Hatfield McCoy Trail

The crew from Good Spark Garage are off-roading their way through the U.S. on a Ural cT and Gear Up Sahara.  This week they rode through West Virginia and tackled the muddy Hatfield McCoy Trail.

The Hatfield–McCoy Trails is one of the most popular off-road trails in the United States. Today this trail system features over 600 miles of rideable terrain.

We've never pushed these beasts harder and are even more impressed with their capabilities. We rode trails designed for ATVs and side-by-sides, that were muddy, steep, rutted and rocky.

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Their Rides

2017 Ural cT

2017 Gear Up Sahara

Discover Morocco like a local!

Meet Felix, he runs sidecar tours at Insiders Experience in Morocco.  Felix and his team of Ural riders help travelers feel like locals while discovering all that Marrakech has to offer!

Film: Woven Films
Music: Joey Ioanna
Sidecar Tours: Insider's Experience

Exploring Lago di Sauris

Photos and words by Dominik K.
See more of his advetnures on his blog fujiuser.com! 

This year I visited Lago di Sauris in Northern Italy, just about 400 kilometers away from my hometown Vienna. In addition I got there with my Ural which meant a lot of off road fun!

Friuli, an overlooked and underrated region in Italy

Friuli is a region located in the Northeast of Italy, bordered by the Veneto region in the West, the Carnic Alps and Austrian Carinthia in the North, the Slovenian border in the East and the Adriatic Sea in the South. Traversed by numerous rivers, the region emits its own special character and charm.

Just in the mountainous North of Friuli, there is a small town called Sauris. Both are located in close proximity to Lago die Sauris, a big artificial lake which stands out because of its incredibly blue water.

According to a legend, Sauris was founded by German mercenaries in 1300, and since then has been a german linguistic enclave. Hence the local dialect Saurano incorporates a lot of Tyrolean words. The people in Sauris are mostly trilingual, they are able to speak German, Italian and Friulian as well.

We decided to drive up to Forcella Ielma, a mountain pass just north of Lago di Sauris. We departed from Sauris di Sotto and conquered the serpentines to the town Lateis. After that we followed the road further into the forest.

Soon the asphalt street turned into a gravel track and from there it got more and more difficult. We had to fight deep holes washed out by water, cross a dried-out river bed and climb up sections with fist-sized gravel rocks.

The last 500 meters up to Forcella Ielma, were very difficult.  We were confronted with short but serious ascents, interrupted by 180 degrees serpentines. There was no way to build up the crucial speed with the Ural so my wife and the dog hopped out of the sidecar to reduce the weight of the rig. By doing that I could accelerate better on the flat areas in the bends.

We made it!

It was a deeply emotional moment when we finally reached the summit, only witnessed by grazing cows. Watching the astonishing scenery at our feet, we realized that our Ural sidecar motorcycle is, with our combined effort, unstoppable.

That was a truly remarkable experience we will never forget. Sweaty but happy!

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Dominik's Ride

Ural Gear Up in Asphalt Grey

Mihai's Factory Surprise

On his epic summer adventure Mihai and his family recently visited our factory in Irbit to see where his Ural was born.

Unknown to him we had arranged for his bike to get a full work through, giving it some love after over 70,000 kilometers on the road.

"I told them I only needed a gasket for my alternator and the small switch to turn on the rear brake lights. Then in 30 minutes my bike was completely apart and the guys started replacing all sorts of stuff on it.

I was there with my eyes wide and could not believe what is going on... I kept adding up the parts in my mind, counting everything they replaced, and started freaking out at what it would cost..." 

"They saw my face and started smiling. Relax! It's on the house!

We stood there in disbelief, really, it's beyond my ability to put into words... it's the biggest surprise I've had since I bought the bike. I just want you to know that this means a lot to us, and we are deeply thankful for this. I still can't believe what happened. A thousand thank you's for that, and I still feel it's not enough."

While we worked on Mihai's bike he explored the factory, sharing a rare look at our dedicated team building the newest batch of Urals. These bikes will be exported all over the world, ready to take customers on their next big adventures.

Photos by Mihai Barbu

Adventures in Japan

Our team in Osaka takes a long weekend to explore Japan and explore the bamboo forests!

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

Photo: Hayato Matsumoto

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Their Ride

2WD Gear Up in Asphalt Grey

Café Racer

Oak Cliff Coffee Roasters wanted to hit the road and take their coffee to the people.  They customized their Ural replacing the sidecar with a fully functional espresso bar.  The strength of the stock sidecar frame allowed the Oak Cliff team to install the 450lb espresso unit without needing to modify the bike's frame, while still enabling it to travel up to 50mph.

They can ride to an event, pop the umbrella, and start slinging espresso in about 10 minutes.

Photo: aggie brooks

Photo: aggie brooks

An instant crowd pleaser, local Dallas businesses hire them to serve local office buildings and events.

Photo: aggie brooks

Photo: aggie brooks

Photo: aggie brooks

Photo: aggie brooks

Photo: aggie brooks

Photo: aggie brooks

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Interested in using Ural for your business?

Contact us to learn more about how we work with brands big and small to help create unique experiences for their customers!

Reports From The Field 7/27

This week we're checking back in with Mihai and his family on their current summer tour exploring Central Asia.  Last post they had just crossed the Pamir Highway to Kyrgyzstan on the Western border of China.

Photos by Mihai Barbu

On the shores of Lake Song Kul with their fully packed Ural Gear Up.

Endless roads in Kazakhstan.

Entering Karaganda, the capital of Karaganda Region in Kazakhstan. It is the fourth most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty, Astana and Shymkent.

Sharyn Canyon on the Sharyn River in Kazakhstan.  This canyon sits 120 miles from China's border and is over 50 miles long.

First night camping in the canyon!

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Their Ride

Mihai and his family ride our 2WD Gear Up in Gobi Camo.

Camping in Raspadalica

One the best parts of owning a Ural is the ability to pack your gear and ride with your favorite co-pilots.  Dominik recently took his Ural Gear Up camping in Raspadalica, Croatia with his wife and their dog, Higgs.

Photos by Dominik K.

Located 1,800ft above sea level, the campsite makes for an excellent launch site for hang gliding.

Raspadalica doesn't feature access to hot water or electricity but the owners of the property insisted on building an infinity pool at the edge of the hang glide hill. This gives guests an amazing opportunity to enjoy sunsets and views from their own private pool.

After hang gliding, you can take a 45 minute ride to Sipar beach in the seaside town Mošćenička Draga.

Vibrant water and excellent restaurants make this beach town a favorite among locals and tourists alike.

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Dominik's Ride

Ural Gear Up in Asphalt Grey