Ural sidecar outfit

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
99
Location
Brittany and Parker Colorado in summer time
Bike
ST 1100
STOC #
5348
Has any of you Dirty riders had experience with the Ural or know anyone who regulary uses them for off road use, seem like a fun vehicle and a real alternative to a quad.

If so what's the reliability like. My son in law is eager to buy one for the outback in 2012. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
109
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
Bike
BMW R1200RT
Take a gander at advrider.com under the subforum "hacks". Lots of people there have Urals and love them. Very friendly folks.
 

jfheath

John Heath
Site Supporter
Joined
Mar 18, 2006
Messages
2,786
Age
69
Location
Ilkley, W Yorkshire, UK
Bike
2013 ST1300 A9
2024 Miles
000679
STOC #
2570
Many years ago (1976) i had a ural with a substitute chair mounted on the left for uk roads. Cheap to buy and expensive to run.

I know they changed owner, but the new versions still have the look and feel of the bmw r71 styled model that i had.

Dead easy to work on, with the flat twin arrangement making the engine parts easily acessible. Front and rear wheels were interchangeable, along with the wheel of the original chair.

There was an odd, troublesome electro mechnanical voltage regulator. Relays and springs. Not reliable on my machine, but someone had fiddled before i got it.

Ignition coils and ht leads were a bit exposed, and needed a lot of attention prior to the onset of winter. The first sign of salt on the road would leave me stranded as it found its way into the electrics, unless i replaced the leads and plug caps each year. Ht current would pass down the outside of the ht leads from tiny nicks acquired during the year. Wd40 got rid of the salt water and effected a temporary cure. I started carrying spares with me. Easily replaced by the roadside if necessary.

The carbs were pretty poor, and balancing the two cylinders was rather hit and miss.

The killer for the engine was the crankshaft, which was not a single piece. It was made of components which were press fitted together. No woodruff keys or anything sophisticated like that. It got slightly out of shape and that was it for that engine. The replacement engine served me much better.

The wheels are spoked and the rear wheel was forever breaking them, due to the stresses and strains on the rear wheel when taking right handers with a passenger in the chair at speed. Yes i know the proper technique is to slow on right handers, but much less fun. Massive understeer in spite of having the rake and toe in correctly set up.

It used a lot of oil, and difficult to stop oil leaks down the push rod tubes which provide an oil feed for the cylinders.

Great fun to ride. Loads of power. Shaft drive - but flimsy universal joint. Easy to work on. But reliable ? Well, i remember having to work on it a lot at the road side. But it never left me stranded because everything was so easy to get at. But the sidecar always had a full set of tools, a spare battery and a can of oil. All seated on top of the paving slab which kept the chair down on left handers.
 
OP
OP
Brian Robinson
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
99
Location
Brittany and Parker Colorado in summer time
Bike
ST 1100
STOC #
5348
Many years ago (1976) i had a ural with a substitute chair mounted on the left for uk roads. Cheap to buy and expensive to run.

I know they changed owner, but the new versions still have the look and feel of the bmw r71 styled model that i had.

Dead easy to work on, with the flat twin arrangement making the engine parts easily acessible. Front and rear wheels were interchangeable, along with the wheel of the original chair.

There was an odd, troublesome electro mechnanical voltage regulator. Relays and springs. Not reliable on my machine, but someone had fiddled before i got it.

Ignition coils and ht leads were a bit exposed, and needed a lot of attention prior to the onset of winter. The first sign of salt on the road would leave me stranded as it found its way into the electrics, unless i replaced the leads and plug caps each year. Ht current would pass down the outside of the ht leads from tiny nicks acquired during the year. Wd40 got rid of the salt water and effected a temporary cure. I started carrying spares with me. Easily replaced by the roadside if necessary.

The carbs were pretty poor, and balancing the two cylinders was rather hit and miss.

The killer for the engine was the crankshaft, which was not a single piece. It was made of components which were press fitted together. No woodruff keys or anything sophisticated like that. It got slightly out of shape and that was it for that engine. The replacement engine served me much better.

The wheels are spoked and the rear wheel was forever breaking them, due to the stresses and strains on the rear wheel when taking right handers with a passenger in the chair at speed. Yes i know the proper technique is to slow on right handers, but much less fun. Massive understeer in spite of having the rake and toe in correctly set up.

It used a lot of oil, and difficult to stop oil leaks down the push rod tubes which provide an oil feed for the cylinders.

