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Ural in Media
Russians parade through Galena
GALENA—A pack of bikers paraded through Main Street in Galena on a Saturday afternoon, and they each came with something extra for the ride- sidecars.
The motorcyclists were riding Eastern European style- each in a Ural motorcycle directly imported from Irbit, a tiny town on the outskirts of Siberia.
A couple of the Ural bikers in Galena souped up their bikes with faux machine guns camouflage paint jobs, bullet hole stickers, and U.S.S.R. emblems.
The group of about 12 riders, based outside of Milwaukee drove into Galena on a 3x3x3 Ride, meaning a tour of three states in three days on three wheels. The group is made of Ural enthusiasts and is not sponsored by a dealer or company.
"This is more of a way for owners to get together in a non-dealer sponsored event," said Ural owner Randy Patka, Chicago. "It's a way for us to ride and drive through the beautiful country. The highways here in Galena were built to drive Urals. "
Patka said he also takes pride in being the only known Ural rider in Chicagoland.
Ruskies in Galena
The Ural riders pulled up to the Avery Guest House in Galena only to be met with a lavish buffet catered by innkeepers Leslie and Craig DuBois.
About 20 leather and jeans clad visitors perched on the back porch of the bed and breakfast, eating brats with sauerkraut, potato salad and dessert pastries.
After they were fueled with lunch, the Ural bikers sat on their bikes with their partners in the sidecar and lined up South Prospect Street to make their way down Galena's Main Street. As they drove down the shopping district, residents and visitors stopped in their tracks to check out the three-wheeled Soviet themed bikes. Just about everyone give a wave to the riders as they rolled down Main Street.
These bikes give a hearty vroom, but they hardly reach any booming decibel like most of today's roaring motorcycles stopping through town.
The Ural drivers said they're not out to rev their engines, but they hope to show people how fun and comfortable it can be to road trip in one of these three-wheeled motorbikes.
After their mini parade down Main Street, some of the motorcyclists drove down Blackjack Road for an afternoon ride, and others zoomed around town.
The 3x3x3 riders are based where a dealership is budding with more Urals everyday.
Steve and Lori Kringsell Urals out of their dealership at Steve's Service Center in New Berlin, Wis. They first became interested in motorcycles with sidecars years ago with a Harley Davidson that had a customized sidecar attached.
"Once I got in it (the sidecar), I never went back to sitting on the back of the bike. I can move or wiggle around. I don't have to lean with the bike," said Lori, who shares a Ural dealership with her husband Steve in New Berlin, Wis.
The Ural is affordable in comparison to its Harley counterpart, which can cost around $28,000. Urals begin at about $9,000.
This is because the Urals are manufactured from start to finish in Irbit, which is centered around the motorbike manufacturer. The steel is forged in the town, and all parts and components are produced by private companies in Irbit.
The village is structured this way because Marshall Stalin moved the Ural factory from Moscow to Irbit in order to isolate the company from the German Nazi's bombing range.
The motorcycles were designed in 1939 by the Soviet Armed Forces and are still built for military forces and the United Nations. During WWII, the Soviet Defense was looking to manufacture a bike which could fit two riders and handle treacherous roads.
"They can go through anything," said Steve. The heavy weight motorcycles are becoming more widely used as recreation vehicles.The Ural has rear wheel and side car drive giving the bikes the ability to drive through snow, on gravel and country roads.
The original bikes made for the military were equipped with machine gun mounts on the side car and pockets for artillery. The sidecars could even be removed in the case a driver had to transport a coffin from town to town.
When the Russians came to the states
The Urals just began to make their way into the U.S. when the Ural company started importing to the states in 1998.
The main reasons no one bothered to have the bikes imported before are somewhat obvious. The Ural company was still owned by the state until 1998. Then, the company separated into privately owned companies. Secondly, Siberia is not generally everyone's first stop to visit in Europe.
Legend has it that a motorcycle dealer in the U.S. heard about the factory and the affordable production line. He visited the factory, and supposedly a deal was sealed with a handshake and a bottle of vodka.
To find out more about Ural motorcycles, go to the Ural website at www.imz-ural.com. Also, contact Steve and Lori Kring at Steve's Service Center at 262-679-2244 or check out their website at www.stevesservicecenter.com.
July 7, 2004
Amy Alderman
The Galena Gazette
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