You know that sad feeling you get when the first chill arrives in the air and it's time to start thinking about putting your bike into storage for the winter months? What if you didn't have to do that? The folks at Ural don't want you to quit riding just because winter arrives. Back in the day, you needed a one-horse open sleigh to go dashing through the snow. Today, you need a Gear-Up -- a street legal, four-season adventure bike from Ural. The off-road beast of its brother, the Patrol, the Gear-Up comes standard with on-demand two-wheel drive, a high-intensity spotlight, spare tire, luggage rack and sidecar bumper to carry you through the snow, over rough terrain or anywhere your adventures take you once the pavement ends.

Continue reading for my review of the Ural Gear-Up.

2015 - 2018 Ural Gear-Up

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2015 - 2018 Ural Gear-Up
  • Engine/Motor: OHV air cooled 2 cylinder 4 stroke “boxer” (flat twin)
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Design

According to the folks at Ural, "when the road ends, the adventure begins" and I think there are few people that would disagree. When the road ends, the Gear-Up handles it with aplomb. Last year, the off-road-capable Patrol came in pretty metallic colors, with shiny bling and creature comforts for touring, the Gear-Up was down and dirty for off-road fun in a flat powder-coated finish and black powder-coated trim. For 2018, we see the Gear-Up getting cleaned up with a slew of colors including some of the pretty ones from the Patrol palette.

New from 2015 is a redesigned rear brake pedal that is higher and more comfortable, and the H4 headlight and housing for better visibility. Equipped with the most niceties and necessities of the Ural lineup, the Gear-Up features a fuel tank with integrated tool box and knee pads, power distribution in the side car to accommodate a 12V outlet, fluid canister, shovel, tool kit, hand pump and shin guards. For 2017, the Gear-Up saw some comfort upgrades with better seating, foot-actuated reverse to replace the hand lever, and handlebar controls for the parking brake and spotlight. A real bonus is the extra storage available under the sidecar seat cushion, because...you know...who doesn't need more storage?

In 2016, Ural offered the limited edition Sahara in the Gear-Up stable. The Sahara comes with all the yummy goodness of the Gear-Up, plus Sahara paint and badging, blacked-out engine, sidecar bumper and spotlight, along with other goodies such as the spare tire and luggage rack, Jerry can, tool kit, sidecar accessories panel and rubber-mat floor and trunk.

For 2017, the Gear-Up gets another stablemate in the form of the limited edition Ambassador to commemorate their 75th anniversary. The Ambassador comes shot in very elegant bronze metallic paint with a blackened powertrain and new smoked glass windscreens for both rider and passenger. Included in the Ambassador package is a one-year premium Rever membership -- a very recognized motorcycle trip assistant app.

Limited Edition Baikal

With the 2018 lineup available, the Gear-Up has an addition to the LE stable with the Baikal. Inspired by the "Ice Run" -- an annual race across 400 miles of frozen ice fields, the Baikal features a silver engine and blue metallic paint with the limited edition graphics and badging. It comes with gear appropriate for your own ice run, including a hatchet, tool kit, shovel, and 25 stormproof matches.

Chassis

With a width of almost 64 inches, the Gear-Up hogs a whole traffic lane and frame construction makes it nearly 99 inches in length, so you're cruising with a larger footprint than just about every other bike out there. There is an advantage to being seen by the cagers, of course, but lane splitting is out of the question.

The front suspension is handled by the IMZ leading-link front fork with external coil-over shocks, and the rear gets a pair of adjustable Sachs hydraulic shocks on the bike and a single Sachs shock on the sidecar. For your off-road escapades, the 6.8-inch ground clearance has you covered. If you need two-wheel drive, no problem. A flip of a lever engages the sidecar drive for sure-footed going over hill and dale, even through rivers and snow drifts.

Duro HF-308 tires roll on 19-inch black aluminum wheels laced with steel spokes. The floating NG brake rotors and a four-pot Brembo caliper on the front wheel, a twin-pot Brembo caliper on the sidecar, and an HB big-bore, single-piston caliper with an integral parking brake on the rear wheel provide plenty of stopping power.

