Keep On Going

On February 24th, 2022, an unimaginable tragedy unraveled for the whole World.

While we’ve felt totally and utterly powerless to stop the rockets, to stop the insanity, we promised to do the one thing that we could: to keep Ural alive, to protect our employees and to be there for our customers, against all odds.

Today, a year later, we can say - we did it.

The team at Ural works relentlessly around the clock to keep production rolling. Every single bike coming from our new home in Kazakhstan is not only the best quality machine we at Ural have put out since we took over the brand a little over twenty years ago, but also a token of our fierce commitment to life.

To all our customers around the world who support and believe in us, we are eternally grateful. Ride safe and share your light!

Here’s to Life!

Clare, Mat and The Team at Ural

2023 Upcoming Product Changes

2023 model updates are now posted on our Yearly Model Changes page in Support section.

Watch the detailed overview with thoughtful and informative insights that you have come to expect from David’s videos on our YouTube channel. Please remember to subscribe! :)

Stay tuned for more updates on 2023’s availability and customisation options coming soon.

Clare, Mat and The Team at Ural

2022 Ural Adventure Ride

Our 2022 Ural Adventure Ride was a three-day ride held the weekend of 16th to 18th September.

Friday morning saw an eager group of riders, their passengers and smiling faces gather at Ural Australia headquarters, ready for the first day’s ride. 

With steady rain all the previous day and night, there was some concern for what the day had instore for us.  With a minor alteration at the beginning of the route to avoid flooded roads, everyone left keen for what lay ahead!

The weather soon improved with plenty of sunshine as the group took to the back roads to enjoy the first day’s adventure.

A pleasant picnic lunch in an old school yard where even a little lamb wanted to join in the fun.

Winding along roads now turned dusty with a few water crossings to be had, then onto Glen Innes for the first night’s stay.

Saturday morning saw a sunny start to the day as our enthusiastic riders again took to the back roads out of Glen Innes to enjoy more spectacular scenery with plenty of opportunity for regular stops.

A relaxing lunch by cool, running rivers, then later winding over mountain ranges to enjoy spectacular views from a couple of lookouts.

Bellingen was the destination for our second night’s stay with a few venturing back up the mountain to Dorrigo due to the limited accommodation available.  We gathered for dinner to share stories with much laughter as we celebrated another great day’s ride.

Dorrigo was the starting point Sunday morning for the final day, another sunny day as we headed west, enjoying the many twists and turns of the mountain back roads, a morning tea stop at Ebor Falls before continuing on.  More sealed roads with a mixture of dirt and of course more creek crossings, a great way to end the ride.

A huge thanks to our ride organiser, Greg Jansen of Rocky Creek Designs, for organising another great weekend of Ural riding spent with friends reunited, new friends made, a great bunch of people, great riding and, as always, wonderful comradery shared as we rode together!

We can’t wait for the next one!

Greg’s videos of the ride can be seen on You Tube: 

Day 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8-ZoG2MTp8

Day 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkA64GTne0I

Day 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG5KQWlIfyQ

First Shipment Of Urals Rolled Off The New Factory Floor In Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan

This update has been a long time coming, we have begun producing and shipping Urals after the five months halt.

The first shipment of motorcycles from our new location in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan left the factory August 5th!

Our team is working round the clock to keep things moving and meet August production schedule with shipments going to US, Japan, Australia and Europe. It is good to be back to building bikes! :)

Logistics are all new, we will have a better track record on timing of deliveries once these shipments reach key route points and final destinations.

We are humbled and grateful to the Ural community around the world for believing in us. Every word of support counts and fuels our team to keep on going. We are excited and determined to move forward, more than ever. Thank you!

Please follow us on our social channels for more frequent updates. If you are new to Ural, check out other stories on our Blog to learn more about our story. More updates coming soon, please stand by!

Ride safe and be well!

Clare, Mat and The Team at Ural

July 23, 2022: First Ural Assembled In Kazakhstan

We did it again! First Ural was assembled at the new location in Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan on July 23, 2022.

