Review: The Ural Terra Explorer

A new machine with an Old Soul... who knew something so mystical would keep me smiling so big these days! Again and again… mile after mile… almost like a new lover.

A sidecar outfit is not new to us. In fact, after 280,000 miles my current “significant other” is being stored at a friend’s house… without knowledge of the new addition. Thank heavens my BMW R1100GS with sidecar named “Old Faithful,” has no idea that this new Terra Explorer—a special edition of Ural’s Gear-Up model—is so… well... alarmingly addictive. And, I’d like to keep it that way.

Where do I start? After over 2,000 miles of putting the Terra Explorer to the test, I’ve been asked to share my opinions, feelings, and new-found well-being. Although Spirit’s ear-to-ear grin is always present, his thumbs are not quite adept, so it remains my responsibility to type this report.

Up and down the paved roads, and around the curves and steep grades of unpaved ones, the handling is simply superb. And, it’ll be even more so after an improved suspension system arrives. This hack’s beauty is the core of my present joy and well being, and carries with it a long list of reasons why. The Terra Explorer is a motorcycle built as a unit to be a sidecar, not just an add-on to a regular motorcycle. A prominent feature is the inverted front forks—which unbelievably parallel the sensation of power steering. A feat that can only be accomplished after a competent dealer has the toe-in (an inwardly-angled adjustment of the wheels to improve steering and minimize tire wear) and motorcycle lean adjusted properly (3/8” toe-in, 89° out from the vertical position of the bike itself). Handling also means sitting position, and the Terra Explorer’s custom seat is a marvel of comfort. The ergonomics continue with the ability to adjust the handlebars to the rider’s torso height. The comfortable rider can then command more control over the rugged Duro HF dual-sport tires that grab the terrain like no other three-wheeler before it.

But, I am getting ahead of myself… let’s look back to how it all started: The Terra Explorer is shipped from Irbit, Russia, and arrives in a wooden crate. Ural has a unique and fascinating history like no other company. Its origin can be traced to the name “IMZ-Ural” where it was linked to developments of the Eastern Front during World War II. As the Soviet Union was making ready for possible military action by Nazi Germany, they prepared themselves in all possible areas, especially the ground forces. Mobility was the key.

A meeting was held to determine which motorcycle would be best suited for the Red Army. It had already been designed… by BMW. So, the “new” Red Army’s vehicle of choice was essentially purloined from a late 1930s R71 BMW sidecar motorcycle. By early 1941, the first prototypes were fabricated, and the decision for mass production was geared toward a factory in Moscow. However, the Nazi blitzkrieg was so fast and effective that they were forced to move the manufacturing far into the middle of the resource-rich Ural mountain region. Then, in 1950, after the 30,000th sidecar motorcycle had been produced, the plant was turned over to non-military production. Export began in 1953.

Not only can awe be found in its history, but it can also be found in the simple beauty of the bike’s shipping crate. Russian wood, plucked from their millions of acres of virgin forest, boasts a grain without knots. Surely such wood, left unattended, would not last long. Then suddenly, as the crate is opened and the shrink-wrap removed, there are all the aromas of Russia… I would like to believe… but no vodka stashed in its guts are to be found.

My mind is immediately thrown back to the birth occurring before me…. Yes, there is spectacle in birth—but it is in its upbringing where the utmost importance is now placed—and that’s in the hands of the well-trained assembly technicians. These quick and agile mechanical masters orchestrate the assembly, and the detailed steps necessary to make it on- and off-road worthy.