 |
|
 |
Ural in Media
CHARGE !
THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING
IT WAS A SCENE OUT OF 1941… EXCEPT THE
flag was wrong. We were charging down an airstrip
aboard what looked like 1939 BMWs. But a lot has
happened since Josef Stalin gave the go-ahead to
build imitation BMW R75s in the Soviet town of Irbit,
east of the Ural Mountains. Stalin, World War II, the
Soviet Flag, and even the Soviet Union have come and
gone, while Ural motorcycles seem here to stay.
Gary Kelsey of Irbit Motorworks of America had
shipped us three models. The bikes were delivered by
Albert and Ruth Menzi, a delightful Swiss couple
who are experts in Ural care, feeding, and riding. First
off the truck was the Gear-Up rig, a Russian military
model that’s also used by NATO countries. It comes
complete with a cammo paint job, searchlight, gas
can, entrenching tool, machine gun mounting point,
and driver-engaged driven sidecar wheel. Next up was
the Troyka sidecar rig, the most luxurious Ural with
its two-tone paint, chrome wire wheels, padded sidecar
interior, and conventional drive. Finally, there was
the solo Wolf model — which Ural refers to as a
“chopper” — inspired by Moscow’s Russian Night
Wolves biker club.
With two million bikes on the roads worldwide,
over 95 percent of Ural sales are sidecar rigs.
That’s Ural’s niche: tough rigs at easy prices.
Ilya Khait, CEO of Irbit Motorworks of
America, says he divides models/buyers into
two categories. The “family recreational”
motorcycles are represented by the Troyka
sidecar rig at $8,995, and the Tourist rig with
leading links for only $8,195. Ural’s “sportutility”
motorcycles include the $10,195 Gear-
Up and the $9,695 Patrol, also with a driven
sidecar wheel but lacking a searchlight and some
amenities. The Wolf goes for only $5,375.
It’s Elemental
Looking at a Ural up close, every mechanical bit that
makes it a motorcycle is visible. Nothing hides the
carbs, in-line fuel filters, or automotive-style
Nippondenso alternator. You can even watch the shaft
drive coupling joint spin. But these are stout machines.
“This is the highest quality steel anywhere,” boasts
Albert, an ex-engineer and Swiss military motorcyclist.
The company’s goal is to keep the bikes simple
and strong, not slick or sophisticated.
To start the bikes, you pull out the choke knob on
each of the two Keihin carbs. Then you turn the key
on the headlight-mounted ignition switch, and thumb
the starter. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can
use the kickstarter. Our low-mileage testers seemed a
bit cold-blooded — according to Albert, they hadn’t
yet been broken in and retuned. The motors are noisy
but the exhausts are quiet, a combination that sounds
like the two-stroke Jawas of the 1960s.
All Urals use the same 749 cc, overhead-valve, air-cooled,
four-stroke flat twin engine with a manufacturer’s rating
of 45 horses and 38 ft-lbs. of torque. This modest power,
along with a square bore and stroke, 8.6:1 compression,
four-speed transmission, 739-pound weight, and slick-as-a-brick
aerodynamics, results in a top speed of 59 mph for the
Gear-Up and 65 for the Troyka. The Wolf is the road rocket,
weighing in at 551 pounds with a top speed of 81 miles
per hour. But anyone who complains about a Ural being
slow is missing the point. It’s not about speed; it’s
about having fun, seeing the countryside, and being seen.
Controls are standard fare with some additions.
There’s a reverse gear on the sidecar models,
engaged by a lever aft of the brake pedal. Just
push it down with your heel, and disengage by
pushing forward with your toe. The Wolf ’s reverse
is locked out, since you’d probably kill yourself
going backward on two wheels.
Another lever on the Gear-Up engages the driveshaft to the
sidecar’s driven wheel. The Wolf has forward controls, which are
linked to the regular foot controls.
There’s a lot of linkage
there, but they work. The transmissions
are clunky, and neutral
can be hard to find. You
soon learn to shift by pushing
hard [Read: stomping — JP]
into the next gear, and that’s
just the way it is. Relax and tell
yourself, “These machines will
never break.” This is as elemental
as it gets, and it’s fun.
With its leading-link front
end dedicated to rough terrain,
steering on the Gear-Up is
heavier than on the Troyka,
which has telescopic forks. You
don’t need to cinch down the
Gear-Up’s steering damper
much, because the driveshaft
that runs from the bike’s tranny
to the sidecar wheel, when
engaged, mostly keeps the rig
tracking straight ahead. Get
moving over 40 mph, and the bikes start to weave a bit. You have
to pay constant attention, but that’s also part of the fun. These
machines require a firm hand and foot.
Above all, remember that these are sidecars and therefore
require special riding techniques. As the detailed owner’s manual
delicately points out, “Left-hand and right-hand turns may
be dangerous.” The manual also mentions the tendency for an
unweighted sidecar to lift in too-fast turns.
Road Test
On my first ride, I headed toward the beach with the Gear-Up,
coached by Albert in the sidecar. I started out with the sidecar
wheel driveshaft engaged. On pavement, it was almost impossible
to steer, because the wheels are equally driven. But when we
headed into a large, muddy puddle, I could feel the driven sidecar
wheel at work, and everything lightened up. I drove out of
the mud, disengaged the driven wheel, and rode toward the
sandy beach, where we quickly bogged down. I engaged the
driven wheel again, eased on the throttle, slipped the clutch, and
the rig clawed its way through the sand.
We swapped the bikes around. Bad boy biker Joe Knezevic,
American Iron Magazine’s associate editor, had fun zipping
around on the solo Wolf. “It’s a throwback to when motorcycling
was an adventure,” he says. “But there’s no great power.
It was cool the way the forward controls were linked. But it’s
not a kick-ass bike, and not really a chopper.” Terry O’Brien,
sales associate for RoadBike and AIM, agrees the Wolf is fun if
you don’t expect big performance, and you don’t have to merge
on the highway much.
While folks may stare at the Wolf, it’s the sidecars that draw
the crowds. Riding the Gear-Up, Joe K. got the right-on sign
from kids, cops, and businessmen. I found the Troyka drew its
share of crowds also, everyone gawking at the “antique” rig.
Cars even slowed down on the highway to gape.
Assistant editor Steve Lita just couldn’t get enough of the
Gear-Up. “I’ve got it down,” he shouted to me at one point.
“Just bang it into each gear. The front end comes up in first and
second.” The bike made him smile. What did editor Jessica
have to say while riding the Troyka? Not much; she was laughing
too hard.
The Ural warranty is two years parts and labor, with no
mileage limit. There are currently about 50 US dealers, but these
are simple bikes that owners can wrench on themselves. In fact,
the owner’s manual encourages it. “An owner who is qualified
and capable of doing his or her own service work is allowed to
do so, without voiding the manufacturer’s warranty, provided
that you sign the Service Coupon and date it after the work has
been performed.” Ever seen that paragraph in a Honda manual?
These bikes are in a class by themselves. They don’t have
outstanding brakes or notable performance. But most Ural owners
also have modern bikes as daily riders. They love the simple
feel, straightforward technology, and ruggedness of the Urals,
which they use for relaxed touring, family fun, or off-road
camping. In an age of complex computer technology, where
else can you get your hands dirty working on a piece of machinery
that you understand? Personally, I think every motorcyclist’s
garage should have a Ural.
By George P. Blumberg Photos by Bob Feather
Road Bike.
September 2004
Download PDF version
|
 |
|
|
|
|
