# Motorcycle nerds: What is this old bike? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 25, 2011, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537 "2011-09-25T07:45:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537/21 "2011-09-26T20:11:18Z")
šŸ˜ƒ And AIUI many sidecarrists prefer to carry ballast to help keep the sidecar planted. Turning towards the chair (left, for UK-based outfits) requires you to keep the bike speed up so it will overtake the sidecar - with the attendant risk that the sidecar will take off since you canā€™t lean into the turn. But if fear of takeoff leads you to try to turn left with the power off, the sidecar will try to overtake you and fight against the turn. I hear the Ural, with its powered sidecar wheel, is less problematic in this respect. Even so, a couple of jerrycans of water make things a bit more tractable. šŸ™‚ ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537/22 "2011-09-26T20:48:38Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Like Kevbo said, if you own a Ural, you had better have some answers. > UDF, or Ural Delay Factor must be considered when riding or doing errands. A quick stop at Home Depot can easily take 40 minutes just answering questions from old-timers, kids, bikers, and more. > I give a lot of sidecar rides to strangers around the outskirts of Publix, Home Depot, you name it. > > [Mine](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/bikepair.jpg)is a 1998 Deco model, now discontinued. No fancy electric start for me; kick start, FTW! > You kids with your new 750ā€™s that go over 52mph make me sick! > > Some of us put [accessories](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/01RallyMG.jpg)on them to approximate their original use, or just for clearing traffic. > > Hereā€™s a pic of [Russians](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/hp1.jpg)lined up on their Urals, stolen from the kids at BMW in [Germany](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v677/ural/333.jpg)! > When they were smaller, my kids favorite thing was for me to pick them up from school, and make a right turn, picking up the sidecar and riding that way home. > Any Ural rider I know has perfected ā€œflying the chairā€ in their first month of ownership. > Itā€™s just one more thing that sets us foil heads apartā€¦ _ **ā€œflying the chairā€** _ Sounds pretty righteous, to me! šŸ†’ (Now that youā€™ve teased us with a description of that, youā€™ve _ **gotta** _ post a picture!) ducati > [@](#): > > You kids with your new 750ā€™s that go over 52mph make me sick! You tell 'em, old school! (Iā€™m right there with ya, Outlaw!) šŸ˜‰ Goll durned whippersnappers, need ta learn some respect for their elders and betters! Right, ducati? šŸ˜› Always remember, boys and girlsā€¦ ā€œShiny side _ **UP** _, and keep it between the ditches!ā€ šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537/23 "2011-09-26T22:42:32Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > I hear the Ural, with its powered sidecar wheel, is less problematic in this respect. Even so, a couple of jerrycans of water make things a bit more tractable. šŸ™‚ The 650 Sportsman model had a torque splitting differential and was full-time 2WD. You couldnā€™t fly the chair under power, as the sidecar wheel would spin like any other open-diff axle. The 750cc Patrol model (what I have, and the pic from the OP) has an engageable sidecar drive with no differential. If engaged on pavement, turning becomes very difficult. I had it self engage once, and it scared the shit out of me the first hard turn I took. On dirt, the weight transfers to the outside wheel and you can steer with the throttleā€¦more gas tightens the turn, less widens it. But you better not be too hot and running wide, cause backing off will make you run wider! ---
**Author:** ![automagic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a698b9/32.png) [@automagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/automagic)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537/24 "2011-09-27T02:52:53Z")
> [@JBDivmstr](#): > > :dubious: Hmmmā€¦ Really? If you lean one way or the other, the bike just keeps going straight? What kind of bike are we talking about, here? Does it have a steering damper installed? > Iā€™m not saying that your wrong, itā€™s just that my bike (a 1994 Harley Davidson Road King) will most definitely curve to the right or left at any speed above 35-40 mph. > Hell, Iā€™ve ridden most (65-70%) of the way from Houston to Dallas, without ever _touching_ the handlebars. All I had to do was shift my weight a little, to steer around the curves. > > (It was winter. Rode with my hands tucked around the speedometer, body hunkered down onto the gas tank to stay out of the wind.šŸ˜‰ 75mph with a 35-40 degree ambient air temperature, can sure take _ **all** _ of the fun out of motorcycle riding! :eek:) > > Of course, it does not have any kind of steering dampening system installed on it. Its an 09 Kawasaki Ninja 600 and yes it has a steering damper and I thank God daily its there. I have seen way too many tank slapper videos on youtube for me not to have it. I rarely ride with my hands off the handlebars, even on cold days like you mentioned I just wear gloves and hope I have enough feeling left to squeeze the brake. Besides I do not have any way of controlling the throttle if my hands are not on it and I will just engine brake to a stall. If I keep my bike on top gear going about 50 mph or so I can maintain a decent speed for a while and short of nearly falling of the bike I can not influence the bike without handlebar input. It will usually just follow the crown of the road so I can not do it for too long. ---
**Author:** ![ducati](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cc9497/32.png) [@ducati](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ducati)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537/25 "2011-09-27T17:57:39Z")
Pictures? How 1870! We gots moving pictures of all kinds! First, flying the chair is something we all doā€¦ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qNIqwggJxpM/hqdefault.jpg "Ural Flying Chair 6-13-10") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNIqwggJxpM) And hereā€™s a military demo thatā€™s always fun and encouragingā€¦ [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dN5PAwc1ns8/hqdefault.jpg "Ural Sidecar Motorcycle Military Demo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN5PAwc1ns8) Keep searching & youā€™ll find so much more. All Ural owners are Ural ambassadors and are always happy to bring more members to the fold. ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537/26 "2011-09-28T17:09:10Z")
> [@ducati](#): > > Pictures? How 1870! > > We gots moving pictures of all kinds! > > First, flying the chair is something we all doā€¦ > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNIqwggJxpM](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNIqwggJxpM) > > And hereā€™s a military demo thatā€™s always fun and encouragingā€¦ > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN5PAwc1ns8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN5PAwc1ns8) > > Keep searching & youā€™ll find so much more. > > All Ural owners are Ural ambassadors and are always happy to bring more members to the fold. Cool videos, thanks for posting them **ducati**! šŸ†’ ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537/27 "2011-09-28T17:32:01Z")
I believe Keith Code effectively put to rest any question of what causes a bike to turn, counter-steer or lean: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nRUeEkS644) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motorcycle-nerds-what-is-this-old-bike/597537.md?page=1)