Whats the difference???

As far as fit and finish are concerned, the URAL wins hands down. Unlike the Dnepr the URAL has had a lot of feedback from the American public due to the involvement of URAL America who used to be the US distributor for their product.
The upgrades of electronic ignition, self starters, the Mikuni carbs and many other now available Ural items are due to their acting on the feedback from The gang at URAL America and the feedback from their US customers before the Russians took the company back over.
The Dnepr bikes and sidecars were basically the same but URAL moved into the late 20th century with their product and quality control.
The Russian castings and machining are still present, however. The URAL costs more because they are worth more.
If you want the best of both worlds, keep your Beemer and add a URAL Classic sidecar. That way you get German workmanship on the bike and a hellova nice Russian built sidecar with pre-WW2 German styling.
If you opt for a two wheeled drive rig, be prepared to cruise at 45mph or so.

I do plan on keeping my beemer, but was thinking of adding a Ural. What is the reason these rigs only travel at 45 MPH? I'm assuming that it is best to buy a later model Ural if buying one also because of all of the upgrades? I have read alot about all of the draw backs to Urals, but it sure seems like a lot of people are satisfied with'em, looking at the Riders of the Eastern Front website. Are they really that bad of a rig?

For the purpose designed and used sensibly the later models are quite dependable. Just how dependable is the result of 1939 technology. A 1939 Ford or Chevy is quite dependable also if in restored shape but not at all comparable to a vehicle with 21st century technology.
I liked my restored ground up 1950 Panhead, but the highway likes my 2003 FXDL a lot better and I don't have to carry spares and tools when I leave the shop with it to make sure I get back home.

Like the flat fendered Jeeps, the 2 wheel drive rigs are designed for the backroads not the superslab. Low horsepower and extra drivetrain equate to lower highway speeds. (Add wind resistance).

If you loft the chair and land under power with the two wheel drive rigs there is also a possibility of losing a spline or gear or two. At least they have been known to do this in the past.

The Dnepr and Ural were once similar creatures. There are now differences in braking systems, engine displacement, and fit and finish.

As for the 45MPH cruising speed that is a fairly accurate number for the 650cc engine and driven side car rig. Any addition to the basic drive system requires trade offs. To drive the sidecar wheel effectively you need to split power to both wheels to achieve that without excessive power loss you need to increase rear wheel torque by reducing final drive gearing. That will reduce your overall top end speed.

I don't have a russian rig but an older Brit design. I modified my transmission by swapping in enduro gears. 1st and 2nd gear are much lower but thrid and fourth remain the same. My top speed is reduced with the side car from what the bike had without it. But the torque increase in the lower gear range makes taking off evben easier.

Larry - Almost like computers, things have changed very fast in the Ural world and what you were told two years ago is very dated information. The new 750 will cruise at 70 mph all day with a 250 lb rider and gear; they have Brembo front disk brakes, modern electrics, and handle on and off road conditons very well. The best place to learn about them is at the Ural website at:

http://www.imz-ural.com/

The website has an outstanding and very frank discussion forum, and any questions you could possibly imagine will be answered completely.

As for Dnepers; unless you're looking for a rebuilding/machining project, and are a very qualified mechanic, I'd avoid one of those like the plague.

Jim

Not saying anyone is incorrect in what they said, but I have to admit that I have never heard of any 750cc Ural cruising all day long at 70MPH and with a full load. I believe that 55-65 MPH is a bit more realistic than 70 MPH, even on the new 750's. Not that they can't reach speeds of 70 MPH, but they have a top end sweet spot that is a bit lower, I suspect.

this is just my personal opinion and your experience with Urals may be quite different. The Urals have indeed made some great strides in the past two years, but the overall dealership network is still sadly lagging behind, depending upon what part of the country you are located in. The Urals will surpass the Dneprs in almost any category presently, but the tug added to a BMW is a great fit and probably the best of both worlds. Probably the worst problems of the Ural are "fix-at-home" type of troubles with electrical glitches and such. They are machines that will take some "at home" tinkering to keep them up at their best. If you have any mechanical skills and like that sort of challenge, then the Urals can be a good thing. The 2 year warranty is good as well and the rigs come with a lot of extras as standard equipment that other sidecar setups do not offer. The pricing, although higher this year, is still a good buy for the buck. You have to decide for yourself if the Ural will meet your needs. If you are a "highway slab" type of guy, then it is not likely the "back road" Ural will do that for you. They love cold weather, but can be lugged easily in hot weather and take a bit to learn all the glitches they seem to have. They had a hard fast group of foil heads at the website who really love them and will easily give opinions as to their strengths and weaknesses.

