Uraling to Ohio

[Moto Guzzi]

I bought my 2013 Gear Up in March of 2018 and had planned to attend the annual Heindl Engineering Ural Open House and Rally last year.  Life interfered and I was unable to go.  This year I vowed to make the trip.  It's a little over 500 miles one-way (non-interstate) from my house to Heindl Engineering.  I decided to spend 2 days riding up, go to the Open House and then 2 days riding back home.  About 2 weeks before I left I did a full service on the Gear Up, oil and filter change, trans and final drive fluids changed, air cleaner service, valve check, greased splines and u-joints etc etc... 

I left home on Thursday July 25th and headed north.

Loaded up and ready to go.  If I was heading out on a moto-camping trip it would be very evident, with saddlebags, duffle bag and tank bag strapped on the bike.  With the Ural it's not so obvious, only clue was the blue tarp I had folded and strapped to the luggage rack.  The sidecar and trunk hold a lot of gear!


Riding up AL Hwy 79


Stopped for a bit at the new Locust Fork river overlook in Cleveland.


Crossing Lake Guntersville




I continued onto US 72, heading towards Tennessee


And soon crossed the state line at South Pittsburg/Kimball TN


I picked up TN 28 just north of Kimball and headed to US 127 in Dunlap, TN.  After a brief stint on US 127 I turned off on TN 111 and followed it all the way to Kentucky.










At the Kentucky state line I picked up US 127 again and rode a short distance to my stopping point on the first day, Kendall Campground at Wolf Creek Dam






Kendall Campground was nice, shaded sites, very pleasant check-in folks and the amenities were in good shape.

[Moto Guzzi]

On Friday I left Kendall Campground, heading back out on US 127.




Waited about 30 min for a traffic accident to be cleared.  I shut down the Ural and went and sat on the guardrail. It was getting hot sitting in the full sun wearing all my gear.  If this guy had only pulled up a few feet I could have shared the shade too!  LOL.


Accident cleared and we are moving again.  Motoring through Kentucky.








In northern Kentucky I turned off on KY 35 and followed back roads through Sparta, KY and across the river into Indiana.  I crossed into Ohio at Elizabethtown, finally arriving at Heindl Engineering around 6pm.  Set up camp and hung out with the others who had already arrived.

[Moto Guzzi]

The Open House on Saturday was great.  It was very cool seeing so many Urals together at the same place.  Lots of interesting modifications and accessories to check out on the other rigs in attendance.  A lot of folks left with some really neat grab bags and prizes from the hourly and 3pm door prize drawings.  The Heindl's are super nice folks and put on a great event.  The food was good (especially the homemade sticky buns that were available in the morning, don't think they lasted very long!).  Couldn't have asked for better weather.   

Early arrivals on Saturday morning.


More folks showed up as the day wore on






The Wilkinson Brothers/Good Spark Garage were in attendance with this cool Dodge panel delivery truck and sidecar bicycle.  I believe the boys to the right of the truck built the bicycle outfit themselves




More rigs!

[Moto Guzzi]

 I stayed over Saturday night at Heindl, 5 of us camped and hung out, telling tall tales and swapping lies into the night. 

Heading out on Sunday morning.






Ron, who has a 2018 Ural, lives near Florence, KY. He was one of the Saturday night campers and rode with me until he needed to turn off.  We decided to go straight through downtown Cincinnati on US 127 instead of the circuitous route I followed on Friday.  Ron warned me that the route signs would probably be non-existent in downtown.  Sure enough the signs disappeared.  While trying to get back on US 127 we turned around in a parking lot and found someone's hairpiece in a plastic bag laying there.  Must have been a wild night!  lol.  Ron eventually got us back on track and led us across the river into Kentucky.   






After Ron turned off I continued on US 127 heading back to Kendall Campground for the night.








At camp that evening I had a nice visit from a family with 4 kids.  Their daughter and one of their sons were fascinated by the sidecar.

[Moto Guzzi]

On Monday I left Kendall Campground and headed back to Alabama.  I basically retraced my route down US 127, TN 111, US 72 and AL 79. Didn't take as many pictures on the return trip. I do have a video of crossing the dam and will post it once I get it edited down to something watchable.

Across Wolf Creek Dam one more time


Down US 127




Back on TN 111.  A really scenic road even though much of it is 4 lane hwy.








I was soon back in Alabama on US 72 and making the final run home




And across Lake Guntersville again.  From here it was about 55 miles home.  I was back home around 3:30pm.  About 1,050 miles total.  The Ural did not miss a lick and ran great the whole trip.




I really enjoyed the Open House and am planing on returning next year!

[Chitza]

Great to see you riding and sharing the tale. Thanks, Moto Guzzi!

[Scooter]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing the trip with us!

[klaviator]

That looks like a fun trip.  I like the idea of going on long trips without getting on the interstate.  What speed does your rig comfortably cruise at?

[Moto Guzzi]

It will do 65+ if I push it, most comfortable around 55-60.  Less on hills...lol.  Where the limit was 60-65 I just stayed out of the way of faster moving traffic.  The newer EFI rigs will run a bit faster.  The owner of Heindl Engineering has had a stock 2019 up to 85+, GPS verified.

[Nice Goat]

Awesome report!  This is the first time that I have imagined myself riding a Ural.

[Guidedawg]

Thanks for the report and pics; that looked like a lot of fun!

[lazeebum]

Nice ride report and pictures.