As a long term URAL owner … gotta say, best & most honest review I have seen. Nice work mate

The value of a spare wheel that fits front or rear cannot be overstated

Was having a bad day and 5 mins into watching this video, I realized I had a smile as I listen and daydream of riding the Ural. Thank you for the quality content!

I’m only 33 and I’m in love, what a gorgeous bike

Best ever commentary about the Ural. You tell more enjoyable things about the Ural than anyone else. And I have a 2017 in the States.👍

The first time I see the Ural with a sidecar on the left. This means that you can even put 2 strollers and make 3wd! This will be a miracle! 😁

So nice listening to someone who knows and appreciates a Ural for what it is. 75 years of development.

As a long-time URAL wanabe owner… gotta say, best & most enthusiastic review I have seen. Bloody good job, mate! 😁👍🙏

Roothy, there's just something about a machine like that, everything is out to see, no plastic to hide all those glorious bits and pieces coming together to make a serious fun machine. The perfect Rally machine perhaps? Been missing the motorcycle reviews since Motorcycle Traders demise. Good on you mate

I love it, dad had sidecars mated to Norton’s, Triumph’s and BSA’s back in the 60’s and 70’s.

Hello! I'm from Russia. I want to tell you that modern Ural motorcycles are made specifically for export abroad, and they are assembled in a completely different way. We have more common motorcycles of 40 years ago. the driving experience is completely different. If you are with us, be sure to find such a motorcycle and take a ride :)

Beautiful scenery reminds me of Tasmania. Beautiful bike.

Cool accent %) Big Hi from Russia )

I have been waiting for 2WD in Australia for ever, no excuse not to get one anymore! Great review mate!

Впервые вижу "Урал" правым рулем. Спасибо за обзор, очень инетресная новинка

Nice video. Glad to see that 2WD is now available down under. Really nice color too!

Around the world in one of these ,what a dream. Great review

Спасибо папаша, за Урал оранжевого цвета двадцатого века!

Ну кто от зëбры?

Nice video John. I love my 1975 M67 Ural and use it daily here in the UK. The only disadvantage is that it draws so much attention it takes ages to do anything 🤣🤣

THANK YOU(!) for the most honest, knowledgeable video introduction of the Ural Gear Up! I can’t stand it when super bike riders compare this machine to their cafe’ racing sport bikes.🤬 After becoming disabled (see screen name), I thought my lifetime of dirt & street bikes was a thing of the past. Then one glorious day, my brother bought a Gear Up. Soon after that, I bought my own, and installed the left footbox (running board) and hand shifters for both the forward & reverse gears. I can ride this machine as well as any “able-bodied” riders out there, and trust me when I say these machines will dependably get you WAY out there, and back again. These require an entire new set of skills, and they are WORTH THE EFFORT! You can head up the mountain roads/trails to that remote lake for a weekend of fishing/camping, and bring along all those “creature comforts” that dual sport riders can only dream of. They’re slow, but I no longer have a need for speed at my old age, and my Gear Up has put me back in the game! When other street bikers ask “Why the heck would you buy THAT machine, instead of a cushy ride?”, I tell them to follow me up a mountain road, and they can see for themselves. When they say ”I can’t go there with my Gold Wing or Street Glide!” I tell them they’ve just answered their own question. Other than flying an old, open cockpit warbird, these are the most fun you can have with your clothes on. (And the chicks really dig it.)

I have a Soviet Union military version of the Ural made in the KMZ motorcycle factory called a Dnepr. The Soviets split the versions up because the military version costs a lot more to produce than the Ural motorcycle. The Dnepr motorcycles have a heavier frame, a centrifugal oil filter, full time 2WD, and a semi-automatic transmission. You can actually up and down shift without taking a firm grip off the left handlebar grip to pull in the clutch lever. The 2WD system is completely different than used on the Ural 2WD. Instead of locking both wheels together like the Ural the Dnepr has a second reduction gear box on the sidecar wheel with a freewheel drive shaft. When the motorcycle pusher wheel starts slipping the sidecar gear box will "catch up" with the freewheel locking in and driving the sidecar wheel with its even lower gear reduced drive. As soon as the motorcycle pusher wheel starts gripping again the freewheel will unlock so you are back to single wheel drive automatically. The Driver doesn't need to stop to disengage 2WD or ever have steering problems. KMZ no longer produces Dnepr motorcycles because they cost so much more than the Ural motorcycles so people did not buy them and the Russian military had no further desire for military motorcycles.

I bought one without sidecar in about 1970. $650 for 650cc with rego! Even the Tasmanian dealer, John Spillsbury, wasn’t sure what to call it because it was all written in Russian, but voshkod and Ural were possibilities. Running in speed was 35 miles per hour, top speed was a little faster. Endless fun. Thanks Roothy.

Just to add my 2 cents as a former ural owner from 2008. The 2023 model improvements are amazing. Its an actual modern quality machine now.