Front suspension:

IMZ leading link fork

Rear suspension:

Double sided swing-arm with two Sachs hydraulic spring shock absorbers, 5x adjustable

Sidecar suspension:

Single sided swing-arm with Sachs hydraulic spring shock absorber, 5x adjustable

Wheels:

2.5 x 19 Aluminum rims with steel spokes

Tires:

Duro HF-308, 4.0 x 19 inches

Front brake:

Four-piston fixed Brembo caliper with 295 mm floating NG rotor

Rear brake:

HB big bore single piston integrated floating caliper with 256 mm fixed NG rotor

Sidecar brake:

Two-piston fixed Brembo caliper with 245 mm floating NG rotor

Engageable sidecar wheel drive:

Yes, driveshaft


Drivetrain

A torquey little 749 cc, air-cooled, twin-cylinder boxer engine provides ample power for your Gear-Up. With 41 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 42 pound-feet of torque at 4,300 rpm, this "square" engine -- an equal bore and stroke of 78 mm -- has a compression ratio that seems on the low side at 8.6 to 1, but performance-wise, it doesn't seem to be lacking. Four forward gears and one reverse gear transfers power to the shaft final drive.

New from 2016, the folks at Ural gave the Gear-Up a redesigned oil deflector for the breather on the 2WD models and a new starter motor. They also added compressible fiber-aluminum gaskets to seal exhaust head pipes and gave it a modified wire harness and modified throttle bodies and flanges for more reliable operation.

While gas mileage seems a bit low at 31 to 37 mpg, remember that you're not buying this machine for its fuel economy. With the 5-gallon fuel tank, it has a range between 155 to 185 miles. If you've ever been stuck out in the boonies, you'll appreciate that the Gear-Up has both an electric starter and a kickstarter.

Engine type:

OHV, air-cooled, two-cylinder, four-stroke “boxer” (flat twin)

Displacement:

749 cc

Valve per cylinder:

2

Bore:

78 mm

Stroke:

78 mm

Max Power:

41 horsepower at 5,500 rpm

Max Torque:

42 pound-feet at 4,300 rpm

Compression:

8.6 to 1

Fuel system:

Throttle body EFI

Starting:

Electric & Kickstart

Clutch:

Double-disc dry

Transmission type:

Manual

Speeds:

Four forward, one reverse

Primary drive (rear wheel):

Driveshaft


Pricing

MSRP on the Gear-Up is $16,499 -- same as the 2017 price, and for off-road, it can't be beat. Your color choice for 2017 was Asphalt, but for 2018 the Gear-Up has quite a choice of standard, premium, and camo colors available. Premium colors add $1,000 for solids or $1,500 for camos to your price. Other options include $1,000 for engine, gearbox and final drive blackout and $600 for undercoating the bottom of the sidecar pan and the inside of the fenders.

If you're feeling particularly adventurous, lump a few tried-and-true options together and get the Sportsman Package: Camp Wandawega Edition that includes the black-out option, undercoating, high-visibility fog lights and headlight, custom Forest Fog paint, and waterproof seat and sidecar covers. That's almost $3,500 MSRP in options in a price-break package.

Ural protects your new Gear-Up with a two-year unlimited mileage warranty and offers a third year extended warranty for $850. With 70 Ural dealers nationwide, it's possible you won't have one close enough to handle warranty work. Ural has you covered there, too. If a shop you trust is willing to work with Ural and go through the warranty process, you can get your warranty work done locally.

Warranty:

Two-years parts and labor unlimited mileage.

Available Colors:

2016:

Woodland Camo, Urban Camo, Asphalt

2017:

Asphalt

2018:

Standard Colors: Burgundy Satin, Slate Grey, OD Green; Premium Colors: Burgundy Metallic, Cascade Green, Grey Metallic, Bronze, Rainier White, Sahara, Taiga, TerracottaMetallic, Baikal Blue; Camo Patterns: Urban Camo, Woodland Camo

Price:

2016:

$15,999 (Sahara, $17,999)

2017:

$16,499

2018:

$16,499 (Premium Colors: $17,499, Camo Colors: $17,999)


Competitors

I know of no direct competitor for the Gear-Up. Sure there are off-road-capable trikes, but that's not the same as a sidecar. Help me out here. If you're looking at a Ural Gear-Up as an option, what other bikes are you considering? Leave me a note in the comments.