It’s a true milestone. We are humbled and grateful to the Ural community around the world for believing in us. Every word of support counts and fuels our team to keep on going. We are excited and determined to move forward, more than ever.

Thank you!

The Team at Ural

July 22, 2022: Setting Up Assembly Stations, Parts Shelves, More Component Arrivals

It’s been a busy week in Petropavlovsk with set up, more deliveries of parts and components, couple hiccups at the customs but overall good round the clock work week. Our guys are putting in the sweat, the hours and a little bit of crazy - crazy dedication.

Assembly of the first bikes is about to start. Stand by for updates!

July 19, 2022: New Set Up in Kazakhstan - Almost Ready To Go

Latest Operations Update here:

The process of setting up our new assembly facility is very near completion (!) We are now in the last phase of the set up: bringing in the necessary pieces of assembly equipment and filling warehouse shelves with parts and components.

We’re moving some old (refurbished) assembly fixtures from Irbit, however most of the equipment, hand tools, work benches, test stands, compressors, quality control “tunnel” and other pieces are brand new.

The trial shipment of spare parts has successfully made its way from Kazakhstan to IMWA in Redmond. Factory is now putting together two large air shipments to fulfill backorders and warranties, and also gearing up to restore “normal” way of supplying parts to our distributors with the shipments of bikes.

We received the first two shipments of production parts from our Asian suppliers in Petropavlovsk last week. There are more production parts on their way to Kazakhstan from other Asian suppliers, as well as from Europe. We’re very close to completely restoring all incoming logistics.

Most importantly: the first truck with motorcycle assembly sets has arrived at IMZ-Kazakhstan from Irbit. We’re expecting the second shipment from Irbit to arrive in Kazakhstan next week. The team of workers from Irbit is going to Petropavlovsk to assist with the assembly of the first shipments of bikes in the next few days.

If everything goes well, we expect the first shipment of bikes from our new assembly shop to depart around July 25th. It will be heading to the US with ETA sometime early to mid-September. Following production orders are booked for Japan, Australia and Europe.

Wish us luck and follow us on social media channels for updates.

We thank you for being there for us, stay tuned for more developments!

Ride safe and be well!

Clare, Mat and The Team at Ural

Field Notes with Ilya Khait 8.6.2022

David George and Ilya Khait talk about the latest developments at Ural, the nuts and bolts of the move to Kazakhstan and the status of production.

Watch here:

Field Notes with Ilya Khait 18.4.22

David George sat down with Ilya to discuss the latest, including the moving of the assembly to a new home. Watch full conversation here:

Ural HQ Update, April 1st

Dear Friends,

We are incredibly grateful for the support we've received over the course of these past few weeks. Coming from the Ural community it wouldn't have been any other way. Ural is a small and fiercely independent company building sidecar motorcycles in Siberia. Yet, our challenges are nothing in comparison to the devastation and human suffering caused by the war in Ukraine. It's hard to find the words in this unfathomable reality; our hearts bleed for the victims and all we can repeat again and again is that this war must stop now.

As a business with responsibility to our customers, we want to make sure we keep you in the loop. Ural has been working on adjusting operations to the new reality and we'd like to give you an update on the latest.

1. As you may be aware, the assembly of new motorcycles at our factory in Irbit has been suspended. The situation with logistics in and out of Russia is currently very difficult and hasn't improved. Ural is still not able to import components to the factory.

2. A majority of suppliers are holding our parts orders patiently until we figure out when and how we can restart the assembly. Some suppliers, however, are pulling back from shipment of components to the factory which, among other things, amplifies the need for moving the final assembly outside of Russia.

3. Given this, we currently estimate there could be a 6-12 month gap in supply of new motorcycles to Australia and New Zealand, keeping in mind the already lengthy delays in shipping to Australia. As far as supply of parts made at the factory, Ural is cautiously optimistic about the ability to organise export logistics within a month. Our parts managers have been building up stock levels for a while in response to supply chain issues, it is now coming in handy.

