Originally written by SidecarMike on 9/14/2008 10:47 AM
Motorcycles and cars are a poor comparison.
The first time HD filed for bankruptcy was because they couldn't compete with Henry Ford. A Model T sold for less money than a new Harley. A new Goldwing today sells for more than many midsized cars. One is produced by the hundreds of thousands, the other isn't.
You are correct, it was a poor comparison. They really are two different beasts. Some days I drive one.... some days the other, but I LOOK for reasons to drive the Ural, where as with the Toyota I drive it pretty much because I need to go some or do something the Ural isn't well suited to. The fun factor with the Ural is "Priceless".
I have a buddy in his late 50's that is nicest guy you'll meet, who has been riding since he could lift his leg over and commutes daily on the bike. When he puts on his leathers and half helmet, as soon as he straddles the bike (he's currently on a stratoliner) he has a look on his face that says "I'll kill the next guy who talks to me". I asked him about it and he said "it's old school tradition, you wouldn't understand". He's right, I don't 🙂
Back to the Urals..... I noticed that the factory windscreen says "off-road use only"? Is this a DOT issue? Are there any aftermarket manufacturers making accessories for Urals?
Thanks,
Bill
Originally written by welnet on 9/14/2008 1:25 PM
Back to the Urals..... I noticed that the factory windscreen says "off-road use only"? Is this a DOT issue? Are there any aftermarket manufacturers making accessories for Urals?Thanks,
Bill
There are many that use that windscreen on road with no problems. I bought a different screen from Holopaw Gene 
ointusa.com/gallerymore.asp?id=209234&page=&galleryid=25608 that also fits. It has less cowling and doesn't wrap the headlight
"Back to the Urals..... I noticed that the factory windscreen says "off-road use only"? Is this a DOT issue? Are there any aftermarket manufacturers making accessories for Urals?"
Next to none that I ever found. Dan Malinowski makes mufflers and a couple of performance parts. He goes by ModTop. Extra lighting comes from any local auto parts house and Pacific makes a windshield that fits. The fender rack is the same sold for other bikes and that about wraps it up. The Ural fairing is steel so it has to be listed as off road use only. It's a safety issue with the Feds just like amber fog lamps in some states. There's an "Adventure kit" sometimes available with front bumper, high pipes, left side case protector and a skid plate. That might be hard to scare up but it's out there. Rear luggage rack and spare tire carrier as well as the spare tire itself is stock on Patrol and Gear Ups optional on the Tourist model. Shovel and axe brackets can be found and ammo cans are popular as are the extra 5 liter gas can with bracket. Tool kit comes with the bike (usually) along with a manual and CD set that tells you how to fix it.
Customizing a Ural tends towards spray paint camo rather than accessories. There's no hard door for the car but you can find canvas or vinyl covers and you can find better tonneau covers from overseas but no top. Some folks add paint on bed liner to the floor of the car to help prevent rust and Rich Maund sells better upholstery and covers. A chrome or black front bumper is available from dealers or standard on the Patrol and Gear Up models. Somebody makes an after market rear bumper and then there's the ever popular machine gun mount.
That pretty well covers it. Anything else and you're on your own.
It's not a bike that the accessories folks have bothered to look at. In fact, many owners sand and paint the chrome bits for the "Military" look.
Has anyone mentioned that Urals blow head studs. Not often but it happens. The fix involves heli-coiling the block. Ural's do come with a 2 year warranty that covers it if it happens before then.
Head bolts came out on all Honda 4 cylinder CB`s (70-end80ees) on a regular basis every 30-40.000km, And there too the helicoil trick did it very well as long as you did all threads at the same time.
Same I would recomend on the Ural+Dneprs.
Don't laught the day I might buy a new lathe or mill it is quite probable I will tear it down and rebuild it from scratch acourding to my own quality perception....
Now I will start to write my wish list to Jawa for a new work horse for Jolly Roger 2. I think about the 650 Rotax engine. And you can be sure that I will take it out of the box and assemble it myself and let the importer just sign the waranty papers....Wrong: I let him align the sidecar, I never found anybody who has such a good hand on that like Fernando!
