2019 Ural Gear Up Air LE
Not like the Macbook
If not a lighter, slimmer version of the Gear Up, what could the Ural Gear Up Air be? A $17,999 launch pad for a drone! That’s what! The latest limited edition Ural to be announced from our Russian comrades (the Americanized ones in Redmond, Washington at least) is the Ural Gear Up Air, a brand mashup from none other than: DJI, a popular drone manufacturer; Ram Mounts, a manufacturer of mounts of all sorts; and Stratasys, experts in the 3D printing and manufacturing landscape. The cool thing about paying $18k for a drone launchpad, is that you also get a fun sidecar motorcycle out of the deal. Essentially a rolling Russian command post for your surveillance drone!
The Ural Gear Up Air comes with all of your favorite Gear Up features such as two-wheel drive, auxiliary lights, a trunk, and smashing good looks, but now, with the Air, you get a whole host of features for (drone) pilots everywhere to geek out over.
Stratasys built and designed a drone launch pad which is integrated into the top of the Gear Up’s sidecar. Simply flip the switch mounted inside of the sidecar and gas-charged shocks lift the door to reveal a DJI Spark drone ready for lift off. “The drone compartment, made by Stratasys, is a perfect showcase of the advantages of direct digital manufacturing solutions.” says Ural. Surely the collaboration between the two companies will be rewarding for both parties involved.
The DJI Spark is the drone manufacturer’s entry-level model, which is easy to use, has plenty of features such as flight detection of objects, a return home feature (should the battery run low and the drone needs time to fly back to its launch location), HD wi-fi video connection displaying 720p while in flight, and a two-axis mechanical gimbal stabilizing its f/2.6 wide-angle lens which is capable of shooting 1080p and 12mp photography.
Of course, sending your little whizzing spy machine into orbit without first checking and calculating for windage would be a mistake only rookie flyboys would make. Thankfully, Ural has once again thought of everything with proper wind tracking technology included with the Ural Gear Up Air: a selfie-stick with a windsock attached to it.
The Air is set to arrive in US dealers November 2018, and the Russians are limiting production to only 40 units worldwide. Like other limited edition models, when they gone, they gone. Learn more about the Ural Air LE here.
Ryan’s time in the motorcycle industry has revolved around sales and marketing prior to landing a gig at Motorcycle.com. An avid motorcyclist, interested in all shapes, sizes, and colors of motorized two-wheeled vehicles, Ryan brings a young, passionate enthusiasm to the digital pages of MO.
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What a mish-mash of technology from opposite ends of the spectrum. Seems a carrier pigeon would be more akin to the Ural's technology. Can the bike keep up with the drone? Could be a useful upgrade, though. Getting nice footage of when your swing-arm breaks, your clutch or transmission goes out, or anything else the bike does to leave you stranded, as Urals are known to do (speaking from experience). Maybe get a message out to someone who can help you.
Every time I see a Ural I think I want one, then I look up prices. Disappointed, I begin snooping Craigslist for an old ujm to slap a sidecar onto, knowing it will be much faster and way more reliable.