Look, we've ridden an early version of one of these for about three tanks of gas. The water cooling is nice because it should mean there will be no warnings about accidentally overheating the engine by riding too fast for too long. We had it on the interstate several times, keeping up with 70 mph traffic. (Top speed was 79 mph according to an iPhone GPS speedometer app.) In that regard it's much like the legacy Urals, except that the Neo 500 has a lot more "overlap" between the gears, which helps make it easier to ride.

Yes, it uses a chain drive, which means the final drive maintenance will involve lubricating the chain regularly (every second tank of gas if you ride on dry streets, more often if it's wet or dusty) and replacing the chain and sprockets when they wear out.

The wheels are tubeless, and the tires are expected to be 120/90-17, which which means there will be a huge range of possibilities for rubber. We suspect 130/80-17 will also fit. So you'll be able to find options from high-mileage street tires to grabby off-road knobbies, and a simple plug kit and air pump will be enough to fix a flat in the middle of the woods (within reason).

More to come!