Beautiful machine Sir, greetings from Florida USA

Such a positive review. My Ural Sportsman arrives at the end of the month. I see a lot of negative reviews of the ural where I question if I have made the right choice. But seeing this review really makes me happy and hypes me up for my new motorcycle :D thanks mate!

You summed it up perfectly. This bike is for people that love machinery.

The smile on your face riding that says it all good on ya Roothy!

Fantastic presentation 🤗 I’m in love with this bike 💜👌 Much love from Austria 🇦🇹 🍻

Holy cow, do you know what this means? It means there is now a left hand drive arrangement for 2 wheel drive on a right hand tug Ural. That is game changing..... Australia , N.Z., UK, India, Japan.... Huge markets opened up. I want to the the mechanicals and how they did it.

Thanks Roothy for such a informative review, SO good see you again, best wishes to you and yours

Great review John, good to see you again 👍

great video, loved the enthusiasm you had reviewing the bike and not just comparing it to a regular bike like A LOT of other KZfaqrs have done. also.. bloody lovely shots and riding scenery, looks like it would be a blast to have one of these and ride it around where you were shooting!

I'm not a biker, I'm just an amateur English speaker, tough after 3 min of this video I'm fall in love with this man.

A great review of a legend by a legend

Roothy! I remember your TW columns fondly. Nice review.

Great video Roothy

great vid Roothy

Great review John! I absolutely agree with your sentiments and find it so refreshing to see such a refined "mechanical" machine that is able to put such a smile on your face when you ride it! I'm so over all the rider aids (rain, sand, rocks & mud, sport etc etc) that "nanny" all the new riders. Whatever happened to common sense - my rider control is my brain and my throttle wrist!! There's something to be said for back to basics riding! Greeting from South Africa mate!

Always love the Ural.. you did a great job on this vid !! Cheers

Well done Roothy .awesime 1940 side with 2020 texhno features .Thkx John .Garry on the goldy.

Really a great review! Thanks!

Great video Rooth. Loved watching the two-wheel-drive dig out of the deep sand. I have a 2019 GU and love it. Just got skid plates installed under the tub and engine as well as a high exhaust. Getting ready for some serious off-road adventures.

Thanks mate it's about time someone did a road test . I would love to have one

Yess roothy. Still got it!

Awesome looking motorbike 👍 Great video Sir

You've got to really want one of these. They're the Land Rover of the motorcycle world. Prepare to get acquainted with it mechanically.

From Russia with love! More precisely from the Urals, this is the region we have here. From us begins Siberia, which is so loved in "cranberry" films! So, Ural is not only a proper name, but also a name! My brother's name is Ural, my name is Ildar, we are Tatars. But we are Russian guys and we are proud of our land!

Nice Job Roothy. As always. Been looking at these for a while now. I think 2WD has just clinched it. Even got my Handbrake nodding, Best commentary Ive heard. Did you bingle the mudguard?? LOL

Great rig, that has a iconic look with the side car. Rock solid craftsmanship , best of luck.

What a beautiful bit of machinery mate. Bet it would make ya smile every time you look at it, not to mention what it would do to you every time you ride it.

Ойля-ля, "урал" теперь по Австралии катается, кто бы мог подумать! Лет 30-40 назад об этом можно было и не думать, за 🎥 👍 👍 👍 👍, спасибо

Great review! Ha, I always rode my CT with no weight ballast when no one was in it. You really adjust to how these things handles, if you’re not afraid to hammer it around. I do believe the CT is lower, which does provide much better handling.

I wonder how people think of others riding Russian bikes especially now... Ive been wanting a Ural for ages.. I was in an accident off road on my BMW F650GS two week ago and the thoughts of the Ural popped into my head again... Absolutely loved your review Roothy.. Miss you from Two Wheels bike mag.. Im off when I heal up to have a gawk at the Ural dealership.. Thanks mate.. Thanks for the cool review..

The leading link front end allows the front end to rise when braking instead of diving

Takes me back. I had a GS850 with a Hedingham trials sidecar on the side, I had the chair lowered to accept a smaller wheel. It was an unusual setup, but it worked great, I used to ride it with the chair in the air a lot of the time :)

Really cool bike! Colour, 2WD and all. Bravos!!

Great test mate enjoyed seeing your enthusiasm, they look a mighty bike 👍🇦🇺

thank you for the review

Glad to see you all got the second drive wheel down there! Uralistas, myself included, are indeed special (heh).

looks great. love it

What an awesome concept and looks like it's really well designed and built Great review Roothy! Would have never known about these bikes.

First guy to suggest putting balast in the side car. Yeah this guy actually understands this bike

Great review.

I have a Ural M63 from 1965 is under renovation: D it will be ready in spring: D

I like machinery that just works and doesn't have to prove or compete against the mainstream. I'm sure this Ural would put a smile on my face every time I rode it.

