Say hello (or rather привет!) to the newest addition to my garage! For many many years I have wanted a Ural Gear Up, but it just wasn't in the cards. I had the opportunity to finally pick one up after long suffering the deep desire for hand crafted Russian 3 wheeled steel after borrowing a friends Patrol in 2017.
It's a 2019 Gear Up, with just under 7k (miles not km) on the clock, and I love it! Since it's prior to 2022, it was built in Irbit, not Kazakhstan. Each outfit (that's the correct term) is hand built with jigs, no fancy robots or automation. So, they're all a little different, for better or worse.
I had originally planned to purchase a 2021 that was a little over 8 hours away. However, the timing didn't work out and it sold, so I went and checked this one out about an hour away. Needless to say, I'm very happy with my purchase. I've already put almost 200 miles on it just farting around town and taking my kids out for rides. I find it every bit as fun as the Ducati, maybe more so, but in a different way. I like air cooled twins, and I like bikes that are a bit, uhm, agricultural in feel and function.
I only have a few mods that I want to do, and I managed to knock out the major one already. Kalaber Creations winch/accessory bar, winch, and rear cargo basket. The bar was super easy to install, and it's really strange to be able to slide under a bike to work on it! I also swapped out the factory headlight for the LED unit from my project Hurricane. The only future mods are heated grips (maybe new bars), skid plates, and a rear rack/back rest for the bench seat.
I'm really enjoying learning the tricks and tips to sidecar ownership. Like using the throttle to assist with turns, or varying the pressure on the brakes between the front wheel, and the pusher/tub to control braking direction. Very very interesting.
Stay safe out there (comrades)!
