“For West is where we all plan to go some day. It is where you go when the land gives out and the old-field pines encroach. It is where you go when you get the letter saying: Flee, all is discovered. It is where you go when you look down at the blade in your hand and the blood on it. It is where you go when you are told that you are a bubble on the tide of empire. It is where you go when you hear that thar’s gold in them-thar hills. It is where you go to grow up with the country. It is where you go to spend your old age. Or it is just where you go.”
—Robert Penn Warren 
Motorcycling has always been synonymous with exploration. Those of us to dare to take to the roads, teeming with distracted and reckless drivers, require nerves of steel. We're the ones who are unafraid to take the road less traveled, and we do it frequently. There's nothing quite like exploring somewhere new on a motorcycle. Being so exposed and out there you get to connect on a different level. The new smells and the wind/sun/rain in your face allow you to connect on a deeper level. Ural Motorcycles were initially built to take its riders through Russia where the roads or poor, or more often than not, completely non-existent. Urals were necessary to navigate and transport gear throughout the rough countryside.
This year’s limited edition Ural is a wistful homage to a past age. The 2013 American West-inspired limited edition Ural Gaucho Rambler, a motorcycle created in collaboration with Pendleton Woolen Mills. The color is new, chosen by Pendleton, and is named Pacific Blue. The bike comes with sunburned canvas upholstery and a “Journey West” blanket by Pendleton. The Gaucho Rambler is equipped with Ural’s legendary 2wd capability to overcome adverse terrains. This is a bike ready for the long road and the spiritual journey devoid of stuff. No need to pack, no need to prepare, there’s nothing to do but go.
The Ural site explains the inspiration for the Gaucho Rambler; "With nothing more than their horse, a knife, and a poncho, the cowboys of the Americas, or gauchos as there known elsewhere, rambled through the country, living off the land, taking each day as it came, always on a journey towards the sunset. The rebel spirit of the gaucho is very much in the heart and soul of each Ural. Taking to the road, with no specific goal in mind is something every rider longs for…"
There's no question any of us seeking a motorcycle adventure could go swoop up a brand new adventure bike like the BMW GS, Triumph Tiger or any of the other great modern adventure bikes. They would do the job just fine, but there's just something about a vintage-inspired bike like the Gaucho Rambler that speaks to the soul. The Iron and Resin crew mounted surf racks onto their Ural and charged down the Baja Peninsula in search of cold beer, uncrowded waves and good times. Now that's an adventure, and we want in!
