There are few things quite as fun to look at as a motorcycle sidecar. On a recent fishing trip we were privileged to meet a couple with a Ural Motorcycle, sidecar and all! It was a bike that looked like it was ready for adventure. It got us to thinking about motorcycle sidecars…
A Brief History
It’s a little difficult to pinpoint an exact date in time, but they seemed to have come into an existence of sorts in the late 1800’s. Soon they were being used by soldiers in WWI and WWII. Not long after they became a part of pop culture appearing in everything from Indiana Jones to the Andy Griffith Show to Wallace and Gromit. For most of us our exposure to sidecars comes from film and television. Very few of us have even ridden in one.
The Ural Motorcycle
Since we got to see this motorcycle in person, we wanted to learn a little more about it. When we said that the bike we saw looked like it was ready for adventure we were right. Just looking at their website it shows people doing all kinds of rugged things. You can check out their website here: www.imz-ural.com
A Russian-manufactured bike, the Ural motorcycle dates back to WWII when Russia wanted a decent motorcycle for the war effort. Today, they are headquartered in Washington state, while the motorcycles are still manufactured in Russia. One thing is for sure, they do catch people’s attention. Check out our facebook page for more pictures of this awesome looking motorcycle.
Riding One
While we have not yet ridden a bike with a sidecar from what we can tell there is definitely a trick to it, even if you are a seasoned rider. So if you are ever tempted to own a sidecar be sure and do your homework as to how to ride safely with one. It might be best to see if there are any courses offered in your area so that you can try it out before you purchase one. One video we watched stressed practice, practice, practice. And of course always keep in mind the person in the sidecar. You want them to enjoy their ride too.
Happy Riding!
The Throttle Rocker Team
