Ural or Velorex with a 1200 Sportster

If you are going to put the Velorex on a Sportster you should read this article http://www.dmcsidecars.com/the-result-of-improper-sidecar-mounting-and-the-proper-fix/
Jay G
DMC sidecars
www.dmcsidecars.com
866-638-1793

I've never owned a Ural and all I know about Urals is what I have read, but I have had a couple Sportsters. Both of mine were trouble free and required nothing more than routine maintenance, oil, filters, brake pads, etc. My first Sportster was an '86 883 and I rode it hard. I put over 40,000 miles on it in less than two years, and most of that on twisty mountain roads trying to see just how fast I could go. Did not have one single problem with it. My wife put over 90,000 miles on her '97 1200 Sportster with no problems. Ridden a lot easier than I rode mine, but loaded down heavy on many long trips. I'd expect a 1200 Sportster to have somewhat more power and require less maintenance than a Ural. Another consideration might be the availability of parts and service for the Ural. Harley dealers are everywhere, not so much for the Ural. Not a big deal if you're not doing long trips.
What year Sportster are you considering? After 2004 the motors are rubber mounted for less vibration.

Thanks. I was looking at a 06 sportster 1200 a coworker is selling. Definitely prefer the ride quality with the rubber mounted engine and frame combo, having put many miles on my 883.

That's a good point about the parts access for Urals.

A Sportster rig can make a better "highway" rig than a Ural, but a Ural rig will be better for marginal/unpaved roads, as the frame/rigging is likely more robust than a Velorex combination.

Our first rig was a 2002 rigid-mount XL883R mated to a Texas Ranger sidecar. It was a good rig that became a great rig after two modifications: 1) gear it down with a smaller front pulley - with a 1200, simply replace with an 883 pulley; and 2) modified triple trees to reduce trail - worth every penny, at least in my opinion. This 883R/Texas combination is a fantastic rig within is limits - here is pic from back in 2012 after both gearing & steering modifications:

Wow, you're really selling me on just continuing on with the Velorex/Sportster combo. Swampfox, how did the bike do at highway speeds? I am thinking 65-75 mph at times to stay with the flow of traffic. Also, you stated within the limits of the setup, what limits did you encounter?

Thx.

The only engine modification on the 883R was a Screamin' Eagle intake with re-jet, installed primarily to eliminate the blow-by oil on my britches and the side of the engine. The rig was comfortable for extended riding -as to power, economy and drying dynamics- up to say, 62 mph, but i did a few ~100 mile interstate runs at ~67mph. Top speed was ~76 mph - it would've gone faster with more engine tuning. However, the riding experience diminished over 65mph, and air drag takes a toll on fuel economy as speed increases. Typical cruise for me was ~57 mph with ~42 mpg - 67 mph would drop fuel economy to ~34 mpg - a significant difference with a 3.3 gallon tank.

Also re: Limits: The Sportster/Texas rig drives and handles great, but it's not a "sport" rig - that is, you learn to flow with the curves rather than attack 'em.

And re: Power: I concur with Bueller's statement some years ago re: his 883/Spyder rig: I occasionally wished from more power, but never really needed more power.

I have an 01 883C with an 80ish Velorex sidecar . Love the combo , no problems with it on the interstate. I am not fast by any means but I can run 75mph all day . Have been riding it for 6 years now

Wvsporty, nice looking rig.
What size wheel is on the the Velorex?

I converted it to a utility trailer axle , tire and wheel. the axle is rated at 2100 lbs. It's a 12" tier and wheel I had two tone painted to match the rig.

this link should give you some more info. http://sidecar.com/mbbs22/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=13145&posts=25#M84283