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It's been a year in the making, and since November since I ordered my 2007 Ural Patrol, but on Feb. 16, 2008, my Forest Green, shiny new Patrol was delivered to my door. At last! See Ride Three for more info and pictures
At long last - Anthony's a motorcycle owner!
My new motorcycle is not here yet... but you have do something with all that pent-up anticipation. Starting another blog seemed a good idea as any. Here it is: Anthony's Ural Sidecar Motorcycle Blog - RideThree.com
A little history may help. In 2005 I really, really started jonesing for a motorcycle. I ogled, I researched, I took a training course and got my motorcycle endorsement — pretty much did everything but actually get the bike. Then life changed; Jodie and I met, we bought a house (for the garage, of course) all that good stuff. The bike could wait; there were other things that were more important.
Then, in October 2006, my buddy Jon tells me about these sidecar motorcycles he's heard about, called Urals — and I was hooked. I spent the next year learning about them, and also took a sidecar training course. Jodie and I talked it over, and decided that now was the time. In November 2007, I put down a deposit on a 2007 Ural Patrol. Now I'm just waiting for it to get here from Russia.
So, naturally, I started a new Ural blog. RideThree.com (can't believe that domain name was available) is all about Ural motorcycles and my experiences owning one (or, so far, waiting for the feckin' thing to get here). Check it out, have some fun — and yes, rides in "the hack" will be available, though Jodie has first dibs.
Soon, my pretty, pretty Patrol will be here — and at long, long last, I'll have my motorcycle! And a website to prove it.
Quick post, then I'm back to nursing an annoying cold...
Rolled up to Salem, OR, this past weekend to meet Jim Petitti, the main man behind Raceway Services. Raceway specializes in sales and service for the non-Harley, non-Japanese bike crowd. Looking for a Whizzer motorbike or Cushman? Want to go British and snag up a Royal Enfield? Or want to be really different and throw a leg over a Ural sidecar motorcycle? Then you're at the right place.
Jim and I talked for about an hour and a half. Note "talked". Not, "Jim tried to sell me" or "Jim talked a lot of smack". No pressure, no oiliness sales talk, no B.S. We talked Urals and the motorcycle business, and I'm happy that I'll be buying my bike from him.
Did I leave with a Ural? Couldn't have. Jim says it's been about two and a half years since he'd had Urals on the floor that you could buy and leave with. Every order he's had, has been for a customer. In fact, the 2007 Gear-up I sat on was shipping out Monday for a delivery to Hawaii.
But I will be ordering mine by the end of the month.
Update, May 2008: I have my Ural! I took delivery of my forest green 2007 Ural Patrol on Feb. 16, 2008. It has been a blast. For trip stories, photos and the day-to-day of being a Ural motorcycle owner, see my Ural blog, Ride Three.com....
3 days of 3-wheel motorcycle fun - Adventure Sidecar
I'm currently swearing my way through an attempt to write up an account of my 3 days of sidecar motorcycle training, but it could be a while. I'm rather out of practice on this sort of thing (though here are pictures from our July 2007 class). In the meantime, I can sum up the whole experience pretty simply:
If you are thinking at all of driving on 3 wheels, be it sidecar bike or trike, then you owe it to yourself to take this class. Not only will you get some good training on how to ride these crazy rigs safe, but you'll have a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
Link: Adventure Sidecars.
Vernon Wade, the main instructor, and his team are great folks. (His wife's fresh-baked scones are another good reason to take the class.) 2007 classes run throughout the year, but they fill up quickly. Have fun.
Your motorcycle, your pride and joy, is currently lying on the ground. We'll skip the reasons, since none help the shame and guilt and pain at seeing your baby on its side like that. So let's get down to the brass tacks, including a helpful video, of how to pick up a fallen motorcycle: Link: Mailbag: Picking up a big motorcycle | WhyBike? Motorcycle Blog.
Having picked up my bike by myself and having done it with help I will tell you which I would choose. Help is always preferable but you should always be ready and capable of picking up your motorcycle by yourself. There are a few tutorials on the web that tell you how to pick up a bike but here are the basics
After spending ages a couple of years ago talking about motorcycles, I, well, I wound up getting a house instead. But at least I now have a garage to park my ride. With a year of homeownership under my belt, it's time to get the bike. From the Honda Rebel to Ural sidecar motorycles, my interest is back in a big way. In addition to taking a sidecar motorcycle course in Hood River, OR, this summer, WhyBike? Motorcycle Blog is one of the motorcycling blogs I follow:
People around the country are familar with the tips from newspaper columnist Heloise. But you may not know that she is also the proud owner of a Ural sidecar motorcycle (a camo Gear-Up, to be exact):
Link: Heloise - Columnist spin-cycles through KC [Kansas City].
Well, it’s not every day you find yourself zipping around downtown Kansas City in the sidecar of a camouflage-green Russian motorcycle driven by a celebrity with one name. Sorry to disappoint you, Fabio fans, but we’re talking Heloise here. Heloise, queen of household hints.
Ural sidecar motorcycles have caught my imagination of late (well, for a couple of months now), but this is the first page I've seen with such an extensive breakdown and review of a Ural Tourist sidecar rig:
Link: Jack and Luzimar's 2006 Ural Tourist.
after waiting for the Ural to evolve these past few years, we finally bit the bullet... and purchased a new 2006 Ural Tourist (sight unseen).
Some posts of interest from the WhyBike? Motorcycle Blog:
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