It occurs to me that running a website is a bit like owning a Ural. There’s the time where you first get it, and everything needs to be broken in. You need to get used to one another. Over time, you do, and then once you do, it’s time to move on to making things better.

And that’s what’s up right now. Over time, I’m working on making some various improvements around Ride Three. One of the big ones got put in place last week — the new header up at the top of the site.

I wanted to take a moment and give some well-deserved props to the graphic designer who made it happen: Bonnie Donaghy at bd rose (site coming soon) did a great job taking my initial concepts and making them real. She specializes in print design and marketing, and if you would like to drop her a line about a graphic design project, you can reach Bonnie via email at design at bdrose dot net.

There are some other things I’m gradually working on; some will just be put in place; some, like this, I’ll drop a note about. More to come.

Where do you find your Ural’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number)? As always, the good folks at Soviet Steeds have you sorted out:

“Should be on one of the front downtubes on the frame.”

Once you’ve located your Ural’s VIN, here’s an explanation of what your Ural’s VIN means.

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

Did you see KVAL TV’s recent news story about sidecar motorcycles in Eugene, Oregon? Welcome to Ride Three. Here’s some introductory info to help you find your way around. Read the rest of this entry »

While Ride Three has a pretty extensive area devoted to resources about sidecar motorcycles, I thought there should be a quick something that highlights great sidecar motorcycle resources in Oregon, specifically Eugene. If you live in Eugene and are considering a sidecar motorcycle, these can help:

• Ural Dealership (sales and service): Raceway Services, Salem, Oregon (where I purchased my Ural and also took it for its 500km service)
• Manufacturer: IMZ-Ural (corporate headquarters in Seattle, factory in Irbit, Siberia, Russia)
• Motorcycle Apparel, Parts and Accessories: Discount Motorcycle Parts, 995 Tyinn St. #7, Eugene, Oregon (great prices and selection on riding apparel and accessories; so far we’ve gotten gloves, Jodie’s riding jacket and a Battery Tender there. Steve and Annette are long-time owners, knowledgeable, and great to talk with.)
• Sidecar Motorcycle Training: Adventure Sidecar, Hood River, Oregon. (Before you plunk down a few grand on a sidecar motorcycle, first you want to make sure that this is really for you. Vernon Wade’s 3-day class gives you classroom and practical experience. Trust me – by the time you’re done with the course, you’ll know if sidecars are for you.)
• Other Sidecar Motorcycle Owners: This last isn’t Oregon-specific, but the many sidecar message boards out there are one of your best resources for learning more about sidecar motorcycles.

What’d I miss? I’m still pretty new to motorcycling, and am sure there are plenty of great places and folks out there who are great resources for motorcyclists. Let me know what I missed, and I’ll add that resource to Ride Three.

The blessing and curse of the Ural Delay Factor

UDF, or Ural Delay Factor, is the name Ural owners have given the blessing and curse of owning a Ural in a world where sidecar motorcycles are in short supply. UDF is simple. Think of it like this: If you are so much as riding to the store to grab some milk, UDF is the 20 minutes extra your trip will take, because someone has questions about your sidecar rig. Often this is quite fun — but sometimes you just want to grab your milk and go home.

As one Soviet Steeds poster notes, there are ways to deal with UDF, and he has come up with a very creative solution:

UDF can be fun, interesting, or sometimes downright intrusive. Often, we just want to get on with our ride or walk away and get on with our day. After many sessions, I came up with this partial solution. It’s not original. Sometime back, JohnBG posted a link to a label/sign maker program. I have lost the link…

It’s not old
It’s made in Russia
It has 2-wheel drive
Chicks dig it
No rides given
Hands off please

Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - My UDF Solution

It’s been far too long since I got on the various Ural message boards. The IMZ board… ADV Rider’s Hacks… Soviet Steeds… I’ve been missing the good discussions and interesting questions. Between summer and a big trip, I’ve hardly been checking email, but now things are more settled down and I can get in there again.

Have you been to the boards? If not, be sure to hit them up for all things sidecar and Ural. Here’s a full listing of Ural and sidecar message boards:

Ural Sidecar Motorcycle Message Boards

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

A red full moon rises over Eugene this evening, autumn setting in behind a clear, deep blue night sky. I’d been in the hardware store when the last of the sunset faded, and didn’t realize how long I’d been hunting up a few items for some projects, till I glanced up at the large windows and saw only darkness there.

I just grinned, thinking more of how it was going to be a little interesting securing an 8-foot-long apple picker to the sidecar. (Easy, by the way – just run it, or whatever long-handled item you’re hauling home, through a bar of the luggage rack and down into the tub, and then secure the picker to the luggage rack with something, such as a bungee cord. If you’ve got your tonneau cover on, fasten that over the handle too.)

Outside, the full moon was just getting into the sky. I was struck by the deep, dusty redness of its surface, the stark contrast of the red against the deep blue of the coming night. I put everything away in Svetlana, then swung up onto the back of the Ural. The moon was still low enough to where I could see a power line cut across the bottom of the moon. I focused my gaze on that, and marveled at how quickly the moon rose and within seconds was free of the power line, the view of the glorious red, round surface unbroken again.

It was only then that I started Sveta. She growled and grumbled into life immediately – no messing with the moonlight here. On the road, I changed my route from the more direct yet tree-lined way home, to one that would take me on roads where the moon would always be either to my left or right in front of me.

The only way the ride would’ve been better, is if I’d brought a camera. Figures. Don’t get me started on the overpass I climbed, riding east, the moon just above the surrounding streetlights. It would’ve made an amazing photo.

Back home, the moon was ever higher in the sky, just above the trees of our neighborhood. Since getting home I’d gotten in a few good rides on Sveta, but this was the best. The warm, clear night, one of the last of the summer, and a red moon that I would never forget.

It was a shame to putt-putt into the garage, and to know that soon the moon would eventually set.

But the memory never would.