Riding in a sidecar is a breeze

PETER BLEAKNEY FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Owner Al Kay, right, gives Peter Bleakney a ride in his 2008 Ural Patrol 2WD.

Peter Bleakney

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

I hadn't felt this vulnerable since my Speedo went AWOL the last time I jumped off the end of the dock. And yet, like that aquatic wardrobe malfunction, this adventure was exciting, strangely liberating and a tad chilly.

If there is a better way to enjoy a crisp morning drive though the fall colours than bundled up in the sidecar of a Ural Patrol 2WD, I have yet to experience it.

Look down to your right and the tarmac is skimming by inches from your butt. There's no door, no seat belt – you just grasp the chrome bar below the windscreen as the wind swirls about the little metal cocoon. Immediately to your left, a 40-hp horizontally opposed 750-cc air-cooled twin drones away. The driveshaft spins next to your elbow and the sun glistens off the rear spokes.

The seat is surprisingly comfortable, as is the ride, and there is plenty of room for your legs and a cozy blanket. The glorious smell of autumn fills your lungs as the scenery whizzes by.

And on the hood directly in front of you is a machine gun mount. Huh?

I was taking this bucolic tour in a Russian-built 2008 Ural courtesy of owner Al Kay. Currently playing in the Dirty Dancing orchestra at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Kay is probably Toronto's busiest trombonist. He purchased his rig in June from Ural dealer Peterborough Cycle Salvage. This bike currently lists for $13,795.

So if it's a 2008 model, why does it look just like a World War II vintage BMW? Well, because it is.

This bike has been in production since 1941, and while there are a few accounts of why Russians started building BMW motorcycle sidecars, the most accepted tale goes as follows.

In 1939, Joseph Stalin knew Russia would soon be at war with Germany and he wanted his ground troops to be mobile. The Russian motorcycles at the time were outdated and unreliable. After some discussion, it was established that the BMW RZ1 would be most suited to the Red Army's needs, and five were covertly acquired through Sweden.

Russian engineers tore them apart and copied every component, making their own moulds and dies for engine and gearbox parts. The first prototypes were shown to Stalin in 1941 and production began.

Another story suggests the Germans gave the Russians blueprints and tooling for their outdated RZ1 (it was superseded by the R75 in 1940) when the countries were still allies.

Nonetheless, 67 years and 3.2 million motorcycles later, we arrive at the 2008 Ural. It's essentially the same bike with better components. In the last few years, many electronic, internal engine and transmission bits have been upgraded. The real giveaway here is the Brembo disc brake on the front wheel.

While the Ural Patrol is available worldwide, it is mainly manufactured for the rural Russian market. As such, the bike is as tough as a gulag pork chop. Kay had me tap the year fender with my knuckle. It had all the give of an anvil.

With four forward gears, reverse gear and a stubby lever down by the driver's right foot to engage 2WD, the Patrol will go almost anywhere. Practical, too. You could easily stash a couple of cases of vodka or a box of black-market toilet paper in the hatch under the spare wheel.

During my brief time in this retro three-wheeler, I got a taste of a phenomenon known as UDF – Ural Delay Factor. Owners of these bikes know it takes a lot longer to get anywhere due to the inevitable barrage of questions they face, and the resulting conversations.

Kay says his fascination with sidecars was stoked while playing in the Toronto run of The Producers. One of the props was a Nazi bike with a sidecar.

Kay has added a few accessories to his Ural: a spotlight, windshield, jerry can, ammo box and the aforementioned machine gun mount. Being a musician, Kay is a lover, not a fighter, so he carries around a shiny slide trumpet that fits perfectly in the mount.

In the spring, Kay and several members of the Canadian Ural/Dnepr Riders Group are taking part in the 2009 CURD Tundra Run to Goose Bay in Labrador. After this, he plans to ride to the ferry and tour Newfoundland.

That trumpet could be quite effective in scaring the moose. Or attracting them.

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