4. Ural will start adjusting and correcting the production plan for the remainder of the year and into 2023 in the first week of April. With the mention of new tariffs affecting the import of Urals into Australia, we are certainly working hard to avoid any potential impact this may have. If you have any questions regarding your current order or are interested in placing an order, please contact your dealer or us here at Ural Australia directly for more information.

We pray for peace and thank you for your support.

Be safe and stand by!

Clare, Mat and The Team at Ural

2021 Ural Adventure Ride

Our 2021 Ural Adventure Ride was a three day ride this year and held the weekend of 22-24th October.

With lockdowns and state borders closed preventing many from attending, we had 13 outfits from across regional NSW come along for a great weekend of riding fun and adventures!

Friday morning saw a group of eager participants and smiling faces gather at Ural Australia headquarters, ready for the first day’s ride. 

We had Tom Foster, editor Adventure Rider Magazine, join us again for the ride as he took the opportunity to join in with a great bunch of Ural owners while he photographed our adventure and test rode the new Harley. Keep an eye out for Issue 50 with the full story and photos of the ride.

What began with cloudy skies, turned into a warm, sunny day as the group took to the dusty back roads to wind their way over mountains, through forests enjoying a roadside picnic lunch by running streams, then on into Nundle for the first night’s stay.

Saturday morning we again took to the back roads out of Nundle to enjoy more spectacular scenery with plenty of opportunities for regular stops and catch ups on the side of the ride.

A warmer day today, many enjoyed the splashing opportunities presented with a few creek crossings encountered along the way!

Midafternoon saw us arrive into Gloucester for our second night’s stay.  Plenty of time to have showers, rest, relax and enjoy a cool drink with more opportunity for socialising.

With an overnight storm blowing through, it was a damp start to the morning riding beautiful winding roads, dodging the occasional limbs from trees and quite a few pot holes along the way.  Another picnic lunch stop beside a creek enjoying the shade from the warm midday sun.

An afternoon stop at Nowendoc where a few departed and went their separate ways as we enjoyed the ride back into Uralla.

Once again a huge thanks to our ride organiser, Greg Jansen (and wife Janice) of Rocky Creek Designs, for organising another great weekend of Ural riding spent with friends reunited, a great bunch of people, good roads and wonderful comradery formed as we rode together!

Greg’s videos of the ride can be seen on You Tube:  Ural Adventure Ride 2021 - YouTube

Photos: Tom Foster - Adventure Rider Magazine, Greg Jansen - Rocky Creek Designs

2022 Product Changes Insights

People often say Ural never changes, it looks exactly like my grandpa’s, which is true, sort of….

The look is almost just that, until you delve into the details. In this video, David George, as you have come to expect of him, gives you an insight into the changes, the reasons behind the changes and even some of the thinking and decision processes that let to 2022 as we have it now.

PS: About keeping “the look”……we meant it this way. Square lights forever! (jk)

First shipments of 2022 models are expected to arrive in November for us here in Australia with more due to arrive early 2022. Please contact us or your local dealer to place your order.

Ural 2020 Queensland Adventure Riders Weekend

COVID-19 and its restrictions has impacted us all in many ways this year and with state border closures in place at the time, no interstate riders were able to join us for our annual Ural Adventure Ride.  However, a group of very keen Queensland riders came down once the state border had re-opened and did the ride two weeks later!

Saturday morning was clear and sunny as a number of Ural riders assembled at Ural HQ with their passengers and gear, loaded up and ready for a weekend riding the backroads down to Wingham via Nowendoc for their overnight stay.

The roads were drier this time so a little dusty but this didn’t deter the group of cheerful riders who left in good spirits, ready to enjoy the weekend ride. 

Our new ride organiser, Greg Jansen of Rocky Creek Designs, had planned some excellent roads for riding and was happy to share his maps with the group. They all worked together to be sure no one was left behind…or lost!

