Are there any Arfcomers out there with a Russian or Chinese copy of the WWII German motorcycles with sidecar?

If so, what do you think of it?

I have a friend who has the Ural Gear-Up.

Don't know about chinese, but the Urals are BMW clones.You can get models that drive the sidecar wheels also.I rode early beemers for years, very easy to do maint. on.Look them up on google, check out the military ones.
They are not fast, but neat bikes anyway.


ETA: The above is just what i was talking about, and damn i type slow.

Go to Sovietsteeds.com for an idea of what is involved with owning one. I have a '97 Ural. It is very slow, with about a 50mph top speed. It is crude,rough,and noisy. A new one is vastly improved in every way,and quite reliable.
  Driving a bike with a sidecar is a totally different experience than normal riding-you cannot just jump on and take off-it will be some time before you get comfortable with how the machine feels.
  I know nothing about Chinese bikes, but beware of Chang Jiangs or Russian Dneprs without a valid US title-more than a few folks have run into serious problems trying to title one here-there are reputable dealers bringing in CJs from China,but you have to do some research before sending your money off for one.

Quoted: I have a friend who has the Ural Gear-Up. www.vaq34.com/junk/FYYFF_Ride_to_the_Darrington_firetower_Cob_FYYFF_002.jpg

I teach the MSf Basic Rider Course.  A fellow coach and friend buys a new bike every year.  He's owned everything, including the Ural.  In 65 years of 'bike ownership (starting with a Whizzer) he's concluded the only bad bike he ever owned was the  Ural.

You'd figure that after 60 years of making the same bike (copy of a WWII BMW) the russians would have teh bugs ironed out.  There is no cure for shoddy workmanship however.

A local guy here has a civilian model, his riding partner is a 130 lb. Belgian Shephard.

You can always count on the Arfcom Hive mind!

For those of you with experience with them, how do they do offroad?

Another big question is reliability....

Yeah, I heard they are slow....and I know the Russian bikes have a reputation for
shoddy workmanship, didn't know if the Chinese bikes were any better or not.

thanks for the info and please keep it coming.

Just thinking out loud here, but iirc they use the Russian and Chinese copies of the BMW for WW2 reenacting. You might want to do a little searching in that vein.

Good idea, thanks.....

I know they handle a lot different than a normal bike, but how would you describe it?

Quoted: Good idea, thanks..... I know they handle a lot different than a normal bike, but how would you describe it?

Like a really off balance tricycle. They "crab" down the road.You have to countersteer them.



ETA: I like to lean around corners, thats why i ride two wheelers.My one and only short ride with a hack convinced me that they are not for me.Damned near turned it over when i came back to park it.

thanks, appreciate the info...

have been thinking about getting one of these for a long time, with the powered side wheel.

Just something to pound around in, use on my 600 yard range and play with off road.

What says the hive mind, good idea or bad idea?

I think a two wheel drive model will go anywhere the trail is wide enough to fit.You're not talking about alot of weight.

We have 6 trikes in our unit:  CJ750, M72, Dneprs



We use them for reenactments along with our Panzer IIIJ, two half tracks and assorted other implements of destruction. Some have them for street use also.  Mine is in the process of conversion/restoration.  Kampfgruppe von Rybus


Useful Sites:
Unofficial Dnepr Bible
Russian Iron Forums
Dnepr Heads
The Chang Jiang Experience

Of the different models you have in your unit, which do you think are the best buy and most trouble free?

How do the Chinese models run?

Thanks for the info!

Those look pretty cool.

My buddy's had a Ural for about a year.  No problems with it.

I have done alot of reading on the chinese bikes, and the word is dont own this bike unless you like to tinker.

One of my brothers has a Ural with sidecar, in camo paint, on order. It should be arriving very soon.

My friend just finished an around the country ride on a stock Ural Gear-Up.

He had some problems, in my opinion none were deal-breakers.

Here's his ride report: www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=354338

How much does one of those Urals run for?

I have a Harley with a sidecar for my dawg. Fortunately, I have another bike to ride. I've owned this almost 8 years and put 30,000 miles on it, so I consider myself experienced.

My advice: do not buy a sidecar rig because it looks cool. That will wear off very quickly. Riding a sidecar rig is much different than a 2 wheel bike, not near as much fun, and a lot of work. You can't lose your concentration. You are working the whole time.

If it is for off-road use give consideration to an ATV. If it is for on road use and you need the third wheel I'd recommend a trike (Lehman's are nice, but expensive).

I keep mine for the dawg...hell I even bought him a Jeep because my wife didn't want him in her car and I didn't want him in my truck (sheds real bad).

Quoted: Of the different models you have in your unit, which do you think are the best buy and most trouble free? How do the Chinese models run? Thanks for the info!

Depends on what you want it for.  

New model Ural OHV for street use/off road.  Beware the 2WD, should use only off road, makes turns more interesting to say the least.

CJ750 12V for street/battle use.   Looks close to WWII, but has stronger OHV and electric start.

M72, or Dnepr for battle/street.  Russian parts are more robust than Chinese.

CJ750 6V SV

All of these you must be prepared to turn wrenches/tinker, etc.

My 1963 Dnepr K750 wants to be a Harley, its already learning to drip oil in prep for being a US-registered bike.  

I've seen tons of them in Cuba(3 trips). Very practical there where everybody rides/drives slow. The big problem as I understand it, is the cranks fail if you ride at any kind of prolonged speed. Not that they're very fast anyway. I'm talking prolonged 65 mph. And yes, I went to Cuba legally. Very cool/weird place.

I have a Ural Gear Up with the 07 engine upgrades.

How reliable they are is based on what year/components you get.

The newer ones are much different than the old. I wouldnt get anything older than an 05, but the newer the better.

I did not have any expectations of reliability but I knew I could get rid of it for about the price I paid if I did not like it. I could not afford the WWII bike I really wanted... and the WWII bike would not be practical since parts would be hard to replace and the Ural is still in production and parts are available.. I do not baby it and it has held up without any problems for 1 year so far. I have only put maybe 2000 km on it, but it is holding up better than I thought, so I am satisfied.

the 2 wheel drive works great in the snow and mud. Its fun to drive around but not well suited for a lot of city and highway (although it does work fine there its just not fast), great for rural areas. top speed is around 62mph it can do more when its not too steep or windy but the idea is to not overwork it. its old and simple and that is whats good about it. carry tools and some spare parts and you will never be stuck anywhere I guess. I have never had to replace anything other than a flat (it has a spare) and some fuel filters.

check here for a lot of good info russianiron.com/ a lot of people are a bit too into the russian aspect but there is some good info none the less.

The price is going up on them I think around 13k now. but then again the dollar is pretty weak.

I am hoping to take it deer hunting and see how that works out.

I do get my german shepherd to ride in it a little, he is still getting used to it.

The difference is with a sidecar you DRIVE with just a motorcycle you RIDE.

Just slow down and lean when turning right.