I live in PA and have wheeled an outfit for many years. I first got into it when my children were first born so my wife, children and I could all go riding. The Winters here can be hard so the sidecar added stability in the snow and ice. I rode it to work all year long in any kind of weather. It's an "American Spirit Sidecar" and I still have it to this day! Nothing more fun than flying the car in the air on an inboard sharp turn and of course drifting on an outboard fast turn! 🤗 PS...It was first attached to an Norton 850, now its attached to a BMW R60.
@davemetcalf84313 ай бұрын
Lol... you're a braver man than me!
@mattdynes8094 ай бұрын
Man!! I'm not sure what I enjoyed more..... the soothing voice that will eradicate any inkling of anxiety...... the beautiful and time forgotten artwork..... the rolling footage of wanderlust?? Perhaps its the perfect blend of it all! This story-line is embedded in me wee noggin so that when I venture out on my Ural, I will hear, feel, and see things...... just a little bit clearer.... just a bit slower.... just a bit calmer.... all... with that ever present grin of gratitude.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
So so kind, thank you for the lovely comments. I'm now encouraged to make more :)
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
My URAL side car outfit popped out of gear and rolled across a parking lot and bashed in the side of a brand new Honda Fit and that's what the guy had when he saw the car . It was $1,700 damage to the car. My tail light wasn't even broken.Women love 💕 side cars . They feel much safer and more comfortable than riding pillion. They can read, do phone 📱 stuff, or even take a nap 😴.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
Yes, my wife hated the bike but loves the chair ... she was much safer on the bike! 😆 Everyone that goes in the chair loves it to be fair.
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
I love the GEICO commercial with the Caveman and the URAL side car outfit. Especially the one where he's towing a camper trailer behind the outfit. I would watch shows twice and wait for the commercial so I can record it on my VCR. I told GEICO that they had the best motorcycle commercials and that they should make a DVD of all the motorcycle commercials. I would buy one. In the old days when they first imported URALs they came with the machine gun mounted on the side car with ammunition to go with it. You got the same bike the Soviet army 🪖 got . The DOT had no idea that they had a machine gun on the bike. Easy Rider magazine did a road test of one on the 405 freeway and nobody wanted to pass them . When they pointed the gun at someone they would move out of the way. God help you if you did that today.
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
In England gas was rationed for 10 years after WW2. Motorcycle had to be reliable and dependable transportation and side cars were popular. Loved your videos.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
The history is really fascinating.. I'm going to Google that advert now...
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
There are URAL's all over Cuba from the Russian days. I would love to go there and rent one and go around the island 🏝️ on one. That would be awesome 😎.
@58dorsett4 ай бұрын
I think it only fair to mention a few disadvantages. If you are a motorcycle, or even bicycle rider you may forget about the extra width that the sidecar occupies when operating, even for a split second, and surprise, you just hit another vehicle, or a stationary object, this is a biggie. Secondly, if you hit a bump with the sidecar wheel it can send the sidecar airborne, throwing you off balance, and lastly if you get in a panic situation where other vehicles are locking up their brakes you don't have the option of maneuvering between the stopped vehicles. Hopefully this doesn't happen often, but it only takes once.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
I did do a video called 'a twisted look at the URAL' which rips into the drawbacks of such a machine. I guess with this, I wanted to elevate the status of the sidecar. It is a frightening beast at times quite capable of taking out the odd pedestrian (as you rightfully point out). Thank you for you comments :) Ride Safe.
@uralpilot4 ай бұрын
Excellent video.........from one Ural fanatic to another. Thank you!
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
Thanks for the kind support :) I do love that bike!
@derekcostello1016Ай бұрын
The narrator voice was a bit - creepy.
@Rdkng072 ай бұрын
Thank you, well done.
