Modern Vespa

I envy you your new wheels! It'll be a bugs in the teeth grin all the way home!

Harbinger, Wish I was closer to you I "volunteer" to transport it home for you! Might take a few detours along the way just to find some cow paths to test the two wheel drive for you

Harb, if you load me like ballast you can only put the first two speeds
My weight is 130 kg

My little family is together. I'll post more pics tomorrow.

Yay!

When can we go for a ride/drive/tour hybrid type thing ?

Bill x

Depends when you are on this side of the pond.

Had friends over last night. My best friend growing up in Montreal and his wife who I knew when they meet. I will take the Ural out for some parking lot practice and more learning of the beast once I shake the cobwebs out from the night before. It does handle a lot differently than a motorcycle/scooter and I do find myself fighting what should be good habits. Thankfully some of the experience and training I have does help. It's also really hard to remember you have this huge chunk of metal hanging off your right side and you are much wider.

Looks great!

Thanks! The dealer actually trailered it home. Was just the most sensible thing to do and he said it's what he HIGHLY recommends especially for experienced motorcyclists that haven't driven a hack. Too easy to get over confident on a long ride home at first and make a mistake. He's had it happen to many times with new bikes and drivers. So in a bit I will take my first real ride. Have to go pickup some ballast at the hardware store. Long weekend so traffic is light.

After about 2 hours on it yesterday with the instruction and practice it felt SO good to get on the BMW and run honey do list stuff today. Just felt "right". But the Ural was a blast and I will catch on pretty quickly I think.

You have friends ?

Bill x

I know, shocking eh?

Do you have overhang lights? Being black, the night will not be very visible ...

It's actually cascade green. There are 2 fog lights on the front, I have more lighting I plan on adding later as well.

You can see the green better in these pics.

When I looked at the first pic, my first impassion was, "He has a dumpster on the back??"

Looks great. Looking forward to following you experience over the months.

Best
Miguel

Here's mine

For lovers of Chinese motorcycles (no name):

http://www.chang-jiang.com/bmw/welcome.html

Those Urals are too clean! Need to get out and play in the mud and see how the two wheel drive works!

I'll be in Tobermory in the Northern Bruce for 10 days in a few weeks. Lots of opportunity to get it dirty there. I will also take the ferry over to Manitoulin for at least a day. Looking forward to it!

I'd appreciate knowing what the max speed and 'cruising speed' are, GPS-verified if possible. Pete Egan in his article seemed to think that 55MPH was a about the max 'cruising speed' without thrashing it.

Reason I ask, in order to get to some nice deserted 2-lane where I could 'cruise', I need to get through quite a few miles of 75MPH traffic, comprised of drivers that like to tailgate to encourage bigher speed. Never mind the 85 MPH traffic on rural Interstates.

My smaller scooter tops out at 65, so I take it only on short jaunts on the Interstate. I can count on at least one motorist riding my taillight in a 5 minute ride. So a vehicle that can't do at least 65, and preferably 70, consistently, is more dangerous than I want to ride.

Yes, from time to time I get the urge to get a Ural. Every now and then a reasonably-priced used one comes on the market locally. Be fun to load up the guns and head to the range. But not if it can't keep up.

I guess you can cross off Ural of your list then. You can also cross off Royal Enfield just in case you start to think about those.

A real beaut. Ride safe.

Kinda what I thought. Some say the Urals are faster. Was looking for a personal report.

Sounds like the 650 RE's will get up and go, though. Was kind of hoping they'd come out with a 650 Himalayan. Would check most of the boxes at a reasonably light weight and price.

The Ural is not a speed demon but the 2019 with the new engine apparently performs better. Still you're looking at a cruising speed of about 70 MPH. I have the BMW C650GT for speed and highway runs or the kitted GTV which holds it's own and then some on the freeway. The Ural is for more laid back trips and off-roading.

We need water for the cottage in a few weeks and I wanted some ballast.... Sometimes things just work out... plus the water was on sale.

Here is a thread from the Ural equivalent of MV you may find interesting.

https://www.sovietsteeds.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=54830

Flew the wheel for the first time today. That was interesting.... going uphill in a tightish right hander.

First fill up. Over $30 including the jerry can. It'll take me a while to get used to the mileage and there is no fuel gauge I can find. Just the low gas light.

See if the sensor reserves you can add a level meter tool

...also build a graduated stick to use when you're out and about, from an empty tank fill a liter (or gallon) and make a mark and go on like this until it's full.

Great idea! Thanks.