2013 Ural Gear-Up : Coolness Factor = 64.0%

[storysunfolding]

I'm sure it was great for moving guys and gear through the woods at slow speed in ww2, but now we have atvs

[BRUMBEAR]

Well thats true but lets see if they are still making those things in 70 years as a matter of fact you can still buy the Wehrmacht BMW knock off unchanged now that says a bit about the legs of the design

[Wrider]

Oh I guarantee they'll be around. Faster, more maneuverable, more stable... I've been to 80 on a 500 cc quad, and they're at almost a liter in some cases now.

[JackoftheGreen]

I won't deny that when you first pull up this thread and look at that first picture of the Ural, the gut reaction is "Wow! That's freakin' AWESOME!"

And if, on further investigation, I had discovered we were voting on a 1:16 scale diecast replica of a WWII icon, my vote would stay Awesome.

But this is an actual, honest-to-god vehicle with an engine, lights, tires, the whole shebang. Oh, and a $14,000 sticker price. And when viewed in that light, the luster starts to fade fast.

Activist Atheists should carry around a picture of the Ural in their pockets, and whip it out when arguing against the idea of Intelligent Design. We take away the pillion in favor of a luggage rack, then reinstate passenger capability with the addition of a sidecar...thereby taking away that whole '1-track' concept of motorcycles in general. Then we slap in an underpowered engine and a low geared transmission, and route the whole thing through a transfer case so we can send power to that pesky 2nd track. When we're done, we've got no top end, no fuel economy, less manuverability than a motorcycle ought to have and enough seats for two people.

Then, we tell someone they need this for the trail? Hunting, fishing? Really?

This is 2013. For $14,000 you could have a gently used Toyota Tacoma with a brand-new Honda FourTrax Foreman ATV in the bed. You'd have more luggage space, be more comfortable, use less fuel, have the same top speed offroad and twice the top speed on the highway if you wanted it. And all you'd be giving up is the option for 1-track manuverability -- which, incidentally, you could exercise on the Ural at the cost of all that luggage capacity. (-:

Fail.

[montanalifter]

The video of it going through snow and rough terrain is awesome, but i would be tempted to drive it to work all winter. I would not want to wind it all out just to keep up with traffic though.

[sapaul]

I went awsome for the reason that this bike is not pretending to be something it is not, It's tough, go anywhere and as for touring, that depends on the type of touring you want. I would be more than happy to have this baby in one of our deserts for a week or two

[BRUMBEAR]

This video addresses all of our issues and it is super fun to watch!!!!

And they call it heavy, slow and overbuilt. I'll give it durable, but in an area where the highways run 70 and the interstates run 75-80, it's recommended top speed of 65 mph just doesn't cut it. I can take secondary roads, but that means I take an extra 30-45 minutes to get anywhere assuming no traffic.

Buy a new Vulcan 900, Vstar 950, V-strom 650 or other tug, throw on a sidecar of choice and you address all the issues at a lower price.

[Hanson]

We have highways in Texas with higher speed limits than the Ural rig's top speed. Perhaps it would be fun on a west Texas ranch for hunting but there are much more practical choices for that application. I love the idea of a sidecar rig, but the Ural is a niche novelty item with a largely nostalgic appeal.

Consider the Ural Solo sT motorcycle - 8k for a 40hp 745cc carbonated 4 speed outdated bike for about the same price as a Moto Guzzi V7 Stone. The Ural motorcycle does not get any better by attaching a sidecar. A good sidecar rig starts with a good motorcycle.

Fail

[Tony216]

Motorcycles are so supposed to be practical?

Let's face it, if practicality was the only important factor in buying a motorcycle, we'd all be driving a Ford Focus.

While it's a not a bike I would be interested in for myself; I can understand the appeal of buying a brand new, old POS. If I had more money to spend on toys, I would love a Morgan. Much like a Morgan, I don't think Ural is trying to market this bike as anyone's primary means of transportation. It's opportunity to drive a time machine. IMO, that's cool.

[storysunfolding]

Why would I pay $14k for an antiquated garage queen in an area where a garage adds an extra 70,000-100,000 to the cost of a house?