@davemetcalf84312 ай бұрын
Thank you, :)
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
I love my URAL side car outfit. I have a BMW 600/6 with a 900/6 motor in it and all the brackets to attach a sidecar to. My buddy found a URAL side car outfit for sale for $3,800 running and in good shape. I paid him $4,000 for the bike. It had 4,000 miles on her when I got her. She had 2 previous owners in that time. You either love them or you don't. Used URAL side car outfit are going for very reasonable prices. It's like buying the sidecar and getting the bike for free. All the Russian parts on the bike are still working. It is 25 years old and runs great. First kick every time. Rebuilt the starter and a new alternator,new drive shaft , and helical gears in the engine. Did the driveshaft myself. Had a cylinder break . Put a new one on and a new piston, gaskets myself. Runs great and everything works. Hit a wild pig with her and just chipped the paint on the fender. Have 50,000 miles on her now. Carried a pool home with her. Call her my truck. HaHa😂 .l call her Olga. Big strong woman. I have less mechanical issues with her than guys who have HD M-8 bikes that spend more time in the shop than on the road. Super fun 😊. Got pulled over by a cop because it was a very interesting motorcycle 🏍️.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
Sounds awesome, I think you have to be a mechanically minded person to own one. You'll have to send me some pics to pop in a future video... my URAL came from a props department and is said to be the URAL from the reebok fat belly advert. It then went to converse trainers for promotion and that is the reason for the abundance of stars on it. They are built like tanks.
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
@@davemetcalf8431I wish I could send you some pictures but my phone is rather limited. People call me the Beemer guy because of the URAL. On the freeway people slow down and video me riding the bike. When l go to a HD dealership having a party 🎉 l always get my picture taken for the magazines. I truly love my sidecar outfit. It's so much fun to ride and people tell me stories about them. They are all over Cuba from the Russian days. If I could l would go to Cuba and rent one to ride around the island 🏝️ on. That would be awesome.
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
@@davemetcalf8431l wish l could send you some pictures of my rig.l have a Lifeline phone and it's not capable of doing much.
@sethbrown17633 ай бұрын
Man, I enjoyed that video so MUCH! Gotta get me some rubles and order my Ural now! :) Lovely video, thanks for sharing!
@davemetcalf84313 ай бұрын
Is that sarcasm?.. I detect a little sarcasm 🤣🤣🤣🤣
@sethbrown17633 ай бұрын
@@davemetcalf8431 No sarcasm intended! I genuinely like the Ural! I love the idea that they still build them to deal with the Russian winter. Unbreakable motorcycles! I wonder how they'd deal with our bad roads here in the tropics?
@frankmarkovcijr54593 ай бұрын
It does fine in Florida.@@sethbrown1763
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
Dogs love sidecar riding. They are so cute and happy 😁 riding with you. People would give me weird looks while chasing the dog 🐕 when he would get out.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
I can't find the GEICO ad with the ural... you'll have to upload it 😆
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
They have 5 or 6 caveman commercials with the URAL side car outfit. I told them to make a DVD of all of their motorcycle commercials. I would buy one.@@davemetcalf8431
@Ch-ui6mw4 ай бұрын
I think a dog is absolutely the very best reason for sidecars!
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
@@Ch-ui6mw I think I should have put this in the video!
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
@@davemetcalf8431 you can googleit
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
The new ones are so expensive because of the stainless steel exhaust system, the German tires, Ducati ignition system, German shocks,Brembo disc brakes, and the EFI because of pollution controls. Just the stainless steel exhaust system costs $2,000 by it self. I find that l can live with the Russian parts. I like drum brakes better.I replaced a broken brake cable in 30 seconds. Brembo says to change the brake fluid every 7,000 miles. Same stopping distance as the drum brakes. Paint and chrome holding up well After 25 years. My bike is painted in Luftwaffer parade color ,very rare paint scheme. Beautiful silver with black pinstriping. Love my sidecar outfit!
@thomasschipper140123 күн бұрын
you should really put that art work to print, and offer it for sale. Great video
@davemetcalf843123 күн бұрын
@thomasschipper1401 thank you, but I can't claim much credit for it.
