Ural?

It depends on what you want to do with it.
They are still using a simplified BMW - WWII design, with just minor cosmetic updates.
The brakes are still drum all around.

 

They're for too antiquated. In a bad way. Like driving a Ford Model A in today's traffic.
The controls suck, there's no acceleration, nor any top speed, you can't slow the rig down, and it vibrates its thin steel apart as you drive down the road.

If you need a sidecar, I suggest spending the money on a Harley rig. Maybe a recent Indian. Liberty sidecars are so well built that they made the first Morgan clones that were the appropriated from Morgan as the new 3-wheelers. That's what you want to ride. You can even add reverse gear.

If you want a different and inexpensive motorcycle,
check out: http://www.clevelandcyclewerks.com/bikes/

Tha Heist is very interesting to me. (Not so much my wife.) For less than $3200. Pure minimalism in a bobber. Gorgeous.

 

Don't do it. A friend of mine owned a dealership a few years ago and in my extra time I would help his techs work on these. I'm dead serious: if you could drive a brand new one for more than 25 miles without breaking down or losing oil everywhere it was a miracle. Probably the worst craftsmanship I've ever experienced - they do look cool though.....feel free to pm me if you have specific questions.

 

I have a friend who has one for sale in U.K. it has just been totally restored, its black and chrome like an old BMW. Let me know and ill get some pics and a price.

 

I had one in late 80-s, loved it... Was the most powerful bike in Russia lol Used it to go fishing mostly. Never had any problems with it too.

 

I see Ural's when ride my dirt bike in the Chattahoochee National Forest all the time. I do not know if they have been modified or not, but the ones I see seem to go pretty quick over the FSR and trails.

 

I have liked the Urals for a long time. I visited the plant in the early 1990s (1993 or 1994). I was spending a lot if time in the Ural Mountain region (Ekaterinburg). They were selling new in Russia for less than $1000 at that time and you saw them everywhere.

After seeing the manufacturing process, it is clear that everything is old – the technology obviously, but also the dies, the manufacturing process, the quality control, etc. However, people did keep them running, but with ready access to spare parts. I asked the owner of a Urals “What spare parts would I need if I took one of these back to the US?” He took me to his shed and starting showing me his spare parts inventory to keep his running – first basic ignition components, then carbs, pistons, cylinders, crankshaft….you get the point. He said I would really need two to keep one running.

So, I agree completely with the cool factor. Also, they are extremely simple to work on. So, if you have access to parts, I say go for it. You are unlikely to run into another one on the road!

 

I have the Chinese version, the Chang Jiang 750 (cj750). The two are very similar and share a fairly interesting history.

There are 3 main theories to how these bikes came about, but the main one is this;

Just before the start of WWII while the Russians and Germans had a non aggression pact the Russians were allowing the Germans to train their forces in Russian territory as they couldn't in Germany due to the treaty of Versailles. The Russians in exchange were given some antiquated technologies. The Germans were getting a new motorcycle, the BMW R75 to replace the BMW R71. The plans and tooling were given to the Russians for the R71 to make a military bike.

The Russians were building these bikes by 1941 with modifications called the IMZ M-72, made by IMZ (Irbitski Mototsikletniy Zavod). After WWII had ended the Chinese were trying to backward engineer a German Depner but were not very successful. The Russians sold the Chinese the same tools and plans and the Chinese came out with the CJ750, made by Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation.

The CJ750, is a was a military bike to which there were 1 million made, they are not BMW replicas but derivatives of the IMZ M-72. You can't swap parts from one to the other but they look very similar. The IMZ M-72 became known as the Ural as the Russians moved the plant from Moscow to the Ural mountains due to fear of the German Blitzkrieg being within range of destroying the Moscow factory.

The M-72 ended military production in the late 1950's and went into public production while the Chinese started producing their military CJ's in 1957 right up to the mid 80's. Yes their military was using 1930's technology for their military.



If you are looking for a solid bike without having to constantly repair them these are not the bikes for you. If you like to tinker and have a blast then they are amazing fun. They are simple to work on, they are pre WWII technology designed to be repaired in the field with little more than basic tools. The tool pouch comes with a carpenters hammer!

