Speaking of sidecar motorcycle sightings, here are a few more sightings that a fellow Eugene sidecar owner told me about recently:

• “My neighbor saw a white one at the little cafe behind Mazzi’s, confirmed by the vespa boys who saw it at the valley river shops. Not an Artic Camo, did someone paint it white?”
• “There is also a green Ural Patrol owned by a man called Alan also, down in Hoseburg.”
• “Another green Ural Patrol is said to be parked at the tavern in Brownsville almost every day.”
• “I also passed a chair rig, just got a glance, the other day on Franklin just this side of Springfield. Black, and the bike had two round headlights… a Triumph speed triple? Don’t guess anyone would hang a chair on a bike like that though, so I will call it unidentified.”
• “Also spotted was one of the new red Ural Tourists up on the Peoria Road on the way to Corvallis.”

Have you seen a sidecar motorcycle in Oregon lately?

Sidecar motorcycles are getting more popular, so I wasn’t all that surprised when when my dad called to tell me he spotted a Ural in our hometown of Roanoke, VA. But I was surprised to hear that the Ural he saw was exactly like mine!

“Son, you’re not going to believe this,” said Dad, “but I’m at a stoplight on Route 419, and a couple of lanes over there’s a dark green Ural sidecar motorcycle, with a luggage rack and a spare tire on the back of the sidecar. It looks just like yours.”

Fellow green Ural Patrol owner in Roanoke, VA, I hope to hear from you sometime. Happy Uraling!

Sounds like the annual Ural dealer meeting is underway:

“According to Crawford’s answering machine, they are at the IMWA dealer meeting this week. Anyone else heard anything?”

No big news yet.

Link: Soviet Steeds - Ural Dealer Meeting Underway

Sidecar motorcycles becoming more popular in Eugene and nationwide

It’s all about the dog. That’s what it comes down to, when you have a sidecar motorcycle. Jodie, Ella, Svetlana and I were recently on the local news, talking with reporter Tom Adams about sidecar motorcycles and what it’s like to own a sidecar motorcycle.

Check out the whole story (written version and in audio):

Tales of a novice sidecar motorcyclist | KVAL CBS 13 News, Eugene, OR | Local & Regional News

A sidecar motorcycle sighting on Saturday got me wondering: how many sidecar motorcycles are in Eugene, Oregon?

Sighting: Honda Gold Wing with Sidecar

While running some errands on Coburg Road this past Saturday — in the car, not the Ural, unfortunately — Jodie and I pulled into a Safeway parking lot and saw a black Honda Gold Wing with a nice-sized sidecar.

We’ve heard time and again about people seeing a black sidecar motorcycle around Eugene. (Sometimes they wave, thinking it’s me and Jodie, and wonder why “we” aren’t waving back.) At first we thought this mystery black rig was another Ural rider, who we’re acquainted with and has a black Ural, but maybe it’s this Gold Wing?

The sidecar count so far: 4

In any case, we know of 4 sidecar motorcycles in Eugene (including ours):

1. Black Ural
2. White BMW
3. Black Honda Gold Wing
4. Green Ural Patrol (ours)

Do you know of any other sidecar motorcycles in Eugene, or the overall Lane County area?

There’s nothing like good press. It’s good to hear Ural, and motorcycling in general, getting covered by the media in a positive light:

One of our areas local news anchors/reports, Ron Brown, has traveled to Russian several times and really enjoys the area. He recently ran into me on my Raven at a local parade and came up to ask me questions and share some of his own stories from his many visits to Russia”
It portrayed my family and motorcycling/sidecar-ing in a very positive light.

Watch the video (requires Window Media Player)

Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - Ural on the Local News

Don, a newbie 2008 Gear-Up rider in California, recently left a comment that got me thinking about all the great resources out there about Urals and other sidecar motorcycles:

Hey, folks! I cannot praise the folks at Soviet Steeds forum enough! I have bothered them from everything from side car balance to getting the dang locked gas cap off! John and the gang there are the best. If you haven’t allready not done so please join the forum. You won’t be sorry! I am a newbie and their advice is right on. They will kid you though from time to time, but hey, I am a rookie so what do I expect! Anyway, great advice.