@davidrochow93824 ай бұрын
I've just found your channel and have subscribed. I'm in South Australia and it was great seeing a sidecar setup on the proper side of the bike and people driving on the proper side of the road😉. I've had a couple of setups . The first was on a cx 500 and the last one I had was on a Royal Enfield 500 classic. I'm now in the process of getting one fitted to my 82 Honda VF 750 magna , hopefully it will be finished sometime this month . Living in Australia it's great to go bush and with the extra wheel, shaft drive and carry space it makes life so much easier. I'm also getting an electric motor fitted so it will have reverse. I've looked at getting a Ural but unfortunately the bank manager has said "NO". Keep up the great work and I'll now check out a few of your other videos👍👍.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
There is a Ural rider in Australia called CreakyRider (not sure if I got that right) I always watched his videos before buying mine to get a sense of it, not fully understanding why anyone would ride one... but now I love them. I also could not afford the luxury of a new URAL. I once owned a Honda VF Sabre which is essentially the Magna... Awesome bike, so let me know how it looks with a sidecar! and I hope to god your Magna doesn't have the spark boxes under the seat like mine did.. those things drove me insane. Thanks for watching :)
@knokname64664 ай бұрын
Wonderful photography and artwork, very pleasing lady's voice, and romantic idea... but I think I'd prefer a plain old two wheels, despite being upper 70s. As I watched, I got to wondering, what's the difference between a bike with a sidecar and a two seater MG (or TR3 or Fiat or...) ragtop? If I was going too opt for a sidecar, I think I'd get a small sports car instead. Still, well worth watching and enjoying such a beautiful vid. Thanks.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
I asked myself the same question: Why, there seems no logical explanation from the outside... you have to try it to understand... you have to go down an old country track with a friend... and then maybe you'll start to understand the lure of the sidecar. It's something I'd choose over a sportscar any day. Try one.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
Also, thank you for your comments 🙏 😊
@johnauvin4 ай бұрын
Beutiful. Nice job ! (Where did you get that artwork? Nice touch.)
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
A lot of the artwork is just computer generated, some from stock, and I have the URAL and sidecar, which is most of the footage.
@andrewbull35373 ай бұрын
Thanks for a very informative video 10/10 👍,as a veteran motorcyclist of 40 years (bloody hell !!!has it been that long 😁) I am now on the look out for a ural bike and sidecar. Maybe I'll see you all on the road 👍. Peace out ✌️
@davemetcalf84313 ай бұрын
A great place to start looking is F2 Motorcycles. He's such a wealth of knowledge on these vehicles, and he also sells sidecar outfits. He's the kind of man that won't sell you something that you don't need...
@ErnieMathewsАй бұрын
My first outfit was in 1979. They're great! Can't fall down, you skid so what, space, and people who would never get on a motorcycle will hop in a sidecar in seconds.,
@davemetcalf8431Ай бұрын
@@ErnieMathews they are great fun!
@0HARE3 ай бұрын
This was certainly pretty to look at. As a life long motorcyclist, I can not see ever riding one of these contraptions. A motorcycle & sidecar combination has all the disadvantages of a car and a motorcycle, and none of the advantages of either.
@davemetcalf84313 ай бұрын
Beleive me... that's exactly what I said!.. 😆
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
I don't know why people try to ride solo bikes in winter ❄️☃️ when they should have a side car for the winter ❄️☃️. Lots of people have URAL side car outfit up in Alaska and Canada. The 2 wheels drive is very popular in the snow belts. I saw a video of a guy riding a URAL side car outfit in Siberia in the winter. Now that's dedication!
@johnhall44454 ай бұрын
If you have an old Dyna could the sidecar be the answer to the “DEATH WOBBLE”?
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
The Sidecar Outfit I have Wobbles After 10mph! 🤣... try and imagine wrestling a small bear down a street. Luckily it doesn't get up to a speed associated with a speed wobble.
@mikedall95274 ай бұрын
Very good 🙂👍
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
Thank you :) I did show my pal and he said he'd switch it off after 10 seconds lol.
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
In England in the old days if you put a sidecar on your bike for the winter ❄️☃️ your insurance would give you a discount because it was less likely you would fall down.
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
Is that true? lol, it goes to show how much they were used for transport rather than recreation.
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
They had gas rationing for 10 years after WW2 in England. People used them for transportation so motorcycles had to be reliable and dependable transportation. I love the art work in your videos. They would make great posters to hang on a wall.@@davemetcalf8431
@monokheros5373Ай бұрын
sense of security YES ... reduced chances of tipping over NO NO NO NO
@davemetcalf8431Ай бұрын
@@monokheros5373 reduced greatly when stabilised with the chair 😆.. not so much on the opposite turn... lol
@markthompson96844 күн бұрын
I’m thinking of buying a second hand Ural (2015, 1st of the fuel injection models) I need something that won’t leave me stranded on the side of the road……….are they a nightmare??