The first pic is an original civilian R71.

Second is the CJ750

The the M72 Ural.

They both can come in WWII versions.
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Oh I forgot, the CJ750 comes in 3 flavours the M1 6v which is the original side valve with a manual spark advance on the handlebar, only kick start, very cool.
The M1 12v without spark advance and electric starting plus kick start.
And the M1S, 12v overhead cams with electric start and kick start.

I don't know if the original had a reverse gear but the majority have them now. That's always fun driving backwards on a motorcycle

 

Thank you for sharing that interesting piece of history, however there must be a part missing.
In a military museum near my home town of Trieste, Italy, I saw 2 examples of the military versions of the German bikes: the BMW + sidecar and the Zundapp + sidecar.
Aside from the frame (tubular for the BMW and pressed and welded steel for the Zundapp) the bikes were mechanically almost identical and both came with with differential, drive axle and brake for the side car wheel, making them 3 x 2 vehicles.
A.

 

I think what you were looking at was the BMW R75 and the Zundapp K750. These were made after the BMW R71 which the Ural and CJ came from.

The BMW R75 was a "heavy" motorcycle, still with a 750 engine as it was based on the R71 engine but with OHV. Another major change was the sidecar wheel was powered, unlike the R71, Ural or CJ750.

The Depner K750 and the BMW R75 had about 70% interchangeable parts.

Interestingly when the BMW R75 was to go into production the factory was having some trouble getting started. The Wermatch was in need of more bikes urgently. BMW went back to the R71 for a short while, I think 500 produced. I almost bought one of these with a sidecar. The bike was used in Norway as a convoy escort for a German General. The bike although had been painted all black did have the original markings underneath. Perhaps it could have been carefully stripped back to the previous paint. Unfortunately I didn't have the $25k at the time and it was sold to a collector in California.

 

First picture of the BMW R75, and then the Zundapp KS750.

There are many more bikes used during this time which all look fairly similar sucha s the BMW R63, Zundapp KS600 and other manufacturers.
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You are a wealth of information: thank you for the update!

 

My pleasure. This thread has got me thinking about buying an R75 again

 

There are two kinds of Urals....pre-2002 (soviet state owned) and post-2002 (private owned). The pre are all russian parts and need lots of attention and care. The post have many updates and outsourced parts so are more reliable and perform better. Parts like a Nippendenso alternator, Herzog german gears, Ducati ignition, Brembo...yes, that Brembo....front brake, Domino hand controls, etc. The Ural has come a long way. While it won't break any speed records, many owners ride them daily and also year round in winter climates with little troubles. They're as much fun off-road as they are on-road too.

 

My brother in law has two of these Soviet built. one has side car with machine gun mount and he has tons of parts. Never heard of them until he brought these back from Nicaragua I think.

 

and now he is selling everything: side cars, parts soviet tires, machine gun bullet casings from the Sandanistas, the lot.

 

I want this one. And not just because I'm Russian. Or because it is painted like a Soviet ice breaker. Or has an oar. But that helps..

Worst case, I can paddle out of the Houston floods and beat the zombies with the oar!

http://hellforleathermagazine.com/2012/11/the-only-motorcycle-that-comes-with-an-oar/#more-26357

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Found out last week that friend of mine had bought Dnepr 750 that has sidecar. Same bike as URAL but made in Kiev, Ukraine. It seems to be really, really bad quality, everything is broken or about to give up. On positive side parts cost nothing and he has ordered lots of from Ukraine.
It is few things that move on motor that I will not dare to ride nor drive.


Still, this 3 wheel drive version would be cool.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTYQVzvZPw4[/ame]

 

Any chance you could get the website address of the place your friend bought parts from? I am having a hell of a time sourcing some Depner engine parts.

Thanks

 

FAVE. PM sent. Keith

 

Is it true that Ural means masochist in Russian?

I don't think I would take one if it was literally given to me. And I like oddball old bikes. Definitely not for me.

 

Just ran across this old thread. Like "Fave", I too have a cj750 military. I've had my bike about 5 years and love it! They need tinkering now and then but are about as complex as a lawn mower. 1930's technology. Here's a pic or two.
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