Rpoc

[Emerikol]

Originally Posted by cheesy

Carbie versions are easier to maintain than fuelies, though fuelies run circles around carbies. Fuelies since 2019 have Kiehin fi systems and run circles around all of them. But you aren't going to find a 19 for 7K.

Look for a well maintained and ridden 07 or newer. 07 is when Ural started using Herzog made gears throughout the engine and trans. Avoid something with super low mileage. Those can be a headache because break in problems are probably still there.

Ural engines are mechanically noisy. Gear driven pushrod valve train and alternator will do that. 06 and newer run a Denso 50A alternator, so added electrical farkles aren't a problem.

2014 is when they went to Electro-Jet fuel injection and disk brakes all around. 14 to 18 should have the latest off road mapping for best operation.

There is no differential, so 2wd is on an as needed basis. It can get you unstuck or more stuck. I probably used it 5 times last winter.

i ride mine year round. They can get bit squirrely on a snow covered road if you aren't mindful of conditions, but no worse than any other vehicle.

Bear in mind that riding a sidecar rig is nothing like riding a motorcycle. Can't countersteer like you do on a moto. A lot of upper body english is required. Think snowmobile instead of motorcycle.

Urals don't do expressway speeds well. Mine rarely sees 65 mph. Mostly 50 to 60. If you want a slab runner, the Harley is the better choice.

I second all of this, with one addition: Get the enduro seat for the rig. Even if you don't put a second set of pegs for a rear passenger, the enduro seat will allow you to move around and stay more comfortable. With the tractor seats, you're really locked into position for longer (as in, more than 15 minutes) rides. It's also a pretty steep learning curve to remember that even though you're on a motorcycle, there's 4' of sidecar clearance hanging out on the right side. Finally, the first time you 'fly the sidecar' will probably be unintentional and catch you by surprise. I do it for fun with friends in the sidecar, but it's really easy to get a little too far over and drag the exhaust hanger on the ground. It's also easy to let the sidecar come down too hard and it really beats up the suspension and passengers. Overall though, I'm super happy with my Ural. Go ahead and get in touch with a Ural dealer near you and see if they have a ride day coming up. That might be a good way for you to decide if you want to pull the trigger on one or not.

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by cheesy

Carbie versions are easier to maintain than fuelies, though fuelies run circles around carbies. Fuelies since 2019 have Kiehin fi systems and run circles around all of them. But you aren't going to find a 19 for 7K.

Look for a well maintained and ridden 07 or newer. 07 is when Ural started using Herzog made gears throughout the engine and trans. Avoid something with super low mileage. Those can be a headache because break in problems are probably still there.

Ural engines are mechanically noisy. Gear driven pushrod valve train and alternator will do that. 06 and newer run a Denso 50A alternator, so added electrical farkles aren't a problem.

2014 is when they went to Electro-Jet fuel injection and disk brakes all around. 14 to 18 should have the latest off road mapping for best operation.

There is no differential, so 2wd is on an as needed basis. It can get you unstuck or more stuck. I probably used it 5 times last winter.

i ride mine year round. They can get bit squirrely on a snow covered road if you aren't mindful of conditions, but no worse than any other vehicle.

Bear in mind that riding a sidecar rig is nothing like riding a motorcycle. Can't countersteer like you do on a moto. A lot of upper body english is required. Think snowmobile instead of motorcycle.

Urals don't do expressway speeds well. Mine rarely sees 65 mph. Mostly 50 to 60. If you want a slab runner, the Harley is the better choice.

Great info Cheesy thanks! I am still on the fence as to which way i am going with the Harley but that def gave me the confidence to proceed forward with the idea of picking up an Ural. I did mention to my wife yesterday that if i picked one up it would at least give me the practice to get used to the idea of the harley set up as a side car. But at the same time setting it up as a trike would give me a nice comfortable long distance ride at highway speed while i could use the Ural as a errand runner around the city.

