As North America takes over Australian distribution of Ural sidecars, the former boss heads north to Alaska, Canada and the Pacific Northwest to test the rugged vehicle.
Ural Australia GM Clare Mailler assures customers that it’s business as usual as the North America distributor, Irbit MotorWorks of America (IMWA), takes over distribution.
She says they will remain the “front line for the local market”, she will continue as general manager and the current dealer network remains in place.
Meanwhile, recently retired Ural Australia boss Jon Taylor has set off with his wife, Vicki, for North America on a 7000km test ride to prove the sturdiness of the Russian-made sidecars.
They flew with friends to Anchorage, Alaska, to pick up two 2016 Ural cT sidecar motorcycles from local dealer, Alaska Power Sports.
No fancy 2WD, no spare wheel, no camping gear and just some basic tools were all that was required for this adventure.
Here is a press release from Ural Australia on the trip:
The latest Ural models have benefitted enormously from the factory’s recent innovations which include the EFI system and disc braking all round. The factory has introduced rigorous quality control through 2015 and the result is evident in the reliability and preparedness of the 2016 bikes.
Each Ural was equipped with a 10 litre fuel can, enabling a 340km range and a spare tyre to handle the rough Alaskan roads. They fitted “g’day mate” stickers on the nose cone and an “Aus” sticker with flag on the rear. Jon utilised the sidecar trunk to carry his go-to tools and fitted Barkbuster Blizzard hand guards and a plastic top box bought in Bunnings.
After loading up the bikes with their gear, they hit the road to explore the landscapes of North America.
The greatest advantage was the “Ural Delay Factor” (UDF). Jon and Vicki’s Urals proved to be amazingly successful in grabbing attention from admirers and interested fellow travelers. The immediate bonus being a constant source of local knowledge and stories from fellow travelers they met on the road, some great characters from all over the world who were informative and entertaining. This was a constant highlight of their travels.
Portland, Oregon was their final destination. Jon’s friend, Rob, sold his beloved cT to the dealer at Ural Portland and Jon sold his privately a couple of weeks later. They had more than 7500km up, both were running well, nicely run in and just purring, having suffered no damage from their five weeks of travel. The new cT models had proved to be a good choice for this ride.
Demand for Urals continues to grow with riders looking for a capable motorcycle at home both on-road and off. With room for camping gear, multiple passengers, and unparalleled stability, the cT, Tourist and Ranger models have shown increased demand since their introduction.