@davemetcalf84314 күн бұрын
@markthompson9684 a URAL dealer once told me, they often get sick, but you can't kill one. This statement I found to be true with my URAL, which is a 2000 model. As for a more modern one, I'm sure it would serve you better. I always love to tinker on, so im quite suited to the URAL. Where are you based?
@markthompson96844 күн бұрын
@@davemetcalf8431 hi - thanks for your reply. I’m in Belfast Northern Ireland. I’ve been riding bikes for 45 years now and hoping to continue for another while yet, but getting to the stage where 3 wheels might suit better! I broke my back a while ago and it hasn’t been the same since, - bending over to fix or pick up a motorcycle is getting beyond me. The Ural looks great, but really any decent sidecar outfit would probably fit the bill. Thank you for your help - and your excellent videos 👍
@davemetcalf84314 күн бұрын
@markthompson9684 the best source of knowledge to ask about the bike you're looking at would be Dave from F2 Motorcycles. Give him a call, and he will give his honest opinion. He also sells and fits sidecars, so he may have something in stock.
@ekspatriat4 ай бұрын
Now 10 bad reasons please. (The same for 3 wheelers)
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
I had done a video called a twisted view of the ural, which pointed out some flaws (in mine) .. but I'm sure I can muster up '10 bad reasons' 😆
@frankmarkovcijr54594 ай бұрын
I tell women that the sidecar only comes off in the movies and that it doesn't happen in real life.
@davemetcalf84313 ай бұрын
I've even tried to slacken the bolts off when riding with the wife... and still nothing gives!
@hopper14154 ай бұрын
I have carried lumber in my sidecar...haha
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
A man after my own heart.. that's one reason we got ours for lol
@MrMoneyHelper3 ай бұрын
First, I hated the whispering voice. Second, sidecars are slower and can only go where cars can go, unless you've got a Ural with a powered third wheel. I want a sidecar rig because I don't really like cars and I want to be capable of carrying lots of stuff for when I move. If I return to the north, a sidecar on my motorcycle would allow me to ride in the winter months and not need to buy a car. I tried studded tires for a couple of winters. They have a speed limitation.
@davemetcalf84313 ай бұрын
I'd love a gear up version of the ural, but they are just so expensive 😫... maybe consider poping a winch on the sidecar. This will get you out of most sticky situations.
@scottastell94154 ай бұрын
A funny video. Obviously never ridden three wheeled device . LOL
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
You have to give it a try, it's a bit like a cross between a Quadbike and a Motorbike.
@BigbaconАй бұрын
Why are you whispering like that during the whole video?
@davemetcalf8431Ай бұрын
@Bigbacon the AI had covid when doing the voice over.
@greybeard57744 ай бұрын
This video gave me mixed feelings .. on the one hand, Ural is a unique and cool looking retro vehicle, the practicality of which is however, overrated .. on the other hand, if you have never lived under the s.oviet o.cc.upation, don't dare to advertise their motorcycle industry and put the red pentagon and the hammer and the sickle everywhere on your bike .. being symbols of aggression, it's not ok. However, it is still worth paying attention to the fact that the Russian Ural originates from the BMW R75, whose factory the Russians nicked after the WW2 from Germany .. so the original concept remains still German. Thumbs up mainly for the beautiful historic photos and the back story, thumbs down for the specific bike .. Ural is one of the worst quality motorcycles ever .. well, there is actually no quality at all .. not to mention the non existing riding comfort and speed .. and its fuel consumption is equal to a good big family car :)))
@davemetcalf84314 ай бұрын
The bike came from a props department in the UK. It was used to advertise converse trainers. This is the reason for the STARS on the bike. It was never an intention to advertise any political movement, but I understand why you would make the connection. They are currently assembled in Kazakhstan I believe. There are so many fans of the URAL and I didn't quite understand the appeal of such a machine until curiosity got the better of me, and now, as much as I'd hate to admit it. I'd get a new one if money was no object. Thank you for your comments, much appreciated.
@markthompson96844 күн бұрын
The Germans gave the engine technology to the Russians as part of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939. However only a week later, Germany invaded Poland and the pact was scrapped!