[Sport Rider]

Originally Posted by Darkrider

Great info Cheesy thanks! I am still on the fence as to which way i am going with the Harley but that def gave me the confidence to proceed forward with the idea of picking up an Ural. I did mention to my wife yesterday that if i picked one up it would at least give me the practice to get used to the idea of the harley set up as a side car. But at the same time setting it up as a trike would give me a nice comfortable long distance ride at highway speed while i could use the Ural as a errand runner around the city.

that would be the key. The use for them. As long as travel is in the 50-60 range the Ural would be good for you. keep in mind that Urals (at least based on history) require a fair amount of owner-tinkering, much like china bikes do. Cheesy might have better insights on that.

what kind of Harley are you considering putting a sidecar on vs trike? with larger cruisers, which are very heavy, smaller sidecars create some hazards with regard to handling. I had a Kawi Nomad I put my first sidecar on. it was a less expensive and lighter weight one and it was not stable enough for my liking. we could help you some with sidecar choices if you decide to go that direction with the Harley.

BTW...my saying is..."Sidecars are not for the faint of wallet". a sidecar implementation will be about comparable in price as a trike conversion. if you do it the frugal route finding a nice used unit and getting it mounted properly, you're talking a minimum of about 8 grand.

[cheesy]

'zactly. Why fire up 8 cylinders for a light duty errand when 2 will do.

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

that would be the key. The use for them. As long as travel is in the 50-60 range the Ural would be good for you. keep in mind that Urals (at least based on history) require a fair amount of owner-tinkering, much like china bikes do. Cheesy might have better insights on that.

what kind of Harley are you considering putting a sidecar on vs trike? with larger cruisers, which are very heavy, smaller sidecars create some hazards with regard to handling. I had a Kawi Nomad I put my first sidecar on. it was a less expensive and lighter weight one and it was not stable enough for my liking. we could help you some with sidecar choices if you decide to go that direction with the Harley.

BTW...my saying is..."Sidecars are not for the faint of wallet". a sidecar implementation will be about comparable in price as a trike conversion. if you do it the frugal route finding a nice used unit and getting it mounted properly, you're talking a minimum of about 8 grand.

The Harley in question is my 2001 Softail Deuce

[Sport Rider]

A deuce isn't in the "heavy" category, so seems like there are some good options for it. There are several companies building them these days. I have a used Champion on mine, but my model doesn't fit the style of your bike. you should also consider steering needs. the Ural has steering built for a sidecar with the leading link front end. many who have installed sidecars also make various types of changes to their front ends. for example, on my Concours 1000, I also bought a leading link front end to go with my sidecar. it would cost you up to 3k to purchase a LL front end for a bike. that's basically having it custom built by one of a small handful of builders across the country who do that type of work.

The more I keep talking, the more I keep thinking the Ural might be a better approach. if you don't want to go the Ural route, perhaps finding a rig which has already been built. its a better value proposition that building your own.

check out this ADV Rider site for hacks. they have an ongoing thread of rigs for sale that people find on craigslist and other sources. it'll give you an idea of what's out there.

https://advrider.com/f/forums/hacks.56/

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

A deuce isn't in the "heavy" category, so seems like there are some good options for it. There are several companies building them these days. I have a used Champion on mine, but my model doesn't fit the style of your bike. you should also consider steering needs. the Ural has steering built for a sidecar with the leading link front end. many who have installed sidecars also make various types of changes to their front ends. for example, on my Concours 1000, I also bought a leading link front end to go with my sidecar. it would cost you up to 3k to purchase a LL front end for a bike. that's basically having it custom built by one of a small handful of builders across the country who do that type of work.

The more I keep talking, the more I keep thinking the Ural might be a better approach. if you don't want to go the Ural route, perhaps finding a rig which has already been built. its a better value proposition that building your own.

check out this ADV Rider site for hacks. they have an ongoing thread of rigs for sale that people find on craigslist and other sources. it'll give you an idea of what's out there.

https://advrider.com/f/forums/hacks.56/

It is quite likely i will end up going to the trike route with the Harley and watching for an affordable Ural.

