Better Motorcycling is run by Ruben Torres, a 20-year veteran police officer and crash specialist. His Better Motorcycling blog covers all things motorcycle safety, such as this informative post (and video) on How to Ride Out a Rear Wheel Skid:

Of all the crashes we investigate, over-braking the rear tire is one of the lead causes to loss of control. Additionally, using only your rear brake will extend your stopping distance significantly

See the whole post: How to Ride Out a Rear Wheel Skid - Better Motorcycling Blog »

Fellow Ural motorcyclist and blogger Carla King of Motorcycle Misadventures has announced a special reader’s discount for Riders Discount Motorcycle Gear. Check out Carla’s well-written blog, and then also hit the Riders Discount Motorcycle Gear site to see what you and your ride can’t live without.

Motorcycle Misadventures: Get up to 35% off at Riders Discount Motorcycle Gear »

The way some things just happen to happen, you know that there’s only one thing you can do, only one thing you will do.

Usually I ride my bicycle to work, but today, well, maybe today needed to be a motorcycle day?

I woke up with just enough time (even after shaving). Somehow, all the morning’s pre-commute gatherings and doings went a little faster than usual. The weather was cool, but dry, and there would be beautiful morning sun.

And, above all, I really needed it. I needed the chatter of the valves, the growl of the engine (well, maybe not quite a growl, but humor me), the rush of wind.

Soon I was on Sveta, and the green Patrol hit the highway, took me over a rise so I could see the sun rising over the Coburg hills to the east, took me to work with a big ol’ grin on my face.

The day stayed overcast and cool, but I brightened up. All I needed was a motorcycle ride.

New England Focus has put out an interesting story about Jon Taylor, founder of Ural of Oz, a Ural touring company in New South Wales, Australia:

“Jon Taylor has a passion for motorcycles. As a past competitor in off-road endurance racing, Jon was quite successful, but his love of motorcycling led him to experience other aspects of this popular pastime. We chat to Jon about his future on three wheels.”

Read the whole story: Ural of Oz : New England Focus

Now we know what we’re doing next time we go to Australia!

Sounds like there’ll be a great Ural Australia showing in Melbourne on Feb. 28 – “Dosvedanya, mate!”

Ural Sidecars In Melbourne.. Saturday March 28th - ADVrider

“I noticed on the Ural Australia webpage that they will have a couple of their sidecars on show at the Russian Cultural Festival, Federation Square in Melbourne on 28th February.”

Author Carla King is another Ural owner and blogger, and she recently posted a link to some photos of a 2007 Motorcycle Festival in Irbit, Siberia:

Motorcycle Misadventures: Great photos from Motorcycle Festival in Irbit, Siberia

“Thanks Spaceball to Jochen Vorfelder, the motorcycle editor at the German news property Spiegel Online, for sharing these great photos from the Motorcycle Festival in Irbit, SiberiaSpaceball , taken in July 2007. The show is held every last weekend in July in Irbut, where Ural Motorcycles are made, 400 kilometers east of the Ural mountains in Siberia, Russia”

Need a Ural videos fix, but with an Australian accent?

Check out Ural Australia’s Ural Webmaster YouTube Channel »

• Gas Price Per Gallon: $2.419
• Gallons: 4.123
• Fuel Total: $9.97
• Tripmeter at fuel-up: 167.1 km/104 miles (approx)
• kpg/mpg (approx.) 42kpg/26.8mpg
• Odometer at fuel-up: 1788km/1111 miles
• Date & Time: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, 7:30 p.m.
• Gas Station: Jacksons Food Stores, W. 7th Ave., Eugene, Oregon
• Fuel: Premium (92 octane with 10% ethanol)

Notes on mileage: Lost track on these, so not as keen on where Sveta’s efficiency is. This will help me get back on track. Seems to be holding around this 27mpg level for now.

I’m a pretty anonymous guy, and I like it that way.

Note that’s despite running 2 blogs (this one and Antsaint), and having a presence on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. It’s nice to just be another face in the crowd.

But, I also love that people recognize Svetlana. I just happen to be the guy who rides her.

I recently rode Sveta down to McMenamins 19th Street for Eugene’s inaugural Beer and Blog event. I had to ride around the block once to find parking, and this took me and Sveta past the pub’s windows. When I walked in a few minutes later, black leather jacket on, helmet in hand, people immediately put two and two together – and then started telling their friends:

“Dude. Dude! You know that green motorcycle with the sidecar?”

“Yeah, I see that thing all the time!”

(Then they’d point to me.) “That’s him!”

And we’d talk motorcycles and websites for a while. When I left later that evening, it was with a big grin on my face. Yes, I definitely like my anonymity, but it’s also fun to be associated with something so distinctive. Svetlana can have the attention. After all, she’s much better-looking.

• Who cares about speed? I’d rather just enjoy the ride
• Even a mechanical dunce like me can keep a Ural maintained and in good running condition
• It’s unique
• My fiancee, our dog and I all can ride comfortably together
• Who says you can’t haul things on a motorcycle? Excuse me while I run to the grocery store and the home improvement store…
• It’s a 2007, but looks like a 1937

Those are a few reasons why I love my 2007 Ural Patrol.