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Ural Motorcycles

A Ural Gear Up makes a splash in Argentina.

Built by IMZ-Ural, Ural Motorcycles are heavy-duty, sidecar-equipped motorcycles designed for touring and adventure. Every Ural is powered by an air-cooled, 749cc, single overhead-cam, four stroke flat twin or boxer engine that produces 41 horsepower at 5,500 RPM and 42 foot-pounds of torque at 4,300 RPM. The engine is mated to a four-speed manual transmission with reverse gear that transmits power to the rear wheel via a shaft final drive. The Gear Up, Ural's most popular and currently (as of September 2023) only model, has selectable two-wheel drive that uses a CV driveshaft to power the sidecar wheel from the rear wheel.

Since the company's purchase in 2000 by private individuals, Ural Motorcycles have been upgraded and modernized numerous times. They are now thoroughly modern, if simple, machines with components provided by parts suppliers from all over the world including Brembo (brakes), Denso (electrics), Heidenau (tires), Italcerchio S.R.L. (wheels), Keihin (throttle bodies), Sachs (suspension), and more.

Current Models

Gear Up

Ural currently produces one model—the legendary Gear Up—that comes in three trim levels with numerous available special accessory packages. With its rugged build, iconic looks, and accessories loadout, it’s the bike most people think of when they hear “Ural”. The name first appeared in 1999 and survived the 2000 sale of IMZ to private interests. The Gear Up has been part of Ural's lineup ever since.

The Motorcycle

Ural’s long running powerplant, a torquey 749cc, air-cooled boxer twin, powers the Gear Up. Its 41 horses are transmitted to the rear wheel through a four-speed, reverse-equipped transmission and shaft final drive. Fuel is provided by a proprietary fuel injection system using Keihin throttle bodies, and the exhaust is an upswept, scrambler-style, Euro V-compliant, two-into-one system mounted between the bike and the sidecar.

The rest of the Gear Up’s running gear is a mix of industry-standard and Ural-specific systems. All three wheels feature Brembo calipers and Spanish-built NG rotors. The rear wheel is also equipped with a J. Juan parking brake activated by a lever on the handlebars. Both the bike and the sidecar feature swingarms sprung by Sachs shocks. The bike’s front suspension is a unique, IMZ-designed leading-link setup with Sachs shocks developed to improve handling with the sidecar.

Perhaps the Gear Up’s most famous feature is its selectable two-wheel drive system. Activated by a lever mounted behind the rider’s right foot peg, the system transfers power to the sidecar’s wheel via a CV shaft connected to the bike’s rear drive hub. This gives the Gear Up respectable offroad capabilities and lends to its reputation as the “Jeep of motorcycles.” It should be noted that since the two-wheel-drive system doesn’t have a differential, it’s only useable on soft surfaces—dirt, gravel roads, sand, snow, grass, etc.

The Sidecar

The Gear Up’s sidecar is a one-person, all-steel tub mounted to a tubular frame. In most markets, the sidecar is mounted to the bike’s right side. In right hand drive countries such as Japan and the UK, however, the sidecar is mounted on the left. As it is exposed to the elements, water can pool inside the sidecar during off-roading or inclement weather. Drains in the sidecar’s floor—like those found in Jeeps, Ford Broncos, and other purpose-built off-road vehicles—allow water to escape the tub.

Along with the side-mounted swingarm suspension, the tub is sprung with rubber isolators to improve comfort for the passenger. The enclosed rear of the sidecar is a three cubic foot trunk accessed via a locking hatch, and more storage is located beneath the seat (link YouTube seat removal short). From MY 2017 onward, each sidecar is equipped with a 12-volt accessory panel and a 12v power port for charging devices or running a power inverter.

Many of Ural’s accessories are designed to improve the safety, comfort, and cargo capacity of the sidecar, and the Gear Up’s sidecar is equipped with a fine selection of them. A sturdy front bumper with a pair of LED fog lights surrounds the tub’s nose, while a universal spare wheel and a spacious luggage rack are mounted to the trunk lid. A five-gallon jerry can, collapsible shovel, and a comprehensive tool kit add to the bike’s versatility and survivability. Military-style toggles hold down a waterproof tonneau cover that keeps rain, dirt, and weather out of the sidecar when it’s empty and provide extra privacy for a rider’s gear.

Gear Up Base

The Base is an entry-level Gear Up stripped of all its accessories. It was developed to be a blank slate, a foundation upon which a Ural owner could easily build the bike to their exact standards.

2023 Ural Gear Up Base in Slate Gray.

Gear Up Standard

The Standard is the Platonic ideal of a Gear Up and is the bike most people think of when they think "Ural". Along with all the standard mechanical features, the Standard comes with a front sidecar bumper, LED fog lights, a universal spare tire, a flip-up spare wheel luggage rack, a jerry can, a collapsing shovel, and a tool kit.