Best regards
Sven Peter
Not specific to Urals by any means. We used to replace such on Model A engines as well. If the bolt gets stretched over time, it will come out.
Sometimes the owner is new to being a wrench and overtightens the bolts upon adjusting valves and such. Sometimes they fail to back off the bolt 1/4 turn before hitting it with their torque wrench and it fails. Sometimes owners simply overlook doing routine maintenance and the bolt finally comes loose. Truth be known, Ivan probably didn't use a properly calibrated torque wrench when the rig was first assembled to begin with. Many non-pro wrenches don't know the strength in their hands until they reach that one-turn-beyond-ouch area, and the bolt snaps on them. Overheating the engine on a routine basis may cause such as well, I suspect, but I am certainly no pro-wrench, so it is all specualtion on my part. Discount all of these scenarios and there are actually much fewer instances of head bolt failure than one suspects. It does happen, but no major recall or crisis issue specific to Urals, and an easy enough fix for the most part. Even adding in all of this and discounting nothing at all with head bolt failures, IMZ has been great at considering it a factory warranty issue in most cases.
It will be interesting to see if the factory considers any fixes in this area on future engines, but I sort of think they will not, myself.
There have been some recent rear brake spring lock ups and/or breaks that interest me as to what the factory may find and do. No large amount of them either, but they have had a couple show on various Ural boards, and it will be interesting to find out how the company addresses the fix on that. Appears to be a metal Chineese spring that breaks.
Good Post, I am a Ural Patrol owner , I did my homework prior to purchasing the Ural . I understood it was not a freeway rig but a rig made for the secondary roads , backroads , gravel roads and just about anywhere else you want to go and have fun. I guess I would say It is not fast but it is a blast. I takes to the beach like it belongs there ,it also treaks throught the snow ( so far only 12 to 14 inch deep snow) with no problems. As a rider of sidecar rig for only the past two years come October , I would say it has been a great rig for a guy like me to learn how to handle a sidecar rig. It was setup correctly by the dealer and handles very well. It has enough power to be respectable on the secondary roads (50,55 mph ) With me and the wife aboard. The rig has been very reliable . I have not been on the side of the road with the tool bag open yet. Buck
Originally written by bsrider on 9/20/2008 3:33 PM
As a rider of sidecar rig for only the past two years come October , I would say it has been a great rig for a guy like me to learn how to handle a sidecar rig. Buck
I think this is an oft overlooked plus to the Ural. It comes set up and ready to go, so no worries about lean or toe or trail for the beginning rider. Additionally, it isn't an Interstate rig, so the novice is more likely to stick to low speed back road riding until they feel confident enough to try something bigger or fancier or more expensive. Lots of folks seem to be content to stay with the Ural and that's good too. With sidecars, more than anything out there, it ain't what you ride; It's that you ride.
Originally written by SidecarMike on 9/20/2008 9:28 PM
With sidecars, more than anything out there, it ain't what you ride; It's that you ride.
Bingo.
Originally written by SidecarMike on 9/20/2008 9:28 PM
Originally written by bsrider on 9/20/2008 3:33 PM
As a rider of sidecar rig for only the past two years come October , I would say it has been a great rig for a guy like me to learn how to handle a sidecar rig. BuckI think this is an oft overlooked plus to the Ural. It comes set up and ready to go, so no worries about lean or toe or trail for the beginning rider.
Depends on the dealer. For me this wasn't the case. My bike from the dealer was very poorly set up. Too much toe in and lean out, wheels way out of true. I wore thru the original tires in about 1000 miles. But, it is a great little utilitarian rig and is easy to work on with a moderate amount of wrench experience.
I'm a supporter of 3 wheeled life....in any form.....my first 2 rigs were dnepr's......they forced me to wrench and tune...but.....gave me one hellava thrill hillclimbing and riding in snow......when i did hit 55 mph i did feel like the guts were gonna fly.....and they did NOT....when you consider the amount of stuff you get with a ural rig, where the bulk of it is built,the logistics etc., they are still a solid value...
The previous posts that profiled the ural drivers was correct, but,i believe that happy driver extends to all tub-toters....Leo....
PS.....if you have not seen the utube video on CARVER trikes check it out...it is the first trike i have seen that is totally awesome
