I was on a road trip this weekend with Laura visiting different restaurants in the Wisconsin and Illinois area. You can check that out over on my food blog if you are interested.
While walking around Kenosha near Lake Michigan, we spotted what looks like a ‘10 or ‘11 Ural outside of a local coffee shop. I like the color scheme on this one a lot. I didn’t try to talk to the owner. He seemed occupied in conversation already. It was such a nice day out for riding. I kinda wished I was on one of my motorcycles instead of in the car.
After we left Kenosha and started to head south along the Lake, I started to recognize some of the scenery. I was here several years ago with my friend Sharon. We had tried to visit the Wisconsin Motorcycle Museum, but it was closed.
It was open this time for a few more minutes, so we stopped in to check it out. It really wasn’t what I expected. It was mostly a motorcycle clothing and parts store with some interesting motorcycles on display between the helmets and coats.
They had several bimotas. This was was interesting to look at because of the front swingarm instead of the usual forks.
A closer look at the front suspension setup.
And another bimota with the full fairing on. I’m curious how they handle when riding. Maybe someday I will get the chance to try one.
Have you ridden a bike with unique suspension before?
That suspension is quite something. I too wonder how it would handle.
ReplyDeleteNice find on the Ural. Must be a custom paint job.
I looked up bimotas for sale. Most are over 25,000... crazy.
DeleteInteresting leading arm suspension. I take it that there's a real benefit to the complexity. Maybe less flexibility and anti-dive. Pretty cool.
ReplyDeleteA colleague in the Denver area has a similar suspension setup on his K1200 with a sidecar. And a tie rod to the sidecar wheel so it steers as well. He says that it has excellent handling at high speed. He also has a Ural for the not-so-high-speeds.
The leading arm suspension is interesting indeed. I wonder how it is on two wheels since more motorcycles don't use it, especially racing bikes.
DeleteI think it would be decent on a sidecar. I wonder how it compares to the leading link with a spring on each side (ie: Ural style).
I'd like a higherspeed sidecar... Maybe I should dig the ural out and ride it down a big hill haha