2023 Ural Gear Up in Garnet Red.

Gear Up Expedition

The Expedition, also known as the XPD, was designed as the ultimate adventuring platform. It's a Gear Up standard equipped with nearly every accessory from Ural's parts and accessories catalog. Unlike its Base and Standard siblings, the XPD comes in only three colorways—Colza Field, Ember Flame, and Polar Dawn.

2023 Ural Gear Up Expedition in Polar Dawn colorway.

Inspirations, Packages, and Special Editions

Inspirations, packages, and special editions aren't specific models; instead they are limited edition, often one-of-a-kind customs built from existing models to show off the versatility and flexibility of the Ural platform.

Inspirations are one-of-a-kind bikes that are built at Ural headquarters in Redmond, WA, to show off Ural's potential for customization. Each Inspiration pushes boundaries and showcases the extent to which a Ural can be customized.

Packages, such as the Adventure Package, are handpicked collections of specific Ural parts and accessories that can be added to any bike either from the factory or by a Ural dealer. These packages are assembled to enhance a Ural's performance in a given area such as long-distance touring, adventure touring, overlanding, or offroading.

Special Editions are extremely limited production bikes—typically around 20 units produced worldwide—built around a specific theme. Ural's first Special Edition was the black-on-black Raven released in 2006, and the company released a Special Edition bike every year until 2021. Due to logistical issues and global events, there was no Special Edition for 2022.

Adventure Package

Ural Gear Up in Terracotta with the Adventure Package.

The Adventure Package is a trim and accessories package that can be fitted to any Ural model. It includes windscreens for both the rider and passenger, handguards and lower mud guards, upgraded lighting, a handlebar-mounted USB power port, a selection of bumpers and protection bars, and special decals featuring the Ural Adventure logo.

Caribbean

The Gear Up Caribbean is a one-off bike that came out of the canceled MY 2023 special edition project. It's a 2023 Gear Up painted in Caribbean Blue with a custom dark gray powertrain and dark gray accessories. It has a one-of-a-kind ice fishing portal installed in the sidecar's floor, a feature left over from the bike's origin as a special edition bike.

2023 Ural Gear Up Caribbean

Inspiration: Green Tanager

The eye-popping Ural Gear Up Green Tanager.

Green Tanager was a sequel to the well-received Red Sparrow. Another bird-inspired ride, the Tanager was a Klein Blue Gear Up with pearl green accessories. It featured a skid plate, extra luggage racks, and special Tanager decals.

Inspiration: Red Sparrow

Red Sparrow began with the idea of a red-painted kickstarter. In 2020, Ural took that semi-serious idea to its logical conclusion and built an inspiration bike around the theme. The bike was a northwest gray Gear Up with red powder coated accessories. Aside from the standard Gear Up loadout, the Red Sparrow was equipped with a skidplate, extra luggage racks, and light protection bars on the sidecar. Even the tank badge, the trunk lid release handle, and the shovel handle were colored red. A red sparrow logo was designed in-house and applied as a decal on the bike’s sidecover and just forward of the sidecar’s passenger opening.

Sahara

The Sahara is one of Ural's longest running and most popular special edition bikes. First released in the late aughts, demand for the package was so great that the bike continued production as a perennial part of Ural's lineup. It's a Gear Up in a special khaki colorway with black details, black accessories, and special Sahara decals.

Sportsman

The Sportsman SE—officially the Sportsman Adventurer Camp Wandawega Edition—is another Special Edition bike that, like the Sahara, became so popular that it stuck around long after the limited production run was finished. Built for 2015's Camp Wandawega rally, the Sportsman is a Gear Up painted in Forest Fog with a handful of accessories including leg guards, a skidplate, and a sidecar-mounted spotlight. The bike is also equipped with a tan, marine-grade canvas tonneau cover and sidecar windscreen apron—as opposed to the stock black vinyl items—supplied by Sunbrella. Special "Camp Wandawega Edition" graphics complete the package.

Historical Models

cT

The cT was a light-duty version of Ural’s common heavy-duty offroad platform. Unlike the Gear Up with which it shared the company’s lineup, the cT was designed primarily for street use and had none of the Gear Up’s off-road systems. It had lower ground clearance, giving it a lower, easier handling center of gravity, and lacked Ural’s selectable two-wheel-drive system. It was also usually sold without the Gear Up’s plethora of accessories, and was, overall, a simpler, more stripped-down bike than its older stablemate. The cT was discontinued in 2021.

M72

The M-70 was a retro/standard model built to evoke the legendary M-72’s design. It featured a standard, telescopic front fork with gaiters instead of the IMZ leading link fork, round sidecar indicators, and a model-specific fuel tank. It was produced throughout (add production dates/decades here) and was discontinued in 2018 as Ural began the modernization and consolidation of its product lines.

Wolf

The ill-fated Ural Wolf

The Wolf was a very early, and largely unsuccessful, attempt by Ural to build a modern, non-sidecar-equipped bike.

Further Reading

IMZ-Ural Website (USA)

Ural Website (International)

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