Stateside, I suspect the Ural is truly the better buy than the Dnepr. Both are probably a lot of fun to own and play about with. Still, the best piece of advise I ever personally got at the website was that, "Urals are not for everyone." Unless the dealership issue are resolved, then that phrase is highly accurate. Many of the dealerships do not just deal in Urals. Many deal in ATV's, lawn tractors, weedeaters and hardware and Urals are really only a sideline for them. The overall sales of Urals is not overly great in the USA presently, so when you divide all the states by sales, you can easily see that Urals are indeed a nitch market and are much more prevelant in the upper regions of the states. It takes a certain type of person to own one and ownership can be great for them. The foilheads are a dedicated group and highly positive in promoting the product.

Before actually purchasing one, I'd strongly suggest that you first determine what your exact needs are in a sidecar rig. Also, check out the website and find out what dealers are good and which are not (bad dealerships are not exclusive to Urals, so find out which ones are good in your area). Look at other BMWs with Ural rigs as well. In other words, do some research before letting your heart make a purchase that your mind should decide. David Hough just did an article in MCN that rates the Patrol. It may be worth looking over as you decide. Although overall favorable, it still points out some areas he felt needed attention.

I love the Urals, but the Texas dealerships I have visited have to be the worst possible examples of their sales efforts. Aside from a poor dealership network to some states, I do actually love the Urals. Service before and after the sale is just as important to me as having a bike that operates well all the time. Unfortuantely, I had three bad experiences in a row in dealing with Texas Ural dealerships and people who work on Urals. My wife was with me each time and now would not let me purchase a Ural if my life depended upon it. She is totally turned off from them, but I still love the looks and the machine. The accurate phrase that, "Urals are not for everyone" does not mean you still can't like the rig. It just implies that you really need to know what your expectations of your future purchase actually are.

Huey:

I wouldn't have believed Urals can cruise at 70+ mph either until my friend Dennis and I took a ride across California's central vally into the Sierra Nevada's. It was everything I could do with my BMW R75/7 to just keep up with him on his Ural Retro. We were definatly racking up the miles at 70+, and even 75+, for long periods of time on all types of roads. I'll guess our round trip was something on the order of 300 miles or so. For me crusing at that speed over long distances on an old sidecar was a new experience; for Dennis it was business as usual. Dennis is a large man (I'd say 6'4, 275++), we were carrying full camping equipment, and Dennis always carries extra riding gear, spare parts, extra fuel, oil, jacks, tools, etc., etc. etc.

So there you have it. If a Ural 750 owner says he can't cruise at 70, he needs to tune up his ride of get a stronger wrist.

Jim

To expand the Ural/Dnieper comparison a bit: have other people heard that the Chinese-made version, called the Chang Jiang, is better quality than either of the Russian versions? I've seen that claim in various forums & postings; don't know if it's true or not.

I do know, however, that my little Chinese-made copy of the Honda XL/XR-125 (called the Jialing JH125L) has been superbly reliable. I've used it year-round to haul my 280-lbs up the REALLY steep little mountain where I live, and in 7 years my total repairs have come to a $15 voltage regulator sort of thingy and two new tires. Aside from routine servicing (annual oil changes, valve & chain tension adjustments, etc.) that's IT for repair bills.

This experience with the "Chinese Honda" might or might not prove anything concerning the quality of the "Chinese pre-war BMW" -- but I'm impressed enough I'd sure take a look at the Chang Jiang before I handed over money for a Ural/Dneiper.

I guess it is all in what meets your personal needs, but the CJ is even less known in the US than the Ural. I think with the CJ you will find many of the same problems of Ural or Dneprs in an almost total lack of dealership network stateside. I think the Ural will fair better in most regards, but you are correct, in that the CJ is certainly something to look at if a complete rig is what you long for. I am not sure if the CJ's are in the same class as Dneprs in being considered kit bikes. If so, then the Ural has them beat as a package, I suspect.

Although I can't outright address much of what you say about them by any first hand knowledge, I can't say I have ever heard wonderful things about them at any website I have gone to. I checked them out when I was initially thinking of purchasing either a Ural or Royal Enfield rig. I don't believe that is necessarily bad, but the numbers in sales in the US probably means the people here who could rate them fairly just aren't about in order to do so. Me, personally, I'd put my bucks into a Ural before I chanced a CJ, but a CJ would still be an interesting rig to own and operate. I don't think you will find many Ural owners who rate the CJ's very well, but they are likely prejudiced just a smidge, huh? 🙂
Huey

The chinese cars all seem to have elliptic or quarter elliptic leaf springing. Good for loading, not as good for ride control as the coil over shock trailing link suspension system that the russian cars have.
Fit and finish of the chinese cars leaves a lot to be desired. Like the Sputnik cars(and Dneprs)they are more than spartan, upholstery and fitting-wise.
Of all the current BMW clones you can't beat the URAL for QC and passenger comfort.