Bob and Van Test the 2019 Gear Up

Long time Ural Owners and friends Bob Vanarsdall and Van Le came up to the Ural headquarters in Redmond and tested our new 2019 Gear Up. We’ve always relied on feedback from our customers. Most changes to the product start there. Bob and Van are true enthusiasts and have acquired a deep knowledge of Ural over the years and models. Their thoughts and impressions were important for us to hear. We’d like to share them with you.

With almost 6 inches of snow on the ground and a tempurature of 28F it was starting to feel like we were at the factory in Irbit rather than Redmond, WA.

Van Le is as dedicated a Ural owner as they come “One of the first Urals I bought, I took apart, then bought another one to figure out how to put it back together”

The test ride took us up curvy mountain roads and snow covered scenery. Truly testing the bike in all applications.

“So far I’m very very impressed with the bike”

— Van Le

Bob coming in hot for a corner “the bike feels lighter, it’s a lot more responsive”

“If you’re into a Sidecar Motorcycle, this is the one”

— Bob Vanarsdall

Van and Bob talking tech specs about the 2019 Ural Gear Up. For more content and behind the scenes footage, check out Van Le’s youtube channel.

Learn more about the 2019 Ural Gear Up

Sidecars in the Snow

For many motorcyclists, snowfall means it’s time to winterize the bike and put it in storage. But for Ural riders, it means “fun” is in the forecast! A good example of this mindset is Motul, our official lubricant partner and sponsor of the ZIMKHANA event that took place last winter in Russia (see video below).

This year, the Motul Russia event featured sidecar racing in Novosibirsk, a city located in Central Siberia. The temperature clocked in at -25 C (-13 F), but that didn’t keep these fanatics from having a bit of winter fun.

The sidecar keeps the rig upright, providing confidence and stability on the slippery snow and ice.

Take it from TopSpeed.com, “the folks at Ural don’t want you to quit riding just because winter arrives. Back in the day, you needed a one-horse open sleigh to go dashing through the snow. Today, you need a Gear-Up.”

“A four-season adventure bike
with on-demand two-wheel drive”

In a past review by Motorcycle.com, they summed up their experience on the 2WD Gear Up by saying,

“With both rear wheels throwing up fluffy white roost, the Gear-Up belches forward unhindered by the slippery, wet conditions.”

Motul knows how to have fun; if you missed last year’s ZIMKHANA, click play on the video above! The sidecars were a hit with the crowd as they raced around festive obstacles and drifted on the icy surface.

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Check out this cool custom build by @finecustommechanics in Moscow, a creatively modified Ural Gear Up used to tow motorcycles in the snow and ice.

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We want to the thank Ural riders everywhere for sharing their sidecar adventures with the world. We love seeing pics and videos on social media so post with #uralmotorcycles and we may share your story!

Video: Gear Up Review

Here’s a real-world perspective of our Gear Up by Jamie Robinson, aka MotoGeo, where he tests the 2WD capability, the hauling potential, and the overall fun factor of Ural sidecar motorcycles.

“The wife, the kid, the dog; everybody seems to love being in the sidecar.”

MotoGeo creates inspirational motorcycle travel stories, spearheaded by ex-motorcycle racer, Jamie and his wife Ely. He takes many two-wheeled adventures, often solitary trips, so the Ural has really opened him up to experiencing motorcycling with his family.

If you haven’t see our blog post featuring Jamie’s adventure with his wife and son, click here to read and watch the video.

“So many things that these sidecars can be used for!”

Learn more about the 2WD Gear Up by clicking here.

Belanglo Forest Adventure

Sit back and enjoy this beautiful film of Ural sidecars and their pilots exploring forests in Australia. It was filmed and produced by this collaborative team: Hamilton Media, Frame Collective and Gasoline Motor Co. with motorcycles provided by Ural Australia.

Some of these photos were shot in the Belanglo State Forest of NSW, Australia. The Urals were right at home in the towering pines and dusty roads. Also fitting the part is the apparel featured throughout this adventure by Blackbird Motorcycle Wear.

“We got lost somewhere in the Belanglo Forest with nowhere to go…and it felt amazing.”

Blackbird Motorcycle Wear is an edgy evolving range of the retro, crafted for the urban rider’s love of the journey whatever the destination. They want riders to have a choice, both in terms of technical performance and individual style.

Gasoline Motor Co. is a renowned custom motorcycle workshop from Sydney, Australia. The Waterloo based headquarters contains a full service workshop and showroom which features new and second hand motorcycles as well as apparel and helmets.

Ural Australia is the importer and distributor of Ural sidecar motorcycles. They’re based in northern NSW, Australia with a showroom in Uralla as well as other dealer locations in the country.

You don’t need a destination, just pick a direction and go.

A Ural adventure can happen on a ride to nowhere. Sidecars provide non-stop fun whether you’re touring on the paved backroads or blasting forest trails. And, you can bring tons of supplies and gear with you!

2019 Gear Up Review

The folks at RideApart.com have reviewed our 2019 model and shared their reaction after a long test ride. “Ural has made yet another one of its great leaps forward with the introduction of a redesigned engine and upgraded fuel injection system.”

“The first thing I noticed pulling away from Ural HQ was the improved throttle response and low-end power.”

–Jason Marker, RideApart.com

After you read the RideApart review, click here to learn more about the model changes and upgrades on our 2019 Ural page. Stay tuned for more info and reviews as 2019 quickly approaches!

“You buy it for the style, and to get where you're going eventually while having an adventure along the way.”

