Ural Motorcycles - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

MS Fowler · #1 10-14-2006, 07:08 PM

I am not a motor cycle rider. However, I find the Urals interesting if for no other reason than they are essentially WW2 BMWs that have been slightly ungraded. Last week at the AACA Fall Meet at Hershey, one of the vendors was selling Urals, so i got to see one "in the fleash" as it were. It had a powered side car. There was a drive shaft from the engine to the rear wheel ( It IS a BMW, right?), and then there is another drive shaft from the rear wheel, under the side car to power the side car wheel. Kinda cool! But there is no differential so there is a warning label that " Left and Right Turns may be hazardous..." So what--I can only drive in a straight line?

The other night I watched an old ( early 1950s) movie called " Betrayed" about some Dutch resistance during WW2. In one scene, there is a German driving a motorcycle with a side car directly away from the camera, and there, below the side car was the drive shaft running to the side car wheel. Exactly like the Ural.
War reparations, indeed!

Jim B. · #2 10-14-2006, 08:18 PM

The BMW factory in Eisenach was in the "Sowjet Zone" of occupation so the Russians took it lock stock and barrel as war booty and the BMW motorcycles became Ural machines and the BMW autos became the early Moskvitch cars.

The Ural motorcycles are still made, and a handful are imported into the USA every year.

kerry · #3 10-15-2006, 01:12 PM

I read something about Urals in the recent past. There is a dealer that imports them to the US but the reviewer talked about how difficult they were to handle, particularly at higher speeds. Apparently, the factory has been refurbished and it is focusing on exports.

MS Fowler · #4 10-15-2006, 08:32 PM

If the reviewer was testing a Ural with a powered sidecar ( The most popular models, I believe) it will handle strangely, since there is no differential. Thats why the warning labels about left and right turns being hazardous.
Like any vehicle you have to operate within its own limits.
I can't see how the Ural w/o side car would have substantially different handling than most other bikes. However, if the reviewer is predisposed to pan it, than the sidecar does give him that opportunity.
The website has the company history. Urals are now a privately-owned enterprise operating a renovated factory.
I tried to find out how many are sold in the USA but could not find that information.

EliotW · #5 10-15-2006, 11:18 PM

If you want the look try one of the (much later) BMW R series. The versions released in the 70s are quite good.

#6 11-05-2006, 12:42 AM

IMHO.

The driven sidecar on the Ural can be engaged by moving a small lever, and is only for off-road use. I had a Ural Patrol, with the sidecar, and can say that driving a sidecar rig is nothing like a regular motorbike. I did add aorund 100lbs of ballast to the sidecar, and played with the alignment settings, in the end it felt pretty safe around town. On the highway, it felt like you were driving a old VW beetle minus a front wheel. Though, I don't think the basic design was intended for high speed use(over 50-60 mph). In town it was pretty neat when you could park in a regular space, and then engage reverse to back out.

Mine was a model year 2000, with front drum brakes. Newer models have Italian disc brakes in front.

Quality was ok, not great. If you have ever owned a real BMW, you can tell the difference. They aren't any worse than AMF Harley's or British bikes. The real problem is parts and service, many dealers also sell lawnmowers or mopeds, and selling Ural parts is a money losing pain for them. I think you can become a dealer for less than $5000, plus inventory. Service can be a pain because most independent shops won't touch one. So, when I needed carb parts, I used Harley parts. They use the same basic constant velocity carb carb, or they did, all 2007 Harley models are fuel injected.

t walgamuth · #7 11-05-2006, 06:58 AM

that makes sense...that the ds to the side car coould be disengaged.

driving one with it engaged on pavement especially would make turning very dicey. it would want to keep going straight. and on dirt if it was engaged and you had much weight in the sidecar you would slide the front tire. in fact, i bet you would only want it engaged if you were in direct danger of getting stuck with only the one wheel driving.

tom w

MS Fowler · #8 11-05-2006, 08:17 AM

Both of those comments on the driven sidecar make sense, but them I.m not a cycle driver. The fact that it has a (handy) lever to disengage, combined with the dire warnings about left and right turns being hazardous agree.
Sort of like the early PT 4WD used on pickups--use it when you need it, turn it off when you don't.

#9 11-05-2006, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by t walgamuth

that makes sense...that the ds to the side car coould be disengaged.

driving one with it engaged on pavement especially would make turning very dicey. it would want to keep going straight. and on dirt if it was engaged and you had much weight in the sidecar you would slide the front tire. in fact, i bet you would only want it engaged if you were in direct danger of getting stuck with only the one wheel driving.

tom w

Well said, and pretty much what the seller told me when I bought it.

t walgamuth · #10 11-05-2006, 10:19 PM

thanks, john.

tom w