Sun Coast Cycle Sports offers inspected used Ural sidecar motorcycle parts from donor units processed at our Odessa, Florida shop. Every component is evaluated for condition by our powersports technicians, individually photographed, given a unique SKU, and listed with free shipping throughout the continental United States. Ural motorcycles occupy a singular niche in the powersports market as the only manufacturer still producing sidecar-equipped motorcycles as standard factory configurations. The U.S. dealer network for Ural is extremely small, OEM parts are imported and carry long lead times, and the machines themselves are produced in limited annual volumes. Our salvage inventory covers the Ural Gear-Up, Ural CT, Ural cT, Ural Patrol, Ural Tourist, Ural Retro, and related platform variants. With total annual Ural production measured in hundreds of units rather than thousands, every salvage component we list is genuinely scarce.
Ural model overview
The Ural motorcycle traces its origin to the Soviet Union's wartime need for a military sidecar combination. In 1940, the Soviets reverse-engineered the BMW R71 boxer twin, and production began at the Irbit Motorcycle Works (IMZ) in the Ural Mountains of Russia. The factory has been producing boxer-twin sidecar motorcycles on this fundamental architecture for over 80 years. Modern Urals are heavily updated from the wartime original, incorporating fuel injection (Electrojector system), disc brakes, Sachs shocks, Brembo brake components, and a 749cc overhead-valve air-cooled flat-twin engine, but the basic layout of a shaft-driven sidecar motorcycle with two-wheel drive capability (on select models) remains unchanged.
Ural motorcycles are imported to the United States through Ural Motorcycles (formerly Irbit MotorWorks of America, or IMWA), based in Redmond, Washington. Annual U.S. sales typically number in the low hundreds. The current lineup consists primarily of the Gear-Up (adventure-oriented with 2WD sidecar drive, spare tire, and expedition equipment), the CT (touring configuration), and limited-edition variants. Every Ural sold in the U.S. is a sidecar outfit from the factory. Solo Ural frames without sidecars are not sold in the American market. For parts interchange, the critical relationship is between the Ural boxer twin and the BMW R-series airhead boxer that inspired it. While the two engines diverged substantially over eight decades of independent development, some dimensional similarities remain in certain fastener patterns and bearing specifications.
Models and year compatibility guide
| Model | Years | Engine | Platform notes |
|---|
| Gear-Up | 2003-present | 749cc air-cooled OHV flat-twin, EFI (2014+) | Ural's flagship adventure sidecar. Features selectable two-wheel drive (engages the sidecar wheel for off-road traction), leading-link sidecar suspension, and a spare tire mounted to the sidecar. Carbureted models (pre-2014) use Keihin carburetors; 2014+ models use Electrojector EFI. Engine, transmission, and frame architecture are shared across all modern Ural models. The Gear-Up differs from the CT primarily in equipment level and sidecar configuration, not in core mechanical components. |
| CT / cT | 2006-present | 749cc air-cooled OHV flat-twin, EFI (2014+) | Touring-oriented sidecar configuration. The CT uses the same engine, transmission, frame, and shaft drive as the Gear-Up but with a road-focused sidecar body (no spare tire mount, different fender and lighting). All drivetrain, engine, and chassis components interchange directly with the Gear-Up and other modern Ural models. The lowercase "cT" designation has been used on certain trim packages. |
| Patrol / Tourist / Retro | Various | 749cc air-cooled OHV flat-twin | Limited-edition and special-trim variants sharing the same core platform as the Gear-Up and CT. The Patrol was a military-inspired variant. The Tourist was a touring-equipped version. The Retro featured vintage styling cues. All use the same engine, frame, transmission, final drive, and electrical system. Differences are limited to paint, sidecar body trim, accessory packages, and equipment levels. Mechanical parts interchange freely across all modern Ural models. |
| Pre-2003 Urals (Solo and Sidecar) | 1994-2002 | 649cc / 749cc air-cooled OHV flat-twin, carbureted | Earlier Ural imports to the U.S. used an older engine specification with 649cc or 749cc displacement and cruder manufacturing tolerances. These pre-2003 models are significantly less refined than modern production. Engine architecture is related but some internal specifications (bearing sizes, piston dimensions, valve components) differ from 2003+ production. Electrical systems on pre-2003 models are substantially simpler (points ignition on very early models, analog instrumentation). Frame geometry and sidecar mounting points are generally compatible across eras, but engine and electrical components should be matched to the specific production year range. |
Common failure points and frequently replaced components
All modern Urals (2003-present): The 749cc flat-twin engine is fundamentally robust but requires more frequent valve adjustment than most modern motorcycles, with Ural specifying inspection every 2,500 miles. Owners who neglect this interval risk accelerated valve seat wear and eventual loss of compression. Oil leaks are a characteristic rather than a defect on the Ural boxer, with the pushrod tube seals, cylinder base gaskets, and transmission output seal being the most common leak points. The shaft-driven final drive requires periodic fluid changes and inspection of the universal joint and splines, which wear faster under sidecar loads than they would on a solo motorcycle.