The group found their way along the winding roads through beautiful green, picturesque countryside before arriving at their overnight stop in Wingham.

Sunday morning saw them wind their way back up the mountain via Ellenborough Falls at Elands for their morning tea stop.

Their visit to Blue Knob Lookout this time was on a clear day so all enjoyed the spectacular view.

Stockyard Creek Reserve near Gingers Creek was their lunch stop, another opportunity to regroup and enjoy more time together.

The ride back up to Uralla included a detour onto the road they left on where everyone was keen to experience more dirt riding before they all arrived safely back in Uralla.  Dinner that night was at the Top Pub and was the perfect end to a great weekend of sidecar riding, seeing old friends regroup and new friendships formed.

Thanks to riders Rita and Ross for sharing their photos and Ross for putting together this YouTube video.

Follow their journey here:

LH 2WD Explained

Just recently, Ural released a new model, the Ural Gear Up 2WD left hand model with on demand engageable sidecar driveshaft to the Australian market. This is the world’s first and only production of a 2wd system for LH sidecars.

The Ural factory took the very first production bike to Dyatlov Pass where it was rigorously tested in most hostile and varied off road conditions. The 2WD system passed the test with flying colors, a proven solid success.

Decades long discrimination of the left handed markets is finally brought to an end!

Following the release, there has been much interest in how the system was developed and what the design is all about.

By popular demand we are publishing the schematics to quench your gearhead thirst.

All ingenious is simple...but don't try it at home.

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We are really proud that Australia was chosen to be the first country this model is released and available in. IMZ-URAL is now ready to release this new LH Gear Up into other overseas markets similar to ours that drive on the left. New distributor recently came on board in Ireland. Serious sights are set on UK market particularly. Dealer inquiries are welcome here.

Times are Changing...

2020 has been a whirlwind of a year.
Keeping the wheels in motion through times of uncertainty and stillness.
We've been busier than ever and entered a whole new level of existence.
Navigating new ways of learning and accepting the unknown.

What better way to honour the moment with a campout in country NSW with a couple of Urals kitted up ready for a weekend of Adventure...

Twenty Years Later: Conversation with Ilya Khait

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our extended family in the US and happy upcoming holiday season to everyone around the world!

It’s the 20th anniversary of taking on the challenge to revive the iconic motorcycle and the factory based in the foothills of Ural Mountains where our bikes continue to be built since 1941.

Ilya Khait, President and CEO of IMZ-URAL reveals the untold story of how he became involved with Ural, the several near-death moments the company faced over the years and offers some insight about what drives the brand and its people forward.

Special thanks to David George, for several near-death moments he faced producing these videos. We'll just say producing video interviews with your boss as the interviewee is challenging work!

Here's the first installment of the four-part interview. Parts II, III and IV will be released on our YouTube channel this holiday weekend, November 27-29, 06:00 am PST.

You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here: Ural Motorcycles YouTube Channel

We are thankful for you. Stay healthy!


The Team at Ural

2020 Ural Adventure Ride

Our annual Ural Adventure Ride began a little differently this year!  We had quite a few Ural motorbikes with sidecars descend on Uralla to visit Ural Australia headquarters for the launch of our new model, the legendary 2WD Gear Up, to coincide with the commencement of our annual Ural Adventure Ride weekend.

With many keen to see the much-anticipated release of the new model, it was the perfect start to a great week of Ural riding and comradery!

Saturday morning saw a large number of Ural riders assemble at Ural HQ with their passengers and gear, loaded up and ready for a weekend riding the backroads down to Wingham via Nowendoc for our overnight stay.

Our new ride organiser, Greg Jansen of Rocky Creek Designs, planned some excellent roads for riding and the rain that had fallen overnight and early morning didn’t dampen the spirits of the riders.  With many potholes to dodge, there certainly wasn’t a problem with dust!

