Ural motorcycles is a Russian company that makes sidecars. Based on the BMW R71, the design was licensed to Russia in 1939, after Russia decided to modernise its army. Today, Ural makes 750 cc two-cylinder sidecar rigs that are decidedly retro in design, and is now being imported into Malaysia by Reed Motorcycle Company, with the first batch arriving in March 2016.
Based in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Reed Motorcycle decided to expand their motorcycle import business by bringing in Ural sidecars. The rational for doing so was to sell a unique product, and expand the involvement of the rider’s family and friends, especially those who don’t ride, and are intimidated by standard dual-purpose motorcycles.
Mohamed Nik Faisullah Reed, managing director of Reed Motorcycle, said, “we first had the idea of importing Urals in 2014. After speaking to the Russians, and performing due diligence, we began the process of certifying the sidecar design with JPJ and obtaining the brand AP from the Ministry of Trade.”
According to Nik, the process has almost been completed, and Reed Motorcycle is currently awaiting the approval letter from the ministry before shipment is despatched from the Ural works in Irbit, Sverdlovsk Orbast. The JPJ type approval for Ural sidecars is as a motorcycle, and Nik said anyone with a full ‘B’ license can ride one of these rigs on the road legally.
The entire range of Ural sidecars is being shipped in, in both one-wheel and two-wheel drive forms. The price will range from RM80,000 to RM140,000 depending on model and specifications. Ural does not make solo motorcycles after finding demand did not justify production.
