"I've had new and I've had old, and baby, new is betta' To paraphrase a famous black singer.
Look at what they are now getting for sport tourers - $14,000 and up. Harleys are coming out at around $1500, though a mild 1200 Sportster is somewhat lower in price. Of course it is partly a question of the delivered price, which may be higher or lower.
I would suggest that at a price of about $9K the new Ural represents pretty fair value. For one thing, the upgrades over the years have focused on known accessories, such as brakes, forks and rear suspension. The Ural has had its teething problems but I don't think the quality is all that bad.
There seems to be a close similarity between the coming along of the Ural since WWII, and the development of the Royal Enfield during this same period (about). Is Russian engineering and manufacture likely to be that much worse than Indian engineering and manufacture? It seems they have taken similar courses. And what other true retro bikes are available? The Jawa from, is it, Czechoslovakia.?
I, of course, don't look to having collection of bikes. I look only to having one well running bike that will meet expectations. Possibly I would have two if a disparate set of riding conditions were in my daily life. So I would pay what needed to be paid to have either a new bike, or one damn near new. This new Ural would be too much bike for me here on my island, but would certainly make sense in the U.S. Having a servicing dealer around the corner would be nice, but I could make do with one farther afield.
The Ural has always been a close favorite for many members of this forum. Many have or have had Urals at some stage, and there are Ural dealers who handle RE. You might think of it as 'alternative biking" - alternative to the more flashy marketplace.