I have a chance to pick up a 2000 Ural rig for a good price. At least a price that will not make me regret it if I hate it. It is a 2000 with under 10K miles and single wheel drive.
I figure that the sidecar itself has to be worth at least $1500.00. And it is in very nice shape.
Are the lead link forks on these good? I mean, do they hold up? I figure that if the engine turns out to be junk, things like the forks should have value. If I can buy it right, I could retro-fit a BMW engine. Not sure if it will bolt up to the Ural tranny. Might be wise to convert the entire drive train.
A general question is are the 2000 Urals in the good range or the bad range?
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Rob
They are project bikes. Even were when they were new.
Hello Rob,
I have a 2013 and all people on the Sovietsteeds forum always say the 2007 and newer are the best ones.
In these days we put a 2007 model back on the road after it nearly killed the former owner...the 2007 behaves very nice so far. My 2013 needed about 21.000km to run in.
The 2007 is at 7260km like a virgin.
I would say. if you are a mechanical inclined person, research a bit on the forums and the former owner was a decent rider. you should have not much trouble except the things to expect like rubber parts, sticking clutch, stone hard tires. To free up carbon (piston head/rings, valves and engine inside) with Marvel Mystic Oil or Ballistol is the first thing to do before liquid changes head bolt re-torquing, valve checking, carburator syncronisation, ignition timing. Compression check before and after will tell you how urgently it was needed. The worst troubles caused in the 2007 was rust clinging the clutch in disengaged position.
Keep us informed and we might preach you through the project.
Good luck.
Sven
The partol was the top of the line best model in 2002.
On my brand new off the shelf 2002 two wheel drive Patrol, I kept a repair log. By the time I had 5,000 miles on it I had more hours of mantainence that I had hours in the saddle.
After it ate the alternator for the third time and all the timing gears, I had had enough. When they sent me the new timing gears, I unwrapped them from the oil cloth they came in and found that they had not even deburred them after machining. I used a very soft stone in a dremel and deburred them. I used a dial indicator to set the backlash when I put it together and it started on the first turn. It purred more quietly than any Ural I had ever heard. By then I had changed out most of the electrics, relays, fuze box, etc. for Bosch units and american wiring. The Russian wiring was brittle and tended to fracture inside the insulation causing electric problems that were hard to trace because of their intermittent nature. When I bought it, it came with a very complete tool kit. It needed it. It came with extra adjustment bolts for the rocker arms. The metallurgy was such that they tended to break too. I used three of them in the first 5,000 miles. Most motorcycles NEVER break one. What I began doing was when ever any part was removed, I put it back on using American made metric bolts and nuts. By the time I had replaced the third alternator and the timing gears, It was probably a much better machine than when it was new.
But my patience had run out. I traded it for a Motoguzzi.
As Jim says in other words. If the first owner did not do his homework to "educate" the rig it can cause you grey hair.
If he did his job well the the worst issues should be sorted out by now.
I have seen it with my own Sophie Travelair the 2013 Patrol. The first weeks in Oregon she sounded like a concrete mixer filled with loose nuts and bolts.
After the final drive switch at 5000km, eliminating the vacuum petcock, setting up the jetting right, making my own DIY foam airfilter and a few other improvements, the baby is running better from day to day.
When something comes along anaylse and sort trouble out by its ROOT, then you will educate your rig how she should be...
The right touch and thoughtful work can make marvels out of these rigs.
Then they become better from day to day like a good wine.
The first Ural in Costa Rica is from 1974 and was bought by a German in Kazakhstan in 93. He brought it around the Pacific via Siberia and Alaska. Its his daily ride as rig and solo, when You meet it it looks ugly, but it sounds like a sewing machine (it must have made at least 3 times the round on the speedometer).
The oldest Ural I met in in the USA was a cute 1986 with no further fail since 1990 and something like 85.000km on the clock.
So my advise is to have a close look to the first owners attitude and knowledge, bring with you somebody who knows about the brand and inspect everything and ask questions. If the owner gives sober advice without hesitating and the engine sound and state are coherent then you might make a good pick. that still asks from you a steep learning curve.
But if the first owner is evading and tells nonsense, or you observe "improvements" or "fixes" that do not make sense ...then stay away from the bike.
Since my Norton Commando I never again bought a used bike, but there are bikes out there with a 100.000km that are well worth any cent you put into them...it all depends on the touch of the owner!
(the persons who bought my second hand cars in the past (except one) always received better units then when I got them myself...2 of my cars and the CB650 made many years more,,,the micro bus I am offering for sale these days will be good for some 10 to 15 years more, allbeight its is just a Hyundai)
Sven
Thanks for the clear and objective comments. The owner is a woman and knows nothing about the rig. She just rode it and said it never failed her. But from the time she bought it in 2008 used with 7K miles on it until 2010 when she had to stop riding due to health issues, she only put 700 miles on it.
She's moving and cannot bring it with her. Plus, because of the health issues, really cannot throw her weight around on a rig like she used to. I have mixed emotions because I feel like I'm taking advantage of her. But like any other situation like this, if I don't buy it cheap enough to make me happy, somebody else will.
She's come to grips with what the bike is worth. She's also realizing that letting it sit for 5 years was not a good idea. But it was in a heated basement and only recently was put outside. Tank had been lined by a local shop that I get the feeling was a crook. She said she paid a lot of money to have it done and I was able to scrap it off the tunnel with my fingernail. So, the tank will need some work and might need replacement. All therapy for me so although that will inhibit a quick return to running condition, it won't be a show stopper.
