In Soviet Russia, Motorcycle Drives You!

"If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent" (essextee) 12/14/2014 at 15:00 • Filed to: two wheels russian, dots

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I found this Ural parked around town today. Interestingly, it's powered by a boxer twin, and is actually 2WD with the sidecar wheel driven by a shaft hooked up to a power take-off on the bike.

Jedidiah > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/14/2014 at 15:02

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Are the side cars detachable on these?

It looks like they are welded to the frame.

505Turbeaux > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/14/2014 at 15:02

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yeah total ripoff of a bmw, but god damn it is a lot of fun for 7 grand. Here are some friends riding them in a blizzard to go camping. http://bennetttheredonethat.bangordailynews.com/2013/02/11/mot…

Brian, The Life of > 505Turbeaux 12/14/2014 at 15:04

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Didn't they straight up license BMWs R75 to build these?

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Jedidiah 12/14/2014 at 15:07

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There is a version without it:

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/14/2014 at 15:07

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BMW R bikes have boxers, wasn't this a clone?

505Turbeaux > Brian, The Life of 12/14/2014 at 15:09

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lets call it this "License" in the Eastern bloc

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 12/14/2014 at 15:10

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The original Ural in the 40's was accused of being a ripoff of an old BMW bike, yes.

Joel Johnson > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 12/14/2014 at 15:15

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The apocryphal story goes that the Russian forces swiped the R plans from BMW when they were invading Germany. The timing of the story is wrong, though. (Ural started making bikes in 1940, not 1945.)

According to these guys, though, they were either reverse-engineered or BMW actually sold them some molds. http://www.ural-motorcycles.com/index.php?en_h…

Cé hé sin > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 12/14/2014 at 15:23

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Yes and you can bet they didn't pay licence fees either.

Übel > Jedidiah 12/14/2014 at 15:54

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I believe so, but it's not easy, especially on the 2WD models. Don't quote me on that though, it's been a while since I checked.

ranwhenparked > Cé hé sin 12/14/2014 at 16:18

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I think they actually were built under license, at least in the early days. Part of the thawing relations between the USSR and Nazi Germany in the years immediately before Hitler decided to scrap all that and invade, because why not?