When you get a Ural, or any sidecar motorcycle for that matter, you don’t just get a motorcycle – you get a golden invitation into some of the handiest online resources available for Ural owners and sidecar motorcycle riders. Here are the top 4 Ural and sidecar motorcycle message boards you want to check out and be part of:

• Soviet Steeds Motorcycle Collective
• IMZ Ural Message Board
• Hacks - ADVrider
• Russian Iron Motorcycle Club

These message boards are one of the best resources available for any Ural motorcycle rider, be you a sidecar newbie or a hack veteran. I’ll warn you though – from how-to maintenance issues to finding accessories, debating oil or checking out some cool sidecar vids, you run the high risk of spending a great deal of time on these boards. Just make sure it doesn’t cut too much into your riding time!

So whether you have a sidecar rig or you’re thinking of getting a Ural, get on the boards above. My personal favorite is Soviet Steeds, followed by the IMZ-Ural board. In any of them, you’ll find great discussion and helpful folks. By the way, you’ll find me on all of them but Russian Iron (I’ve only time for 3), under the handle “Antsaint”.

For more helpful Ural and sidecar websites, see Ural Resources.

Since new IMZ-Ural CEO Rick Clark took the helm in late 2007, things have been pretty quiet in “Little Irbit”, as the Seattle-area Ural headquarters is known. What is happening inside Ural? What operational changes are underway? How are they weathering economic challenges, both in the U.S. and in Russia? There’s been some idle speculation here and there, but no real news

Maybe there are big changes afoot. Or maybe there aren’t. Maybe it’s all just “no news is good news”… for now.

Back in 2004, a “Ural enthusiast” named Sergey Sinelnik rode a Ural around the world. Ultimately logging 75,000 km (46,603 miles) across 5 continents and through 35 countries, one leg of Sinelnik’s trip took him overland across the whole of Australia. Here are some more details, photos and stories about this amazing trip:

Here are just a few of the incredible photographs that were taken during their final leg of the trip around Australia. Starting from Sydney on April 25, 2004 and finishing on May 19, 2004, they traveled a total of 14,500 km or 10,000 mi. Of that distance, 3,500 km were across the Great Victorian Desert, Gibson Desert and the Great Sand Desert

Follow this and other Ural Adventures…

The Arctic Circle on a Ural – some of the most beautiful country, and some of the crappiest roads, I have ever seen. Andy Grow, proud owner of a 2008 Ural Gear-Up in Arctic Camo, recently completed a huge Alaskan road trip, that took him and his Gear-Up into the Arctic Circle and home again. In one piece. (And with no problems, by the way, the any perpetual Ural doubters lingering out there.)

I was fortunate enough to hang with Andy Grow back in April, when he had just taken delivery of his Gear-Up. He and I rode to Salem together, to get our 500km maintenance done at Raceway Services. It was a joy to see his ride report, especially the many incredible photos he got of Alaska and a rally he intended.

Check out Andy’s full ride report: D2D and the Arctic Circle on a Ural - ADVrider

• “I had complete confidence in her the entire way…and nothing - NOTHING - occurred that would make me reconsider doing the trip again. Fuel mileage was anywhere from 25-30mpg. It’s a beast on the hills and going through the mountain passes. But it gets it done.”
• “You MUST know your bikes limits. I knew from the start I wouldn’t be able to keep up with anyone on the pavement, and I was right. But on the dirt I was doing the same speeds - if not a bit faster - than some of the regular motos (only because they were riding slower!).”
• “I ended up changing out the pusher at 3350kms. The Dempster highway took it down to darn near nothing, but it was still good enough to call a spare. For those taking notes, I am running the stock Uralshinas.”
• “Being the only sidecar - and a Ural at that - at a gathering like this - you are sure to get attention. And chicks. Lots of chicks.”

Go, Andy! Good job, mate.