We travelled along winding roads through beautiful valleys and picturesque countryside before arriving at our overnight stop in Wingham.

Sunday morning saw the group wind our way back up the mountain via Ellenborough Falls at Elands for our morning tea stop where the local kiosk had freshly baked scones and great coffee for everyone to enjoy, although with the carrying capacity of the sidecar outfit, some were well prepared to make their own!

Soon the showers and fog set in so our stop at Blue Knob Lookout to enjoy the view was very limited as riders and passengers gathered around for a quick chat, and could only guess at how spectacular the view would be on a clear day.

On we travelled as the rain became heavier, the roads became a little more slippery, but this only added to the enjoyment of riders as many claimed this was one of the best rides and most fun they’ve ever done on their Ural!

Stockyard Creek Reserve near Gingers Creek was where we stopped for lunch as the rain tumbled down some more.

It was sealed roads for the rest of the ride back up to Uralla and very soon the sun was shining as the afternoon grew on, warming everyone with the perfect end to a great weekend of sidecar riding, seeing old friends regroup and new friendships formed.

Due to COVID restrictions at the time, no interstate riders were able to join us this year.  However, a group of very keen Queensland riders came down to do the ride two weeks later, once the state border had re-opened.  The roads were drier this time so a little dusty but all thoroughly enjoyed the ride!

Read Greg’s Adventure Ride Blog here: Rocky Creek Designs - 2020 Ural Adventure Ride

Gear Up 2WD Launch at Ural Australia

On Friday afternoon 23rd October 2020, quite a few Ural motorbikes with sidecars descended on the small country town of Uralla NSW to visit Ural Australia headquarters for the launch of a new model, to coincide with the commencement of our annual Ural Adventure Ride weekend.

Ural owners travelled from right across NSW to attend the launch.

URAL was very excited to unveil the NEW Ural Gear Up 2WD left hand model. The legendary Gear Up model equipped with engageable sidecar drive, however, has previously only been available in countries which drive on the right side of the road. Until now - some things are worth waiting for!

The ever popular 2WD Ural Gear Up was previously only available in countries which drive on the right side of the road. Ural has been finally able to engineer and produce the left hand version of this model.

Gear Up 2WD Launch at Ural Australia Visit https://www.imz-ural.com.au for more information.

We’re extremely proud that Ural has chosen Australia to be the first country this model is released and available in. 

If you find a loose or slippery surface while crossing a river, climbing a bank, descending a steep downhill or just crossing a wet boggy patch, with the simple flip of the 2WD lever you are on your way.  Ural Gear Up 2WD is great for off-road adventures, turning country roads and bush tracks into your personal playground.

The legendary Ural Gear Up 2WD left hand model - now available in Australia!

Something New is On the Horizon...

Will mud stick??

July News - Tech Tip Videos, How To Guides

Welcome to this month's update! We’re now over half way through this strange roller-coaster of a year. Like most of you we’re navigating it with caution and perseverance. Our team, partners and colleagues across the globe are continuing to stay healthy and well. We wish you all the same!

We've added a new page in Support section of our website. "How To Guides" are the technical instructions you can view and print out anytime. These were created as tech support materials for our dealers, some of these we’re now sharing with you. This page will be growing as there is plenty of knowledge available, please check in often to see what's been added. 

David George continues creating video tutorials. They are packed with unique tidbits such as Ural changes over the years, behind the scenes stories and insights, unexpected ways to utilise existing tools and parts of the bike itself; not to mention David's ability to keep it simple and easy to understand. We love them and we love sharing them with you!

Ride Safe,

Clare and Mat at Ural Australia HQ

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More Tech Tips

We continue our technical video tutorials provided to us by David at Ural HQ. Subscribe to their YouTube Channel!

No 6 - Parking & Sidecar Brake Adjustments

No 7 - Tyre Change For Rear Wheel Using Ural Tool Kit

No 8 - Tyre Change Using Spare/Sidecar Position