My 2009 URAL Gear-Up Limited Edition Sahara

[SamM]

I can tell you that I know it's more dangerous! Just giving the bike control inputs will cause handling changes. In an emergency situation, that's a real problem.

The pictures with the bag on the luggage rack were from the previous owner. I never carried a load like that. All I can say is that the handling on the Ural was odd from the onset. Everyone that I have talked with, that owns a Ural, has had the same situation happen to them, that happened to me. The gentleman that I sold my Ural to (Van), crashed through a fence and went into a field on his first ride on a Ural. He described exactly the same situation that led up to my crash.

All I can say is be careful. I may or may not have mentioned that the editor of Road Runner magazine died riding his new Ural. He crashed the same way I did. It just depends on what you hit. I hit a guardrail. He hit a truck. A few months before my accident a gentleman in Washington state also hit a truck and died. I have not become a sidecar hater or anything like that. Just be aware of what can and probably will happen. I knew the risks and assumed them, no problem. Seriously, everyone that I have talked with has described this to me. You need to watch out for off-chamber, decreasing radius right hand turns.

I didn't weigh my sidecar the day of my crash, because I had become comfortable with the handling on the Ural. It almost cost me my life. The recent changes in the Ural motorcycles, have moved the vehicles in the right direction. Disk brakes and the hydraulic steering dampner will help a lot with the handling. I like the addition of the EFI too. My days of riding are done but I hope others enjoy these bikes. My time on my Ural was some of the best days that I ever had riding, up until that last day. I will say that I would never own a pre-2014 Ural rig again. I believe the new rigs are a huge improvement.

[Barnone]

SamM,
Again I say I feel sorry for you in the crash caused by your lack of training or skill but...
You had one month's experience riding your Ural before your crash?
Did you get any formal education or spend time doing the exercises in the Yellow Book?
Sorry but sidecars are like any other machine that need training to operate.
I guess it is easier to blame the Ural than take responsibility for your crash.

Nothing more from me in this thread.

[SamM]

Yes, I did read the Yellow Book and I thought I knew more than the experts. And I had about 2 1/2 months experience not a month. Yes, big whoop. I should have weighed the sidecar. I take full responsibility for what happened to me and my crash and I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me. I don't have time for that. That doesn't change the fact that these rigs are prone to handling issues. Why would a book be required reading to explain them, if these issues didn't exist.

My decision to stop riding on the street has nothing to with the crash of the Ural, though I may have implied that it did. I also have an Implantable Cardio Defibulator. That, was the reason for the Ural purchase in the first place. Motorcycles are simply too dangerous for me, because of the defibulator. The 3-wheeled rig was my last chance at doing what I enjoy the most. My knee will get better and I could easily be back on a bike.

As for the lack of skill comment, nice by the way! lol I am a professionally trained driver. Drove the biggest trucks the US Army has on the road. I also, went to a professional truck driving school. That carries no weight when riding a sidecar equipped motorcycle but it does prepare you, more than many would understand. I've also been riding motorcycles since I was 6 years old. Again, meaningless on a sidecar rig. My arrogance about thinking that I could handle anything with wheels did not serve me well on the Ural. I did read the book and I understood the procedures and exercises. Because if my riding experience, I thought that I was ready to tackle the mountains on the Ural. I was not! The Ural showed me who was boss.

My hat is off to anyone who rides these rigs well. You are in my prayers though! Because, I know what can happen, no matter how careful you are!

Good day, Sir!

[SpudRider]

You are a class act, Sam.

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by SamM

I take full responsibility for what happened to me and my crash and I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me.

Well said. Despite whatever circumstances that lead to it, it remains an unwanted crash and I'm glad you're on the mend; it could have been even worse. I feel awful anytime someone is in a crash, but particularly one of my friends (even those whom I haven't met in the flesh).

[MICRider]

Crashing sucks, but I'm glad your healing up! Glad to see you back as well, it's been a while.

[SamM]

Thanks guys!

