Ural introduces limited edition 'Mir'

Russia-built Ural bikes are well known for being robust, go-anywhere motorcycles and are almost always offered with sidecars and camouflage and military paint jobs.

This time around, the brand’s latest 2014 Limited Edition model has taken inspiration from explorations in outer space. In addition to what Ural calls the Orbital White Metallic paint, the Ural Mir features a solar panel affixed atop the nose of the sidecar.

Its job is to act as a battery charger or as a source of power for accessories. It can be removed though and the space utilized as a luggage rack. Dual high-intensity LEDs are also fitted on the sidecar and windshields are available for both rider and sidecar passenger.

The Mir also comes equipped with an emergency repair wrench onboard, complete with an embedded QR code for very special “when all else fails” emergency repair instructions.

Only 20 two-wheel-drive, right side sidecar units are being made and all of them will be available in the US from November. Urals still look retro, but have become more modern in recent years with the addition of disc brakes, LED lights and electronic fuel injection.