Family Sidecar Adventure

Join Jamie Robinson and his family in this MotoGeo video as they embark on a road trip together. They ride our 2WD Gear Up in Rainier White and test its capabilities on and off road while camping, exploring and scrambling in the California hills.

MotoGeo creates inspirational motorcycle travel stories, spearheaded by ex-motorcycle racer, Jamie Robinson, and his wife Ely. He’s used to two-wheeled adventures, often solitary trips, so the Ural has really opened him up to the possibility of a motorcycle experience with both wife and son.

This Video was shot in and around the santa monica mountains.

Three up on three wheels

“The Ural is a fun and different way of getting around.”

As you can see in the vid, the sidecar motorcycle is quite utilitarian, a good errand-running machine. But, it’s always ready for a family sidecar adventure! If you want to learn more about our models, check out our 1WD rig here on the cT page or visit the Gear Up page for the 2WD version as featured in this video.

In the pic above, Ely sits in the sidecar, Jamie is the pilot, and their son is sitting on the rear of the Ural’s bench seat. To follow more of the Robinson’s adventures, tune in to MotoGeo.com.

2018 #sharethechair Award Winners

Love this happy pic by @mnnthbx.

Our inaugural International Ural Ride Day was a great success and we’re already looking forward to next year! We are grateful for the Ural community who gave rides to hundreds upon hundreds of passengers across the globe. Thank you to all who shared the joy of sidecar life on this special #sharethechair day!

@adventurerig

@russentreiber

Now, on to the award-winners! Some of these were difficult to choose since all of the participants are winners in our book. Keep scrolling down to see even more pictures of participants sharing the chair.

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Superhero Award

The award for most rides given goes to Bear Campbell from Coarsegold, California with 52 passengers on his Ural cT! Congrats, Bear!

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Top Scorer Award

Ural rider, Robin Weber, from the Northwest Territories in Canada is one of our Top Scorers, logging 48 points (just shy of Bear’s total) on a Tourist.

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Funky Passenger Award

Appropriately captioned, “Superhero and his sidecar” this Goldendoodle and his owner, Graham Kier, really earned this award.

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People’s Choice Award

$100 Ural Shop Gift Card: We love that Alma Villalobos of the Chicagoland area was able to provide her son with the joy of riding in a Ural cT sidecar in this #sharethechair moment...and so did the commenters on her Instagram.

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Best #sharethechair Story Award

$100 Ural Shop Gift Card: Sure, it started off rainy in Peoria, IL, but that didn’t stop Jake Pitman from setting out to share the chair with a diverse group of passengers. From dogs to kids to people in service to their country and more, this is what riding a Ural is all about!

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There were so many great pictures of smiling people in sidecars that we’re not going to be able to show them all! Here is a sampling of photos that we hope inspire others to #sharethechair next year.

Had a great day!!! Started out with neighbors and friends and branched out to firemen, EMTs & an unexpecting family leaving McD’s.

Joe Kint, Davenport, IA - 28 passengers

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This was so much fun! I can't wait to give even more rides for next year's event!

–Ural rider in New York who gave rides to 18 passengers

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Share the chair is what the Ural is all about, great fun was had by all.

Brian Reynolds, Rapid City, Manitoba, Canada

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Blair Reyburn from Apple Valley, MN

Patricia Alonso, Jersey City, NJ

Doug Davis, Basehor, KS

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This was fun! Thanks. My only concern is that we're 1 year away from the next Ural Ride Day!

– Roque Lopez, San Francisco, CA - 19 passengers

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We had a great time. Even a 13 year old wants to by her first Ural when she turns 17.  We are starting them young and keeping them feeling young here.

– Geoffrey Jay, Sugar Creek, Missouri - Gear Up - 37 passengers

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These are the kinds of smiles that keep us smiling here at Ural! Photos by Jessy Johnston, who gave 45 rides on International Ural Ride Day!

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Ural rider Cameron Anderson knows how to share the chair! He gave rides to a whopping 46 passengers in Sioux Falls, SD on his Ural Gear Up.

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We’re already looking forward to seeing your pics and stories during the 2019 International Ural Ride Day. In the meantime, we hope you all #sharethechair with your friends, family and maybe even a few strangers!

From France to Austria

Ural Motorcycles and Motul present: A Motorcycle-Diaries adventure from France to Austria. "A la recherche du temps perdu" the story about a slow ride from Wheels and Waves to Austria through fantastic sceneries!

With the recent announcement of the official lubricant partnership between Ural and Motul, a very special Motorcycle Care custom motorcycle was developed at the IMZ motorcycle plant in Irbit, Russia.

The long, scenic route!

We see our wheels as means to explore the world and to expand our horizons. 

Based on the Ural Gear Up model, with special matte and gloss paint, the red line on leather and rims are easy on the eye. This special trunk design can hold 10 products from the Motul MC Care range. First revealed during Wheels & Waves 2018 Biarritz, France. You can see the product in all its glory at Intermot 3-7th October Koln!

We are movers.

“You normally don’t find us often hanging out at hip motorcycle events. We do not really bother about the latest trends in chrome bolts nor do we consider ourselves tattoo-addicts, and we do not like to discuss about all the magnificent rides we‘ll probably never undertake.”

We soon give in to looking around, waving, smiling, taking pictures, reading, eating.

“And when you switch seats to the sidecar, thereʼs a sudden change. Yes, you can assist your driver and hang out, helping to take the corner or anticipate a slide.”

Ural x Motul

Learn more about the Gear Up and how you can create your own adventure. See the original post at Motorcycle-Diaries and check out the MC Care line of products from Motul.