The fact of the matter is that when you transition onto a sidecar rig, you have to start somewhere! It's a skill that you have to develop. My plan was to ride the Ural for a longtime. My intention that day wasn't go out and try to kill myself and I certainly didn't expect to loose 8 months of my life laying around trying to recover from it. I still feel horrible for what my riding partners went through that day. Circumstances dictated that I start riding the Ural. The frame on my Jeep Wrangler had rusted almost in half and forced me into using the Ural as my DD. Honestly, I thought that I had a pretty good feel for it. That wasn't the case. Never have I said that the Ural was too dangerous to ride. People ride them everyday. They handle differently but not always how you would expect. I loved riding my Sahara and I could jump right back into, no problem. However, the doctors performed 5 surgeries on me in 3 days and I laid unconscious for all 3 of those first days in ICU. The 3rd day I was in and out. My wife Stacy has been through enough. She has been awesome! I weighed everything in the balance and decided to sell my rig. I got a big check from the insurance company and sold the Ural for a great price. It took me all of 15 minutes to sell it. I hobbled away on crutches with a lot more money than the Ural cost me.

Even after all of this, she is the one person that fully expects me to ride a motorcycle again. Because she knows what it means to me. We'll just have to wait and see what happens. I know that I will not be riding on the street with any regularity.

I'm just trying to get closure with all of this. I thought you guys deserved to hear about what happened to me. My posts are only meant to caution. We all know what can happen on the street. We assume ALL the risk, even for the actions of other drivers.

Take care and ride safe!

[SamM]

There is one more thing that I would like to add. When I purchased the Ural, I was also talking to Claude Stanley from CSM about converting my 2005 KTM Adventure into a sidecar rig. The price that he started at was in the 12k range just to get started and it would go up from there. That was a little too pricey for me. I mentioned a Ural purchased and he told me, to be very careful as they handled oddly and he suggested that it would be wiser to go with the KTM. I also looked into converting a Husqvarna TR650, as I love that bike.

It was the 2WD option on the Ural that swayed me in that direction.

[Weldangrind]

I've had a silly idea rolling around in my head for awhile now, and it would take a free State / Province to make it happen. I'm visualizing a dual sport trike, configured like a Spyder but using the front half of an ATV and the rear section of a dirt bike. In BC, I could easily create something like that with U-Bilt status, which would allow me to obtain a BC-assigned VIN. That would allow me to get insurance and registration for the street, as long as it had all of the required equipment.

I further envision it as having a rack on the front (like many ATV's) and a rack on the back (like dual sports), so it would be useful in town and on the trail. Imagine the possibilites for a rider with balance issues who still wants to ride a DS.

[katoranger]

Sounds like a plan.

[FastDoc]

I don't think that's been done!

Very interesting. It would take some Welding and Grinding but it could be done.

Legal and plated or not, you'll get some attention with that!

[Weldangrind]

I think Sam's the guy to make it happen.

[FastDoc]

There is a good review of the 2014 Ural in www.rideapart.com. The author is a guy who previously crashed a Ural, twice, with serious injury on the second crash.

Interesting perspective on the safety issues of sidecars, and the improvements made to the new Urals.

Also, the pictures (Washington Cascades) are beautiful.

[SamM]

Sam is not the guy to make that happen! Sounds like a great idea but which bikes do you start which?

I like the idea of a motorcycle tractor better. Something that I can convert from two wheels to three wheels to even four wheels. For my use, it wouldn't even need front and rear suspensions. I'm exploring this idea now. Something with hydraulic drive for forward and reverse movement. Depending on the stroke of the pump, it would go as slow as a crawl, to a max speed of 20-25mph. It could also run farm equipment, mowers, splitters, pumps and generators.

I must have this!

SamM

[katoranger]

I think it sounds like you still need that diesel engine to drive your tractor. A large enough pump mounted to the PTO should power a wheel motor and a PTO motor. Also reverse is a simple as reversing the fluid direction.

Dad is still working on his custom cub cadet. 18hp Honda twin. Hydrostatic with a loader and hydraulic steering.