I figure if the bike turns out to be a anchor, and I get it for the right price, which would be less than the sidecar value alone, then I'm in good shape and it would be a fun project. As I mentioned, I've considered the option of repowering it with a BMW engine if the bike turns out to put a smile on my face.
I had dismissed the Ural/R71 style sidecar because it just did not look pretty enough for me. But I sat in a 560 Velo a few weeks ago and have to say that it was just too tiny. I'm 5'10, 185lbs and I did not really get into the Velo... I put it on. And it was a bugger to get in and out of. The Ural car was much easier to enter and exit.
I've posted a similar inquiry on the Soviet Steeds site. I'm looking for 2000 model year specific info. AdvRider has a rant from a poster who has had two that makes you want to run as fast as you can from any Ural. He talks of brake failures, frame/swingarm cracking which truly makes one thing long and hard. But he might just be a natural complainer or he beat the living tar out of his bikes. Even the Beemers on the Long Way Around broke frame members.
Well, I'll see if she takes my offer. If not, no big deal.
Stay tuned...
Rob
PS: Oh no!!! I did mix up a name....Bural is the man who put Beemer engines into Urals...Big excuse me...I forgot who was the other ranter
Hello Rob,
the ranter might be ..(x)... or Bokad, both just telling nonsense! Had been banned from Sovietsteeds forum... not for nothing.
Tank fixture: stones into it, mount it on a concrete mixer and let it turn in all directions for 1/2hour....clean out and cover with recine that is used for fiber glass work... worked fine for me in several tanks...
Sven
Well, I'm officially a twisted member of society. Ural is in the garage.
Good tip on the cement mixer. I'm a fan of sheetrock screws and then phosphoric acid. Hate to lone tanks, but this one gives me no choice. This will be job #1 so I can clean the carbs and install new fuel lines and forget about that piece.
Did not notice it had Keihin carbs until today. That was a nice surprise.
Tomorrow is supposed to be gorgeous, so will wash and degrease it so I can give it a good thorough inspection.
Wife loves it. Thinks it is "adorable". Was not expecting that adjective in reference to a Ural.
Regards,
Rob
Herzlichen Glückwunsch Rob, jetzt heist es lernen und Schritt für Schritt das Mädchen wieder auf die Beine zu bringen...Meinst Du nicht auch Jim?
Congratulations Rob, now its time to learn and to bring step by step that girl back on her feet. ..Don't you think so too, Jim?
By the way I mean it serious. first things first...don't mix up the logical order of checking and fixing things. Take care, when you retorque the head studs...with the originally indicated values for the head torque you are too close to a value that rips out the studs...there are several threads about that point in the Sovietsteeds forum.
Then the gunk and fouled oil might be a bad issue too. As suggestion I would mix Marvel Mystery Oil in the indicated 20% ratio and before starting the engine pump it through the the engine (WITHOUT IGNITION) for quite a while before the first ignition test. Then double check that oil is really reaching the heads.
After 500 to 1000km throw out that oil and go with good mineral oil at normal intervals until the engine is broken in in a good manner. (Sophie's engine had trouble as she got filled up with synthetic oil WAY too early and the engine did free up only after 17.000km, She is running well since 22.000km) To consider synthetic oil later after running is a question of personal taste and depends a lot on climate and riding conditions too. (in high mountain range synthetic oil does make you loose engine breaking)
The about 20 opened engines I observed in the different shops on our trip had mostly the same trouble; seized left cylinders at 15 to 13.000km...let her rev so the oil can be thrown everywhere by the moving parts...the oil pump delivers a ridiculous low amount of oil. The left cylinder head comes to reasonable temperatures as soon you convert to a manual petcock...That vacuum hose causes trouble.
Ahh and the tank...when no concrete mixer around...have happy sour and long arms....:O
How was it? No pictures=it didn't happen?
Sven 😉
Correction above...I mixed up names.
I have been ridding a ural retro for 14 years now. The only ting that was the factory fault is the drive shaft went bad in the first year. The worst thing about the ural is every one think that they can work on the when they don't know what they are doing. So they keeping working on them till they are broke. There is a lot of thing that can go wrong with them. but a lot don't have to. Just think thing through before you jump in to anything.
Lloyd
lwcollmann - 4/13/2015 9:31 AM
I have been ridding a ural retro for 14 years now. The only ting that was the factory fault is the drive shaft went bad in the first year. The worst thing about the ural is every one think that they can work on the when they don't know what they are doing. So they keeping working on them till they are broke. There is a lot of thing that can go wrong with them. but a lot don't have to. Just think thing through before you jump in to anything.
Lloyd
How many miles do you have on your ural retro?
Not that many I have 4 bikes so I split the riding up with what I am doing. Do the 3x3x3 rides in spring and the one in the fall and just local riding. Take the moto giuzzi sidecar rig to rallies.. also the Honda trike. You just have to ride the ural for what are made fore. The splash oiling system will not stand up at fast speed for a long distance. That is how a lot people ruin there motors. They will take a lot but not a lot of hi speed.
Lloyd
I'm using the wife's iPad. Will post pics tomorrow.
Mileage is actually 4800. Odo is in Km and reads 7800. Splash lube is not very encouraging. PO use Motul 15w50.
Regards,
Rob
I heard that on Russian bikes ( Ural and Dnepr I had one of each) the left cylinder would not get as much oil as the right side because of the way the splash system operated. That is why on both of mine I would occasionally fly the chair to help wet the inside of the piston.
