2018 Ural Ranger sidecar review

Bikesales has ridden plenty of three-wheeled machinery over the last decade – trikes, Can-Am Spyders and even leaning multi-wheelers like the Yamaha Niken – except for one missing piece of the puzzle: a sidecar.

And when the conversation turns to sidecars, one marque tends to dominate the discourse: Ural. The Russian company has been producing sidecars for nearly 80 years, powered by a four-valve flat twin engine that’s only enjoyed piecemeal updates over the journey – one of them fuel injection. That enduring design, in a strange kind of way, is a huge part of the Ural charm.

Of course, we wanted to find out the real deal for ourselves, and the recent Moto Expo Melbourne provided the perfect opportunity to grab a Ural – we literally rode one off the stand on Monday morning!

We grabbed the Ranger, which is one of three models in the local Ural line-up, joined by the CT and M70. The Ranger is billed as the real adventure side of the Ural equation and, as well as a huge boot, also comes standard with a luggage rack, spare sidecar wheel, twin LED driving lights, a shovel and jerry can.

URAL RANGE IN BIKE SHOWROOM

As I rode out of the Melbourne Showgrounds, though, my immediate concerns weren’t about the Ranger’s spec levels, but getting a feel for this sidecar caper.

My only previous experience in a sidecar was as a passenger alongside my mischievous brother-in-law about 25 years ago.

The name Rob ‘Mr Superbike’ Phillis may resonate with some Bikesales readers, and by sheer fluke I managed to survive some absurdly dangerous water- and land-borne ‘activities’ with him during my formative years.

However, that day he maintained full sidecar decorum, and I enjoyed every minute of it! But that meant for little in 2018, and it only took a few seconds to realise that riding a sidecar is not only a fun and feel-good way of getting about – especially in a machine with as much character as the Ranger – but the experience is unlike anything else.

Forget countersteering and tipping into corners; a sidecar requires good ol' fashioned upper body strength to muscle the rig through the bends. And that effort increases as the weight of the passenger heads north, especially going around left-handers.

Although the Ranger has a steering damper, the biggest hurdle for me initially was just getting used to the bike’s twitchiness, even when tracking in a straight line. But much like riding a motorcycle, if you let your upper body relax it makes for a much more pleasant experience.

And another constant refrain in my head was telling myself to keep the Ranger on the right-hand side of the lane, as if you stray too far left the passenger could get very nervous.

The attached images feature my esteemed colleague Rod Chapman in the chair – and no, I don’t think he’s shitting himself despite the look on his face… -- and the difference in cornering with him compared to my 11-year-old son was stark. However, it’s all about adjusting your body language and muscle inputs to get the job done.

It was very much about seat-of-the-pants tuition in indirect steering for us, but that laisse-faire approach is not for everyone. If you’re keen to try a Ural out for yourself, contact your local dealer and have a chat.

Even better, if you live close to Ural Australia headquarters at Uralla in the Northern Tablelands of NSW, the company has started running some demonstration and test ride days. To enquire about upcoming dates, click here.

Rod and I were certainly kept busy taking family and friends on Ranger joy rides, and it’s amazing how mechanical sympathy quickly became a very tangible thing on a machine like that. It’s like riding a classic motorcycle: keeping everything smooth is the key, and there’s simply nothing to be gained from pushing the engine, suspension and brakes. Braking, in particular, requires a bit of forethought.

The four-speed gearbox has straight cut gears and requires a decent shove of your left foot to swap cogs, and there's also a reverse gear – vital when manoeuvring the outfit when parking. I did miss a few gears, particularly between first and second, but Rod didn’t miss one cog. He’s the tough man of the relationship, obviously.

The 743cc engine produces peaks of 41hp and 56Nm, and when you consider the Ranger weighs 364kg (dry) and is rated for a whopping payload of 672kg, you can understand what I was saying about not asking too much of it.

Still, there’s ample torque on offer over a decent band, and on the open road it will cruise along at 100 or even 110km/h, although the engine feels happier at around 90. At those sort of speeds, as well as some city running, we achieved an average fuel economy of 6.4lt/100km, giving an effective safe range of around 270km from the 19-litre tank – a bit more with the jerry can thrown in.

Head winds can play havoc with the Ranger, though, and on one trip down the Calder Freeway I couldn’t get above 80km/h.  However, it was a more than a hefty payload with my 16-year-old son riding pillion and the 11-year-old in the chair.

If you want more zest from your Ranger, then Ural may have the solution: a new electric model that will go on sale in Australia in 2019.

Powered by an electric drivetrain from Zero, it’s said to be good for a top speed of 145km/h. It boasts almost 20hp more than the petrol Ranger, and over 50 more newton metres of torque.

The flat saddle on the Ranger offers reasonable comfort for the rider, but legroom isn't excessive – on longer rides it's the passenger in the chair that gets the far better deal. Even lanky souls can stretch out in the chair, and the quality canvas cover serves as something of a protective blanket in bad weather.

We loved the massive and lockable boot at the rear, although it’d be nice if you could open it with one hand – the locking mechanism won’t allow that.

Concessions to modernity on the Ranger include the aforementioned fuel injection, LCD instrument panel and electric start – but a kick-start remains in case things go awry.

It’s been a hectic year at Bikesales HQ, but the Ural Ranger helped to ease us into the festive season! It was a hoot to ride, way more than we expected, and the satisfaction of getting a corner just right was immense. And we were just starting to get a real knack for lifting the chair in the air when we returned it. Maybe we can perfect that technique in the electric version…

Sidecars are definitely a niche pursuit these days, and with an asking price of $24,970 plus on-roads for the Ranger, that doesn't look set to change anytime soon.

However, if you like to enjoy your wind-in-the-face adventures with one or even two mates, or your prefer to carry a bit of gear, the Ural Ranger is a thoroughly proven, rugged and sorted design, in a package that delivers smiles by the mile.

ENGINE
Type: Air-cooled, four-stoke Boxer twin
Capacity: 749cc
Bore and stroke: 78mm x 78mm
Engine management: Electronic fuel injection

PERFORMANCE
Claimed maximum power: 41hp (30.6kW) at 5600rpm
Claimed maximum torque: 56Nm at 4000rpm

TRANSMISSION
Type: Four-speed plus reverse
Final drive: Shaft
Clutch: Dry

CHASSIS AND RUNNING GEAR
Frame: Double loop steel tube
Front suspension: Leading link forks with gas shocks
Rear suspension: Double sided swinging arm with gas shock absorbers
Sidecar suspension: Single sided swinging arm with gas shock absorbers
Front brake: 300mm discs with radial mounted four-piston calipers
Rear brake: 240mm disc with twin-piston caliper
Wheels: Cross-spoked wheels plus one reserve wheel, 2.5 x 19
Tyres: 4.0 x 19

DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES
Claimed dry weight: 363kg
Permitted total weight: 672kg
Seat height: 790mm
Wheelbase: 1475mm
Fuel capacity: 19 litres

OTHER STUFF
Price: $24,970 plus on-road costs
Colours: slate grey, OD green and Burgundy satin standard; custom colours (10 to choose from) an extra $1000; camo pattern an extra $1500
Test bike supplied by:  Ural Motorcycles Australia
Warranty: 24 months, unlimited kilometres