EFI system (2014+ models): The transition from carburetors to Electrojector fuel injection improved cold starting and emissions compliance but introduced new failure modes. The throttle position sensor, oxygen sensor, and fuel pump are the most commonly replaced EFI components. Early EFI Urals (2014-2015) experienced ECU calibration issues that caused rough idling and hesitation at partial throttle, addressed by firmware updates at authorized dealers. The fuel pump is located inside the tank, making replacement a more involved procedure than on carbureted models.
Electrical system: The wiring harness on Urals has historically been a weak point, with connector corrosion, chafing, and intermittent faults reported across all model years. The charging system (stator and regulator/rectifier) is adequate for the motorcycle's electrical demands when stock but struggles to keep up when owners add heated grips, auxiliary lighting, or GPS systems. Stator failures are the most common electrical complaint on long-term ownership reports from the Ural community.
Sidecar-specific wear: The sidecar mounting hardware, frame connection points, and leading-link suspension require periodic inspection for fatigue cracking, particularly on machines used off-road or on unpaved surfaces. The 2WD engagement mechanism on the Gear-Up adds a driveshaft and universal joint to the sidecar wheel, and these components wear faster than the main motorcycle final drive due to the angular loads involved. Sidecar wheel bearings and brake components wear at different rates than the motorcycle wheels due to the asymmetric loading inherent in sidecar operation.
Most replaced Ural parts
- Pushrod tube seals, cylinder base gaskets, and engine oil seals
- Valve adjustment shims and valve train components
- Stator, regulator/rectifier, and charging system components
- Wiring harnesses, electrical connectors, and switch assemblies
- EFI components: throttle position sensor, O2 sensor, fuel pump, ECU (2014+)
- Shaft drive universal joints, splines, and final drive seals
- Sidecar mounting hardware, leading-link suspension, and frame brackets
- Brake components: Brembo calipers, master cylinders, rotors, pads
- Wheel bearings (motorcycle and sidecar, all three wheels)
- Exhaust headers, mufflers, and heat shields
- Bodywork: fenders, sidecar body panels, windshield, spare tire carrier
Related Brands: BMW
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Frequently asked questions
Q: Do BMW airhead boxer parts fit a Ural?
The Ural engine was originally reverse-engineered from the 1938 BMW R71, but over 80 years of independent development the two platforms have diverged substantially. Some dimensional similarities remain in certain fastener patterns and bearing specifications, and individual components like sealed bearings or standard-sized O-rings may cross-reference. However, pistons, cylinders, crankshafts, camshafts, transmission gears, and most internal engine components are Ural-specific and do not interchange with BMW R-series airheads. Attempting to substitute BMW parts without verifying exact specifications risks engine damage.
Q: Are parts interchangeable across different Ural models (Gear-Up, CT, Patrol)?
Yes, within the same production era. All modern Ural models (2003-present) share the same engine, transmission, frame, shaft drive, and electrical architecture. The Gear-Up, CT, Patrol, Tourist, and Retro differ only in sidecar body style, equipment packages, paint, and accessories. Any engine, transmission, chassis, or electrical component from one modern Ural will fit another. The Gear-Up's 2WD sidecar drive components are specific to that model but can be retrofitted to other Ural sidecars with appropriate modification.
Q: What is the difference between carbureted and EFI Urals?
Urals produced before 2014 use Keihin carburetors, while 2014 and later models use Electrojector electronic fuel injection. The engine block, transmission, frame, and most mechanical components are the same between carbureted and EFI models. The EFI system adds a fuel pump (inside the tank), throttle body, ECU, throttle position sensor, oxygen sensor, and revised wiring harness. Carbureted intake manifolds, carburetors, and related components will not install on an EFI engine without converting the entire fuel delivery system.
Q: How many Urals are sold in the United States each year?
Annual U.S. Ural sales typically number in the low hundreds. Combined with the factory's total global production of approximately 1,000-1,500 units per year, the installed base of Urals in the U.S. is very small. This limited production volume directly impacts parts availability, as the manufacturer does not maintain the inventory depth of a major-volume brand. Salvage components from donor Ural outfits are correspondingly scarce and should be purchased when available rather than assumed to be restockable.
