According to legend, at the dawn of World War II Soviets smuggled a BMW motorcycle from Sweden into the USSR, began building their own version in a brewery turned factory, and later deployed thousands of the rugged sidecar-equipped bikes in the fight against Germany. True or not, spasibo. Today’s version is a hoot. Still made in Russia, the Ural Gear Up won’t shatter any land-speed records, but the exhaust still burbles, the blitzkrieg-era design catches the eye, and the whole rig climbs rocky roads and splashes through mud better than expected. While a few of the parts are now more reliable German and Italian ones, the adventurous spirit of the original remains. Lash supplies to the rear rack, load up the roomy sidecar with your sidekick, your sweetie, or your begoggled Siberian Husky, and head for the front lines of, say, your favorite fishing hole.
Photo: Inga Hendrickson
