Autoblog

Intrepid motorcyclist rides Ural through blizzard

Jeffrey N. Ross — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:29:00 EST

The Midwest was hit by an intense snow storm earlier this week, and while the conditions may have been more appropriate for a snowmobile than most cars, at least one person found it acceptable weather in which to ride a motorcycle. Granted, this wasn't your typical motorcycle. Instead, it was a two-passenger, two-wheel-drive Ural being ridden along the snow-covered Interstate 65 in Indianapolis.

On Ural motorcycles equipped with a sidecar, both rear wheels can actually driven by the engine, depending on the model chosen. This might give the bike better handling in such poor weather, but it does nothing to shield the rider from the 29-degree temperature. We're sure newscasters see plenty of crazy things all the time when doing live feeds, but an adventurous motorcycle rider in white-out blizzard conditions has got to be a fairly unique sight.

The video is actually a recording of a news report so the quality isn't that great, but you can still check it out after the jump.

Continue reading Intrepid motorcyclist rides Ural through blizzard

Intrepid motorcyclist rides Ural through blizzard originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 29 Dec 2012 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ural takes a giant step back with M70 Anniversary Edition

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Motorcycle, Specialty, Russia

Ural, the Russian motorcycle company that specializes in sidecars, has never been known for groundbreaking designs that blaze a trail through electronic gadgetry or super lightweight composites on the way to the most technologically advanced motorcycles possible.

Instead, the heavyweight iron steeds that roll out of the factory in Irbit near Siberia (out of the range of the bombs of Nazi Germany) trade things like fuel injection and ABS brakes for shovels and machine gun mounts. Seriously.

The latest machine from Ural looks as far back into the past as the Russian sidecar industry can go, harking all the way to 1942 when the first M72 motorcycles were sent into the Battle of Stalingrad based on designs for the German BMW R71, which had been superseded by the R75 in 1941. A total of 9,799 M72 motorcycles were produced by Ural for military use.

The new 2012 Ural M70 Anniversary Edition celebrates 70 years of history with two distinct models; one with a sidecar for $14,200 and one solo for $9,150. Both come painted in a perfect shade of olive drab, and there's a canvas tonneau cover, spare wheel and tire and shovel on the sidecar. And yes, there's also that machine gun mount.

Ural based the M70 on its Retro model with 18-inch aluminum rims, 40mm Marzochhi telescopic forks, Sachs rear shocks and a Brembo front disc brake. The frame boasts a longer wheelbase than other Ural models and sits closer to the ground, making it the fastest and best-handling model available. We especially like the teardrop gas tank fitted with a throwback Ural badge.

Read all about the M70 after the break, but not before getting an eyeful of its old-school design in our high-res image gallery.

Continue reading Ural takes a giant step back with M70 Anniversary Edition

Ural takes a giant step back with M70 Anniversary Edition originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ural motorcycle sales leap 39 percent in 2010

Zach Bowman — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Earnings/Financials, Motorcycle

2010 Ural Patrol T - Click above for high-res image gallery

By most metrics, Ural serves up a portfolio that's rife with oddities of motorcycle design. You'll find no staggering technological advances on board and the company's heavy-as-a-freight-train designs won't be setting any speed records any time soon. Hell, Ural only recently began begrudgingly equipping its bikes with disk brakes in the front and an electric starter.

It should come as some surprise to hear that the company managed to grow its sales by a dizzying 39 percent in 2010. If your eyebrows aren't currently mingling with your hairline at the moment, allow us to throw in the fact that the company's products start at a shave under $10,000 with the Ural T.

That, ladies and gentlemen, ain't peanuts.

What could have possibly sent buyers scurrying to the Russian bikes? Well... we'd like to think it was our glowing near-death review of the 2010 Ural Patrol T, but you never know. Even with its huge jump in deliveries, Ural says that it was hoping to see its figures back to 2008 levels, and that would have required an additional 18 percent improvement.

Congrats, comrades. Here's wishing for an equally successful 2011.