Great fun to ride. Loads of power. Shaft drive - but flimsy universal joint. Easy to work on. But reliable ? Well, i remember having to work on it a lot at the road side. But it never left me stranded because everything was so easy to get at. But the sidecar always had a full set of tools, a spare battery and a can of oil. All seated on top of the paving slab which kept the chair down on left handers.
Thanks for the writeup John, Yes that was one of my reasons for posting the queery. These New Generation Urals are supposed to eliminate most of the faults you highlight. I wondered if there were any of the "Dirty" riders who knew of regular off road Ural outfit riders. My Son in Law and i need to do our homework before lashing out $$$$$$$$$$$ and being dissapointed. The other posters too have given me leads which i am investigating, thanks to GUG, and CHARLIEBROWN also.
 
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Messages
41
Location
Ajax and Coxvale Ontario
Bike
06 ST1300A hack
Hi there,

I have a 2006 Gear Up. It has been a great machine and to be honest is my preferred ride now.

Definitely requires TLC but nothing too hard or beyond my limited skills, parts are cheap and systems are very basic.

Anything from 05 up are quite good and the most recent few years are very good.

It is an interesting machine on ATV trails and I have found myself in some tough spots but I have enjoyed every minute, even when winching/pushing/pulling it out!
 
Joined
Jun 19, 2008
Messages
1,254
Location
NSB Florida
Bike
2018 GL1800 DCT Tour
Below is my neighbor's web site. He has lots of good info there. He used to ride it a whole lot and work on it a lot too. Pretty sure he had to replace the engine among many other things. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't tell you it is a quality unit. He has used his off road. He does love it though.

I have another friend with one, however this one is only one wheel drive and he rides it gingerly. He has only had it a couple years and has had lots of trouble. Fuse block/holder rusting apart and flywheel breaking are two that come to mind.

http://myural.com/


Both guys joke about the quality.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Messages
196
Location
Ketchikan, Alaska
Bike
1984 Shadow 700
Buddy of mine has one thats a few years old, and he just got another last year with the side car attached... he loves them, but he is retired and does mess with them alot... some cuz he wants to, some cuz he HAS to.. I think they are great, as long as you dont mind dealing with them a fair amount... from my experience they require quite a bit more work then all the Hondas I own...
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
3,357
Age
52
Location
Rindge, NH
Bike
2006 ST1300
A local guy has one and I got to talk to him quite a bit. Great bikes, very durable and will handle bad weather and abuse. He did caution that they aren't for most people due to the quirks. Poor handling, poor brakes (even on the newer ones, such as his), poor electrical systems, and many parts that are poorly designed and either must be upgraded or replaced fairly often. Maintenance-wise, much has to be done on a 1000-1500 mile schedule, so consider that if you tend to ride a lot or take trips.

I think they are very cool and a good ride for someone who knows they have quirks and wants the experience of owning one. Great 2nd bikes. I wouldn't replace my primary commuter or touring bike with one, that is for sure. I think having one for a 2nd bike for bad weather, certain events, or just local riding.
 
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
Messages
196
Location
Ketchikan, Alaska
Bike
1984 Shadow 700
My friend is borrowing my shops space to do some maintenance on his. He came by yesterday to make sure it would work out for his bike. He took me for a ride and then let me drive it. He loves his bike, but he is well aware of the problems with it. The biggest being that we live in a rain forest on an island (salt water). The Ural is built with in his words "cheap Russian metal" He has had it here three months and keeps it covered. In those three short months the SS metal on the bike has pitted and rusted and is dripping rust stains down his bike. Most the bike is built like a tank, but there are weak points. Like I said, he loves it, but cautions against many of the problems. Go in aware of the limitations and they seem reasonably easy to deal with. it is a FUN bike to ride in, but driving it is WORK..... nothing like driving a regular motorcycle! Good but different!
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
361
Location
Kitchener Ontario
Bike
04 ST
STOC #
8827
Ht current would pass down the outside of the ht leads from tiny nicks acquired during the year. Wd40 got rid of the salt water and effected a temporary cure.
Ah, nostalgic memories of the 69 Norton commando. So many hours spent bonding with that machine at the side of the road in the rain ...sigh :)
 

T_C

Joined
Mar 8, 2012
Messages
4,341
Location
St. Louis, MO
Bike
2005 St1300
STOC #
8568
wow - a motorcycle that come with a built-in wench. I've always searched for one of those.....;)
Woo-Hoo! Dinner prepared and served straight from the cauldron! I'm not surprised to hear a Ural comes with a bit of medieval cookware.
 

Gerhard

Site Supporter
Joined
Apr 1, 2012
Messages
1,882
Location
Ontario
Bike
2012 R1200RT
wow - a motorcycle that come with a built-in wench. I've always searched for one of those.....
UralWebsite said:
*Wench and wench mount sold separately through respective 3rd party brands. Incorrect installation and/or usage may void your Ural manufacturer's warranty and result in serious injury or death.
Mom always told me to be weary of wenches

;)

Gerhard
 
Top Bottom