swingarm.
I've done that and know someone (named Bural) that has also replaced everything engine all the way back to the final drive with BMW. Guess what, you now have a Ural with +40 year old parts, no reverse, putting stress on them that they were never meant to have...same guy also did about 20 conversions, I have the last one. An old full time 2 wd one. Yep its a hoot, yep it's old and yep, the BMW engine has failed me while the manky Ural crap has not.... His full conversion, has eaten a few BMW final drives... (note, I've had 7 BMWs, so not a hater) With these things and the stress that is put on them, something is gonna break...
Thanks for the video. I love the concept, but need something more reliable
It's a fun rig, and great to look at, but reliability isn't their strong point.