He Said

My husband and fellow writer, TJ Hinton, says, "Every time I see a picture of a Ural in winter time, they look like they are having a blast. If I lived in an area with “winter activities” as it were, I would definitely be up for a machine like this. I love my Sporty, but let's face it, they aren't really appropriate once the roads start icing."

She Said

"Off-road madness, that's what it is. I lived for quite a few years in New England and the riding season was so short. Wasn't it always the way that after the bike was winterized and stored and we had a snow storm, the weather would warm up to give just a few more days -- or weeks -- of glorious weather. I live in an area now that has year-round riding, but I can't help but miss the snow when I think about riding a Gear-Up."

Specifications

|Engine & Drivetrain:||

Engine type:

OHV, air-cooled, two-cylinder, four-stroke “boxer” (flat twin)

Displacement:

749 cc

Valve per cylinder:

2

Bore:

78 mm

Stroke:

78 mm

Max Power:

41 horsepower at 5,500 rpm

Max Torque:

42 pound-feet at 4,300 rpm

Compression:

8.6 to 1

Fuel system:

Throttle body EFI

Starting:

Electric & Kickstart

Clutch:

Double-disc dry

Transmission type:

Manual

Speeds:

Four forward, one reverse

Primary drive (rear wheel):

Driveshaft


|Engine type:|4.62|

|Displacement:||

Front suspension:

IMZ leading link fork

Rear suspension:

Double sided swing-arm with two Sachs hydraulic spring shock absorbers, 5x adjustable

Sidecar suspension:

Single sided swing-arm with Sachs hydraulic spring shock absorber, 5x adjustable

Wheels:

2.5 x 19 Aluminum rims with steel spokes

Tires:

Duro HF-308, 4.0 x 19 inches

Front brake:

Four-piston fixed Brembo caliper with 295 mm floating NG rotor

Rear brake:

HB big bore single piston integrated floating caliper with 256 mm fixed NG rotor

Sidecar brake:

Two-piston fixed Brembo caliper with 245 mm floating NG rotor

Engageable sidecar wheel drive:

Yes, driveshaft


|Valve per cylinder:||

|Bore:|98.8 inches|

|Stroke:|54.3 inches|

|Max Power:|63.6 inches|

|Max Torque:|32.0 inches|

|Compression:|6.8 inches|

|Fuel system:||

|Starting:|730 pounds|

|Clutch:|Denso, Peak Output 40 Amp @ 14vdc, 560 Wt|

|Transmission type:|FAYTX20HL (12V, 20A)|

|Speeds:|H4|

|Primary drive (rear wheel):|NGK BPR6HS|

|Final drive ratio:|91 Octane, unleaded|

|Chassis:|5.0 Gallons|

|Front suspension:|approx. 1|

|Rear suspension:|31-37 mpg|

|Sidecar suspension:|155-185 miles|

|Wheels:|70 mph|

|Tires:|1,325 pounds|

|Front brake:|2.9 cubic feet|

Warranty:

Two-years parts and labor unlimited mileage.

Available Colors:

2016:

Woodland Camo, Urban Camo, Asphalt

2017:

Asphalt

2018:

Standard Colors: Burgundy Satin, Slate Grey, OD Green; Premium Colors: Burgundy Metallic, Cascade Green, Grey Metallic, Bronze, Rainier White, Sahara, Taiga, TerracottaMetallic, Baikal Blue; Camo Patterns: Urban Camo, Woodland Camo

Price:

2016:

$15,999 (Sahara, $17,999)

2017:

$16,499

2018:

$16,499 (Premium Colors: $17,499, Camo Colors: $17,999)