Ultimate Ural arrives: Rugged top-spec three-wheeler is designed to go anywhere

Quirky Kazakhstan-built sidecar brand Ural have just launched what they claim to be the ultimate motorcycle adventure machine, the top spec Gear Up Expedition.

Based on the marque’s standard, legendary Gear Up combination, Ural say the new Expedition version ‘comes with everything a rider and a passenger may need to travel to the edge of the world and back.’

On top of the Gear Up’s standard spec, the Expedition comes with more luggage space, tougher bike and sidecar protection, matching windshields, upgraded suspension and more.

It’s been launched in the UK with a hefty £33,750 asking price. That includes import duties, VAT, assembly, a two-year warranty, a year’s tax, and a full tank of fuel.

The Ural combination dates back to 1940 when the Soviet Union acquired the design and production techniques to Germany’s BMW R71. As a result, the new M72 was a similar air-cooled boxer twin with powered sidecar wheel.
Wartime production commenced in 1941 and was later moved to Irbit in the Urals.

Post-WW2 civilian production began with exports commencing in 1953. In the 1970s bikes began being imported into the UK under the Cossack brand name.

Today the Gear Up remains Ural’s key product and, although clearly a ‘heritage’ design, it has featured fuel-injection and disc brakes all-round to go with its 41bhp 749cc air-cooled, shaft-drive boxer twin since 2014.

Selectable two-wheel drive (rear and sidecar) also features alongside a five-speed (including reverse) gearbox. You also get leading link front suspension plus classic ‘military’ features such as its universal fit spare wheel, jerry can and even folding utility shovel.

On top of that even the Standard model now has plenty of quality touches such as LED fog lights, Sachs shocks, Brembo brake calipers and auxiliary power socket.

But the new Expedition takes things further still by coming as standard with virtually every accessory from the Ural catalogue.

This includes uprated Nitron shock absorbers, adjustable smoked windscreen and short sidecar screen, two sidecar luggage racks, a spare wheel luggage rack, headlight, taillight and sidecar light protectors, handguards, extra crash bars, a reinforced bash plate and a choice of three different two-tone colourways – red and silver, orange and blue or yellow and green.

For more, go to ural-uk.com

Ural Gear Up Expedition in detail

• Screen Two The Expedition comes with two accessory screens as standard – the tall, adjustable rider screen and a shorter, non-adjustable sidecar screen. Both come with a smoke tint.
• Carrying capacity Also now standard is not one but three extra luggage racks – one on the sidecar nose, one on the sidecar mudguard, and one on the spare wheel.
• Extra protection With a reinforced crash bar, skid plate, sidecar rear bumper, taillight protector and armour for both the headlight and sidecar lights, bikes don’t get much more rugged.
• Improved springs Suspension is improved all round via upgraded Nitron shock absorbers replacing the standard Sachs items both in the leading link forks, at the rear, and on the sidecar
• New colours Three all new, two-tone colour schemes are offered intended to represent different types of terrain: ‘Colza Field (yellow/green); ‘Polar Dawn’ (orange/blue) and ‘Ember Flame’ (red/silver).

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Video: MCN attempts Ural sidecar riding