My next bike might be a Ural too. But then I want it in Outback orange with the paint flakes when you are close. This is a beautiful color.

Great enthusiastic review. Interesting beastie. Those exhausts look a tad vulnerable though.

Stunning.

Thanks John for your Comments on the Ural congratulations Mate

Great presentation, I liked how the possible negatives of a sidecar where presented ; its nice to see a review from someone who understands sidecar motorcycles and their unique features and quirks. My only problem with the Ural is that it's too attention grabbing, and I would say it's a bit slow on the top end(It really could benefit from a 5th gear for the top end) but, I don't I'm not sure if I want to go faster on something that can handle "like wrestling a drunken three-legged bear" on the bad weather days. People will be coming out of the woodworks to talk to you about it and normally that's not a problem(as long as you don't mind a good gab); the issue is that occasionally you will have a bad driver that will start to drift over trying to get a better look.

Very very good, congratulations.

Love the color!

Thats looks so epic I don't ride bikes but I need one of those.

what a crackin unit. Cheers Roothy for sharing.

Excellent video... agree with every statement. I have an Ural Ranger 2020 and love it. My only criticism is the short life of the rear tyre, mine only last about 3000km. Interesting to see a RHD version with two-wheel drive. I think this is a new development. It is not, in my opinion, suitable for Autobahns as its comfortable cruising speed is around 90kmh. A big advantage here in Germany is that it gets me free entrance to veteran/vintage vehicle meets.

Hey, John! That was great…perfect timing, too, as I’m looking at a ‘21 Gear Up in burnt orange as we speak. The dealer’s pics are ok, but seeing it in action along with your commentary is just what I needed. Thanks for helping me to make up my mind on this purchase. Btw, why has Oz not had the 2wd feature until recently? It’s kind of the flipslide of why the States never got any of the diesel Land Cruiser/ Prado offerings. (And now we don’t get anything, but that’s a different discussion.) Thanks again, sir! 👍

What an awesome tricycle

Finally we get 2WD. Suddenly the Ural becomes desirable!

You two were made for each other

Nice machine Roothy , a bit of a time machine too :-)

Love it.

Looks like a fun machine.

First road bike I rode was a '42 WLA Harley outfit on my uncle's sheep farm, knobby tyres and all. Doughnuts, up on two wheels, in and out of watercourses, chasing rabbits. Never did a kid have so much fun in the holidays. Would love to revisit that some day. Does anyone rent these out for the weekend?

it was nice to see the Urals in Australia. the movie was great.👍

Fun, thank You.

Time to take a road trip on it ! Long one !

I love the Urals! Sadly, the prices are astronomical (over $35,000 USD) in Thailand! Great tip about adding ballast! My wife weighs 50 kgs and I have 40 kgs as ballast (Royal Enfield 500 with side car) when she isn't riding. with me.

Bugger I assumed they stopped making them 50 years ago , What great bikes I want one !

I'm 23 and I'm in love with this model, the only negative thing is that in my country (Italy) they cost so much :(

John great review, wish the Ural had a 5 speed as an outback tourer... P.S. always loved your TW column...

Completely agree John with the fact that riding a sidecar/bike against a solo bike has about the same similarity of riding then flying a plane and driving the QE2, not similar at all, something to learn indeed, but great fun, watch them left handers! (those weights come in handy if the missus isn't in there) used to ride sidecar combos here and in Europe, and that Ural looks fantastic to me, basic simple and STRONG, with two wheel drive and reverse no less, go anywhere, never had that on mine, I want one!

Tough looking set-up. I like the 2 wheel drive and the side car suspension. Flat 2 cylinder reminds me of the BMW's. Good review.

Lovely shade of orange. Women love sidecar because they feel safer. They can do phone 📱🤳 stuff or go to sleep 💤😴. All of the parts now bought from Europe are responsible for the high prices of the rig. Stainless steel pipe,EFI, Brembo disc brakes, Ducati ignition, German tires and shocks+. 2 wheels drive.

Well said, I love my old style full time 2 wd, my 1 wd and standard 2wd...yes, I have a Ural problem...

Surely the most relevant crit on the URAL for the Australian market But also, the clearest support of this fun vehicle for the whole latent market. BLUEY QUILTY MA Australian Heritage Quanta Blue Mountains NSW

Classic mate giving it the beans awsum cheers

This makes me want to change tack and move out of the motorhome for a while and just cruise Australia with the dog and a tent. Got to love the ignition key placement - flapping about smashing up the paintwork. A quick Velcro fix I think. Small thing, and otherwise what a fabbo machine.

I’d love to buy this as a regular bike. Kinda like the RE Himalayan. I mean this is great as is only not cheap!!!

Hey Roothy, good to hear from you again, miss the two wheels columns and your various other bike stuff, I'm an on again, off again 4by guy. Still got Hilda?