Author Topic: Ural motorcycles  (Read 2447 times)

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Offline AlanS

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Ural motorcycles
« on: September 07, 2014, 10:22:41 AM »
An aquaintance of mine bought a Ural motorcycle. The best way to describe it is it's like the Willys Jeeps of WWII of motorcycles. It ain't fast and it ain't purty, but it sure is functional. It's driveshaft driven and the differential has a lock that engages the sidecar tire making it a 2 wheel drive. Overall, a very interesting Russian motorcycle.

Since there aren't many in the U.S., the national Ural rally is held online. You ride around and take pics of the bike and accumulate points for certain things. I and my middle son were invited to tag along. I brought my piglet (Harley Sportster) and my son rode in the Ural sidecar. There were only 3 bikes in our group. The previous plus a newer Triumph Bonneville. We only covered about 120 miles with frequent stops, but it was a blast.

"Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem."

Thomas Jefferson

Offline Libertas

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2014, 04:27:17 PM »
I was trained to destroy anything with a red star on it...

Jus' sayin'
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Offline AlanS

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2014, 04:37:13 PM »
I was trained to destroy anything with a red star on it...

Jus' sayin'

My Heineken's have a red star and I destroy them every chance I get.

And I have to say, they would make some really great bug out vehicles. Better than anything I've seen made in the U.S.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2014, 05:00:08 PM by AlanS »
"Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem."

Thomas Jefferson

Offline John Florida

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2014, 05:40:18 PM »
  I like the idea of having a gas can next to the passengers legs.
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Online IronDioPriest

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2014, 05:47:29 PM »
I was trained to destroy anything with a red star on it...

Jus' sayin'

My Heineken's have a red star and I destroy them every chance I get.


 ::hysterical::
"A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the means."

- Thomas Jefferson

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2014, 07:09:43 PM »
I bet finding parts is even harder than they are for my '37

Offline AlanS

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2014, 07:20:46 PM »
I bet finding parts is even harder than they are for my '37

I'm not sure. Since his is new, he's hopeful he won't need any major parts for a few years.

And he's thankful for the internet.
"Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem."

Thomas Jefferson

Offline Glock32

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2014, 08:33:37 PM »
I like it.  Russkie equipment has a certain appeal to it, especially for SHTF scenarios.  They built their stuff to be simple and easy to work on, especially under primitive conditions.  It's kind of like making an engine lower compression.  The performance will suffer, but you can make the engine last nearly forever. The Russians built their stuff on a similar philosophy.
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Offline AlanS

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2014, 09:48:40 PM »
I like it.  Russkie equipment has a certain appeal to it, especially for SHTF scenarios.  They built their stuff to be simple and easy to work on, especially under primitive conditions.  It's kind of like making an engine lower compression.  The performance will suffer, but you can make the engine last nearly forever. The Russians built their stuff on a similar philosophy.

I haven't researched them, but the owner tells me in 1939, the BMW sold the tooling, etc. for the R71 motorcycle to the Russians. Beemer was coming out with the R75 (new and improved), so the R71 was obsolete. They thought they had a great deal going until the Russians got to Berlin in 1945.

Here's a pic of the other side. You can see the Beemer influence.



It's hard to tell, but where the red circle is shows the head of a small (3') alligator.
"Malo periculosam, libertatem quam quietam servitutem."

Thomas Jefferson

Offline Libertas

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2014, 06:31:40 AM »
"Ural's, gators like 'em too, why not you?!"

 ;D

In a SHTF scenario and this is your BOV, not a lot of room there...but I would scour the bottom of the lake for all my lost arms and munitions and stuff as much as I could on it...
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline Glock32

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2014, 10:45:32 AM »
I could see a military motorcycle, that has been ruggedized for off road use, being a pretty useful SHTF vehicle.  It wouldn't offer much cargo transportation of course, but it could get you out of situations a larger vehicle couldn't, and it would use less fuel.

The British army had a pretty cool bike developed in the 80s.  Harley-Davidson built a license copy of it for US forces, the MT350E.


« Last Edit: September 08, 2014, 10:57:28 AM by Glock32 »
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Offline Libertas

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2014, 11:43:29 AM »
Does the AR go in that funky looking compartment? 
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline Glock32

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2014, 02:37:40 PM »
It could, if you hadn't lost it in that boating accident.
"The Fourth Estate is less honorable than the First Profession."

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Offline Libertas

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Re: Ural motorcycles
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2014, 07:57:18 PM »
Aye.
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.