Gallery: 2010 Ural Patrol T: Review

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski

[Source: Hell for Leather]

Ural motorcycle sales leap 39 percent in 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ural introduces Patrol T and Red October sidecar motorcycles

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:55:00 EST

Filed under: Motorcycle

Ural Patrol T and Red October - Click above for high-res image gallery

We had more than our fair share of fun bombing around the streets of Seattle and the surrounding area on the brand new Ural T sidecar motorcycle. Though it's surely not for everybody, we found ourselves smitten with the machine's no-nonsense old-world charm and throwback style. The one thing that was missing, though, was Ural's two-wheel drive option.

We're happy to report that this omission has now been rectified with the new Ural Patrol T (pictured above). Not only is the model's $12,399 asking price a full six Benjamins under that of the standard Patrol, it's also painted up in our preferred Olive drab and has matte black trim in place of the normal chrome. That's a whole bucket full of win right there.

Also new from Ural is the 2009 Red October Limited Edition sidecar. With its single-wheel drive, 18-inch wheels and 3.89 final drive ratio, the Red October promises to be a good bit faster on the top end than the rest of Ural's line. Thanks to the lower seating position via a sidecar frame shared with the Retro model, it should be a highly passenger-friendly outfit. We also dig the contrast of its deep red bodywork against the flat black trim and powertrain. For more official shots of Ural's two new bikes, check out the high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Ural Patrol T and Ural Red October

[Source: Ural]

Ural introduces Patrol T and Red October sidecar motorcycles originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 22 Aug 2009 17:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Save your Rubles: Ural introduces new entry-level sidecar motorcycle

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Motorcycle, Russia

Ural T sidecar motorcycle - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Those interested in hearkening back to the old days of motorcycling can probably find exactly what they're looking for at their nearest Ural dealership. The Russian motorcycle maker has just introduced its newest model, which is called simply the Ural T, and it appears to be a solid step backwards towards basic sidecar transportation - and we mean that in the best way possible.

Powered by the same 40-horsepower air-cooled Boxer-twin engine and four-speed transmission (with reverse) as the rest of Ural's line, the T should prove to be a sufficiently entertaining steed and should be equally adept traveling on anything from meandering country roads to dirt roads and anything in between.

We're big fans of the matte black paint scheme (though if parked in our own garages, the bike would likely lose the contrasting maroon pinstriping) as well as its low $9,999 price tag. By far, though, the most intriguing part of Ural ownership would surely be the riding experience. As our good friend Basem from About.com found after taking a spin on the Ural T, piloting a sidecar outfit can be an eye-opening experience. Click past the break for the official press release.

Gallery: Ural T sidecar motorcycle

Continue reading Save your Rubles: Ural introduces new entry-level sidecar motorcycle

Save your Rubles: Ural introduces new entry-level sidecar motorcycle originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ural to auction custom-painted Gzhel sidecar motorcycle

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:59:00 EST

Filed under: Auctions, Motorcycle, Russia

Ural Gzhel sidecar motorcycle - Click above for image gallery

On the surface, it would seem that Ural's brand of rugged sidecar motorcycles has absolutely nothing at all to do with delicate Gzhel-style ceramics. Regardless, the American branch of the classic Russian motorcycle maker has commissioned a unique take on their bread-and-butter Tourist model that's painted up in a white and blue motif inspired by Gzhel pottery.

The artist responsible for the Ural Gzhel is Svetlana Zyryanova, a Ural employee that spends the majority of her working career painting the company's two-wheel drive Desert-style camo Gear-Up models. Zyryanova reportedly chose the paint colors, developed the design and painted it all up in her spare time. We'd probably opt for something along the lines of the company's more sedate Patrol model, but this was an impressive undertaking to be sure.

Ural plans to put this one-of-a-kind bike up for auction on eBay Motors on April 3rd at noon EST. The winning bidder will be able to pick the bike up at his or her nearest dealer. Along with the bike itself, the sale will include a bottle of Russian Gzhel vodka and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the Irbit Children School of Arts in Russia.

Gallery: Ural Gzhel sidecar motorcycle

[Source: Ural]

Ural to auction custom-painted Gzhel sidecar motorcycle originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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