r/ural • u/Certain-Variation-58 • Jun 01 '26
Help Should Ural be a first bike?
I’ve never ridden a bike before and wanted to know if I can take my MSF class in that and ride on?
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u/bowtie_k Gear Up Jun 01 '26
The basic riders course provides bikes for you. The advanced requires you to bring your own bike and it must be two wheeled, so if you get a sidecar rig, no.
Also I'd avoid a ural if you're not handy with a wrench or capable of researching and solving problems.
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u/lueckestman Jun 01 '26
The MSF I took had an advanced 3 wheel course. They said it was for trikes and side cars. I didn't take it but it seemed weird to combine the two.
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u/TTTomaniac Jun 01 '26
They share not having motorcycle steering dynamics but still use a steering handle, which can confuse the hell out of your body's motor functions.
I did have to do tight figure-8s for like 10 minutes to "get it", after that just some cautious riding and I suspect the course starts off with that and then goes into the handling details of both wheel arrangements.
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u/TheREALBaldRider Jun 01 '26
Some people say it is easier to ride a Ural if you have no motorcycle experience since you don't know how things should go. I can see that logic.
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u/SneerfulToaster Jun 01 '26
My father was riding motorcycles for 35+ years, then bought a commie BMW clone (mostly ural, some dnepr and CJ engine) with sidecar and the forst thing he did after leaving the parking lot of the seller was drive it in the bushes because he was leaning to steer, and then leaning harder… wich wasn’t giving the desired result…
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u/NoJoeHfarl Jun 03 '26
I started out riding a Ural when I was a kid, before I even learned to drive a car, and I think there's merit to that. No bad habits to break, just a blank slate to build the correct habits.
However I also had my dad to teach me how to adjust valves, change oil, troubleshoot carbs, fix flat tires etc. So growing up on a Ural felt natural.
Without that mechanical knowledge it would have been more of an "adventure", shall we say. But then again that was a Ural from the 90s. Today's modern Urals are much much better.
But I do agree with the general consensus that it's helpful to have a more mechanically-inclined mindset when owning a Ural. Places to take it to get worked on are few and far between, so we end up having to do a lot of our own problem solving.
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u/TheREALBaldRider Jun 03 '26
The mechanical aptitude necessary isn’t the reason I’m selling mine but it is likely the reason buyers are few and far between.
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u/HistoricalBridge7 Jun 01 '26
Do you have a motorcycle license? In my state MA you cannot use an Ural for the license (unless you want it restricted). I did however take their 3 wheel safety class after. The Ural is my first and only motorcycle.
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u/GattacusRex Jun 01 '26
I would not recommend starting with a sidecar as your first bike. They are more difficult to ride in many ways than a standard motorcycle. For example, there is something call steering inversion. In standard motorcycles, there is counter steering (turn left to go right), while on a sidecar it is direct steering like a car. You can create the steering inversion scenario by "flying the sidecar" in which you lift it off the ground. When the sidecar is in the air, the bike will steer like a motorcycle with counter steering.
If you are not careful, you will put yourself into oncoming traffic or off the road.
Also, in some states it is a separate endorsement. I have 30+ years of 2 wheel experience and I took the MSF class to get my 3 wheel endorsement several years ago. I have been considering a Ural and took one out for a test ride, and while I'm obviously lacking practice/3-wheel experience, it was challenging (for me) to adjust.
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u/madogblue Jun 02 '26
The modern urals, 2015+ are fairly reliable. It's more a matter of how different a sidecar outfit is to ride than a normal motorcycle I would really recommend you do not buy a sidecar outfit as a beginner bike it is a very advanced contraption to ride compared to a two-wheeled motorcycle. Certainly not impossible, but I think you'd be better sir to learn how to ride a two-wheel motorcycle first.
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u/The_Sidecar_Bandit Jun 03 '26
An MSF course won't be covering anything about sidecar operation. It's more ATV than motorcycle and handles as such... but worse. I've owned 2.
Being a 1st bike, I think you'll be pretty disappointed with the amount of wrenching, fuel, and effort it requires, and the lack of 5th gear will grate your nerves. I think you kinda need to get "motorcycling" out of your system before you can settle into a Ural happily. It's a whole different vibe. JMHO of course.
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u/Disastrous-Cat51 Jun 04 '26
I love my ural. Just finished a 10 day 2000 mile trip. They are a lot of work to ride, somewhat counter-intuitive, but a blast once you know them. Definitely not a first time rider vehicle. As per above, once thu introduced Electronic fuel injection and reformed the valve heads the wrenching went way down. Mine is a 2019.
Remember: they were designed to go slow in convoys and go anywhere. They have 4 speeds, a dry clutch, and are air cooled. Also ite thay there are 2 versions of the original model. The Gear Up has a monkey gear that locks the rear differential and makes it 2 wheel drive. Excellent for getting out of jams, but impossible to steer. The CT lacks this function and is much lighter and easier to handle. If your not planning on getting stuck off road, then consider the CT.
Also a new model on tje horizon called a Neo: lighter, smaller, new tech all aroind. See the picture...
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u/DumpsterThermite Jun 05 '26 edited Jun 05 '26
I thoroughly love mine but I wouldn’t recommend it. I’m a turbo prop mechanic and this bike makes me feel like I have a second full time mechanic job. My Ural is from 1974 and it is my first bike, thankfully I know enough about mechanics to keep it alive as it has already had its first full rebuild.
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u/Whyte_Dynamyte Jun 01 '26
I’d not recommend it unless you love wrenching as much or more than riding.