Look at what followed me home By rks (Read 1,326 times)

[billtrek]

Nice Ural! I rode one for years. a 1998 Sportsman. It's great fun in the snow.

Blew the engine about 18 months ago. Haven't been able to replace the engine yet.
Rode my Viking 150 last winter.

[davec]

I wanted one too. But, for the same price ($6000) got this instead.

[cyborg]

Geezus you guys!!!! !!!!!! now i really got the itch,,,,screaming deals,,,,,,WOW,,,that wing and hack is nice,,,,,

[rks]

Golly billtrek, don't they sell snowmobiles where you are. I haven't gone out to, "play in the snow" in probably 54 years. I believe those days are over for me.....it has to be at least 48*, and rising, before I'll even start one of the bikes. That is why the 2 wheel drive model was not a necessity to me. Should I decide to go off roading (which I won't), I do have a Yamaha Big Bear ATV.

As I stated before, I've been wanting a sidecar just so I won't have to quit riding in another decade. The nearly 600 pound BMW's, with the wife as a passenger, are not a problem now.....but I'm close to my 68th birthday.......and realize that by 78, or 80, I won't have the strength, or balance that I have today. Planning ahead....trying to get my ducks in a row.

So my Ural will be a dog taxi, and a summer evening, ice cream cone fetcher. That's the plan anyway.



Lulu is going to love it.

[billtrek]

Lol. Yes RKS they do. Been riding all year for a long time. Haven't owned a car in ten years.
Which can be fun up here in Massachusetts.

[dennis]

You said you are going to just go out for short slow rides is what I got.
So keep it to that the thing won't run as fast as a 150cc scooter with that engine and all that weight.
I will say that a good deal it was for around town bike.
you might want to go to a riding school for side cars they are very different than a two wheeler.

[rks]

Yes dennis, you got it right, it will be a country road, take your time and enjoy the ride, machine. If I feel need to to go fast, I have to other, more capable bikes...(see my signature) Think you may be off a little bit about the comparison of a 150cc scoot and the Ural. My 150 scooter has 8 HP, and a maximum gross weight of 539 lbs. The Ural is 40 HP, and a maximum gross weight of 1325 lbs. So the Ural, fully loaded is 2.46 times heavier than a fully loaded 150 cc scoter, but has 5 times the horse power.

Appreciate your concern with my safety, think I'll do fine without formal instruction, mostly due to my age, but also driving style, driving record, and experience, in all types of vehicles, from 200 lbs, to 108,000 lbs. I realize that different types of vehicles, handle differently, so they can't be operated in the same manner.

Oh, if I really feel the need for speed.....I have this in the garage too

[dennis]

With all the iron you have and the cars and trucks you have driven I have great respect. I use to drive semi truck and motorcycles oh and roadraced formula cars as well as sedan cars like the one in the pic,except mine was modified for roadracing.
I guess from having been an instructor for semi truck driving when I was 21 to roadracing instructor at 25 and competing for thirty five years in cars etc.it is just my nature to care big fella.
Good luck.

[billtrek]

Sorry RKS I disagree. You should take the sidecar drivers course. I rode for 9 months before I took a course and I learned a lot in class. I was much more comfortable driving after that. And taking a quick right trying to avoid a car can lift the sidecar and If you don't know what to do you can end up crossing over into the left lane.

[dennis]

Bill trek
Good on you!

[cyborg]

Hey Rks any kind of writeup coming up for the ural??? how you liking that thing???

[rks]

Not much to say yet cy......have only put 420 km (261 miles) on it, loafing along at 35 - 40 mph, on the county roads in my area. Just about the same way I ride the scoot. The Urals are rather crudely built, and take longer to break in than most modern machines, come with much shorter maintenance intervals, and are just plain quirky. Definitely not an interstate cruiser. Some, if not most, would be put off by these things.....and then there are those that don't mind a bit, and actually enjoy how basic and clunky they are.

I am in the process of up jetting from the 125 mains, that came stock. Probably something to do with EPA or the like, but engine was starving for fuel over half throttle. Got three sets of jets, 132.5, 135, 137.5, and a K&N filter, plus 5 or 6 days of warm weather in the forecast. It's not so much the lack of power that is bothersome with an engine this new, as it does seem to run a bit better each time I take it out..... but rather the bright blue color that the headers have taken on. I'll get it tweaked, and add a few km to the clock this coming week.

Oh, I do enjoy this thing, it's not fast, it's not smooth, it's definitely not a BMW, a Honda, or a Yamaha......it's Russian... different... kind of attractive, and just a lot of fun.

[rks]

It's been a while, so.....thought I'd update this thread. Haven't really ridden it as much as I'd like.......you know, sometimes life can get rather busy with responsibilities that keep you from doing what you want to. Any way the odometer is up to 1,717 km (1,067 miles), engine is running better as the miles accumulate. Getting more and more used to it, but it sure rides hard with an empty car. A hundred lbs. of sand bags would help the ride, but not the fuel consumption....and I'm a cheap bas......, so no ballast.

What i've done to it: Upjetted carbs to 135/40, from 125/38. Found a few very tiny cracks in the sidewall of the drive tire, about a half an inch from, and following the rims arc. The other two tires had none, but since all had 2005 manufacture dates, I replaced all three. Also replaced tire tubes with IRC heavy duty ones, and added a second rim strip to each wheel. One of the carburetor mounting flanges was assembled wrong at the factory, and leaked air. Replaced both with Mikuni mounting flanges, along with 3/16" phenolic spacers.  Replaced the long turn signals with a shorter variety from China, chromed plastic, made for a Suzuki Blvd. ($9)    Have changed all fluids 3 times....right after purchasing, at 500 km, and at 1500 km. Checked and adjusted valve clearances when purchased and at 1500 km.

Have been running a bit faster since last oil change. If the roadway is painted with both center and edge lines, I've been doing 45 mph. Engine spinning 3200 at that speed and sounds very happy. But much of my riding is on heavily crowned, unpainted rural roads......and 35 mph is plenty fast. I'm not going to crash any of my bikes, trying to save a minute and a half of drive time, on my way to McDonalds.

So far.....no dents, dings, scratches, or other incidents, and also no breakdowns, or road failures.

[cyborg]

Thanks great writeup!!! Can't wait till I start racking up some miles on the r80

[crwford]

But have a good safe rides