The feeling of excitement and apprehension is almost too much to handle.
I've read everything there is to read on how to ride one of these contraptions, but to be honest I really have no idea how I am going to get on.
From what I can make out you either love it or hate it! Fingers crossed!
No problems with the trains or connections and arrived after a short journey in a taxi to find the Ural all ready to go.
I must say, David is an absolute star, taking his time to talk me through everything, a proper hand over.
With the paper work completed, I had a quick lesson up and down the track, but to be honest, nothing prepares you for what it is really like to ride a Ural for the first time on the open road!
To give you an idea, forget completely everything you know about riding a motorcycle!
Then you have to remember that the bike pulls to the left or to the right depending on whether you are accelerating or slowing down.
Then there is the camber of the road that pulls you either left or right, then a bend which you have to physically steer through then you begin to have an idea of what it is actually like.
It is also sluggish, if your looking for speed out of the big 750cc boxer engine then forget it, you have just bought the wrong bike!
I left David's and at my 2nd corner put myself in to the path of oncoming traffic!
For the first 20 odd miles I wondered how I could of been so stupid as to think that buying a Ural sidecar was a good idea!
But by the time I was home (200 miles later) I could not stop grinning, and I haven't since!
It is a head turning, mental beast to ride, being so much fun that even when it is chucking it down with rain you still want to ride it!
Kiera, loves being in it and I feel much better with her in the chair than sat behind me on the Varadero. The only thing she is not keen on is the official names for someone in the side car. Being referred to as either "ballast" or the "monkey" is not to her liking at all!
The off we had before our honeymoon departure really messed me up I'm afraid. This is the perfect set up for us!
We even go to Tesco in it!
The journey continues..............................
Welcome to the world of sidecars. You will absolutely love it. We now have two. A 2002 BMW GS1150 Adventure and a 1955 BMWR50. Both have a Ural Chair attached. We have done lots of touring with them. The chair is really comfy, even though it doesn't look plush and the storage is a great bonus. We too had an off, in outback New South Wales, which cured me of dirt on the solo. However, with the sidecars, we can go pretty much anywhere. Being a bit slower is just a frame of mind. It is a much more relaxing way to tour. We even took the old outfit to the UK in 2011 and toured around there for eight weeks, maximum speed 53mph. Enjoy.
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