Well here I am doing my first post as another newbie. I have ridden 2 wheels for about 40 years and have just about made up my mind to take the plunge and get a new Ural Patrol as we now have a dealer here in town. I promise that I will use the search function before asking ALL the usual newbie questions. I guess I should start out with an oil or tire thread ?? LOL: SORRY just kidding.
So for my first stupid question (yes I did try the search):
What do people use for Ballast? Salt, Sand, Quickcrete, Water ??
Cheers.
Marc
Wet sand, water, lead shot, lifting weights, scuba weights, etc.
Namely something that is soft, compact and dense for temporary ballast. That way it won't damage the body if it bounces around.
For permanant ballast, steel plate welded to the frame works well to keep that third wheel on the ground.
One square foot of 1" steel plate equals 50#.
Lonnie
Originally written by lomaxcm on 1/2/2006 4:22 PM
What do people use for Ballast?
A 60lb Australian Cattle Dog. 🙂
Originally written by Gummiente on 1/2/2006 2:08 PM
Originally written by lomaxcm on 1/2/2006 4:22 PM
What do people use for Ballast?A 60lb Australian Cattle Dog. 🙂
Or a 70 plus pound boxer...
I went to a camping store and used Seam Seal to make my SC water-tight. Now I can bring MY little pets with me. They don't weigh much, but the water sure does!
Wife works
Just got a Bernise Mountain Dog for xmas. Full grown should be around 120 lbs. Just right.
Before you add ballast you need to determine if you need it. Every rig/rider is different.
Hal Kendal devised a test to see if you need ballast. I copied it from SCT:
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/SCT/?yguid=170152637
Dave
Here is Hal's test:
I devised a test back in the late 1970s, aped by many, that involves YOU and
your RIG in a static condition. On a level ground and with the engine OFF
and in gear or the parking brake ON, stand alongside your rig on the left
(with a right hand rig).
Place your left foot on the left foot peg or foot board, your left hand on
the left hand grip and your right hand on your right hand grip. Lift your
weight fully onto the left foot.
Now, in one fluid motion, swing your butt and torso outwards to the left
while pulling sharply upwwards on the right hand grip and pushing down hard
on the left hand grip.
Observe the results.
If the rig is hard and slow to pick, up you probably have a widetrack HPS
machine and have no need to be concerned about ballast.
If the rig comes up from 4 to 12 inches, the rig is pretty well balanced and
ballast needed would be minimal. Might add from 25 to 50 pounds if a newbie
just for the confidence factor until you can get some experience under your
belt.
If the rig goes WOOSH! And it goes plumb over your head - You have several
choices. Walk away - that rig is a deathtrap - and yes, I have seen some of
those many years ago when we were just getting started. I would NOT test
drive them at the rallies. How they got them there I have no idea.
Or put your rig on e-Bay and take up knitting as a hobby.
Else, given that the mounts are STRONG and the frame is ROBUST and the wheel
is in good condition one could add sufficient ballast - how much? Whatever
it takes until the rig does at least pass the minimum static test described
above. Maybe 50 to 75 pounds - who knows?
This test matches the rig with ther person. It worked for Bryce Lee who
tipped the scales at about 285 pounds I believe and drove a GW with a
Heddingham. For him, his permanent ballast was to fill the ENTIRE perimeter
2: diameter frame with lead shot, plus a steel plate under the sidecar. At
a guess, I would venture to say he carried over a 100 pounds of ballast. I
rode with him. He needed every bit of the ballast.
So at least you have a workable test. Might not be the best. What are your
suggestions?
Hal Kendall
Don't use any kind of grain. Couple of years back I brought some home and broke the bag when taking it out of the velorex. Cleaned it out pretty good but later in the summer we had green sprouts all over the place.
You have all been very helpful. I now know how to test the rig and what to do if I feel I need any ballast.
Another great group of folks we have here.
Cheers.
Marc
Originally written by claude #3563 on 1/2/2006 11:00 PM
Don't use any kind of grain. Couple of years back I brought some home and broke the bag when taking it out of the velorex. Cleaned it out pretty good but later in the summer we had green sprouts all over the place.
I wonder if mice/critters would get into the grain as well . . .
Marc,
Welcome to the Ural fold!
If you haven't joined the Ural forum yet, it's off the main Website ( http://www.imz-ural.com/) at http://imzwa.secureforum.com/
It's a great resource for Urals.
-matt
2000 Deco, 1998 Tourist
Ural Maintenance:
http://mysite.verizon.net/allofusmorrows/UMI.htm
My bikes:
http://members.verizon.net/allofusmorrows/650750/650750.htm
One square foot of 1" steel plate equals 50#.
Lonnie
actually 1 sq foot of 1" plate wheighs 40.84 lbs
stacy
Stacy,
Glad you caught that. My error, your error. (And watch that spelling).
My Lincoln Procedure Handbook Of Arc Welding, 13th edition 1994 lists one square foot of one inch steel alloy plate at 40.478#.
Listed source is Republic Steel Corp.
I'll settle for Forty though. That's close enough for our purposes.
I guess I had a little brain fart there.
Lonnie
lonnie
lol spelling or typing either way not my strong subject lol
stacy