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

that would be the key. The use for them. As long as travel is in the 50-60 range the Ural would be good for you. keep in mind that Urals (at least based on history) require a fair amount of owner-tinkering, much like china bikes do. Cheesy might have better insights on that.

The most important aspects of maintenance are tire pressure, valve adjustment, oil changes, and tire rotation.

Tire pressure is before every ride.

Valve adjustment done at every other oil change. Valve cover gaskets are reusable. Loud valves save engines.

Oil changes are 1500/2000 miles for the engine. I fudge to the high side because I have the deep sump on my rig. Every other engine oil change do the transmission and grease the U-joints. The trans runs the same 20-50 as the engine. The FD supposedly can be done every 4-5K miles but it uses such a piddling amount of 80-90; 135cc/4.5oz for 2wd, 105cc/3.5 for 1wd, that I do the FD every oil change.

I rotate between the pusher, spare, and sidecar tires every other oil change. I think you can do all four on 14 and up. Emerikol can verify that. It really extends the tire life. You won't see much life out of the pusher tire if you don't. I run Duro 307 knobbies and go through one or two tires a year. Don't go cheap on tubes.

Rear brake adjustment on drum brake models is done as needed. What you are looking for is that the rig doesn't pull to the right or the left when the rear brake is applied.

Sidecar alignment is usually a 'One and done'. if the rig constantly pulls to the right or left, there's an issue. You should be able to let go of the handlebars and the rig should run straight.

Seems like a lot, but it really isn't.

[Emerikol]

Originally Posted by Darkrider

watching for an affordable Ural.

Thanks, I needed a good laugh...
"affordable Ural..."
That's a lot like saying "Military Intelligence" and "Jumbo Shrimp"...

To Cheesy's comment, all four tires are the same on the newer rigs, but the rims are different. It's an involved afternoon, but you can rotate all four tires. Definitely agree with Cheesy that you shouldn't skimp on tubes. I buy heavy duty tubes and then use tire slime as an extra layer of protection. Check your rim strips while you're in there, too. The valve cover gaskets are "almost" reusable. They'll work well enough for a repair or adjustment out in the field, but I've always had them leak afterwards. Not oil pouring out, but more of a dusty, grimy collection of oil film across the bottom of the joint. Remember, Tappy Valves are Happy Valves! If you can't hear the drive train clattering along, they're too tight! Everything else is pretty much just routine maintenance. These are Russian rigs, so the only tools you need are pretty much just a flat blade screwdriver, an adjustable wrench (the metric ones, not the SAE ones), a big hammer, and a bottle of vodka.

[Darkrider]

Originally Posted by cheesy

The most important aspects of maintenance are tire pressure, valve adjustment, oil changes, and tire rotation.

Tire pressure is before every ride.

Valve adjustment done at every other oil change. Valve cover gaskets are reusable. Loud valves save engines.

Oil changes are 1500/2000 miles for the engine. I fudge to the high side because I have the deep sump on my rig. Every other engine oil change do the transmission and grease the U-joints. The trans runs the same 20-50 as the engine. The FD supposedly can be done every 4-5K miles but it uses such a piddling amount of 80-90; 135cc/4.5oz for 2wd, 105cc/3.5 for 1wd, that I do the FD every oil change.

I rotate between the pusher, spare, and sidecar tires every other oil change. I think you can do all four on 14 and up. Emerikol can verify that. It really extends the tire life. You won't see much life out of the pusher tire if you don't. I run Duro 307 knobbies and go through one or two tires a year. Don't go cheap on tubes.

Rear brake adjustment on drum brake models is done as needed. What you are looking for is that the rig doesn't pull to the right or the left when the rear brake is applied.

Sidecar alignment is usually a 'One and done'. if the rig constantly pulls to the right or left, there's an issue. You should be able to let go of the handlebars and the rig should run straight.

Seems like a lot, but it really isn't.

So really not much more intensive then say an old classic truck or car in terms of maintenance. Good to know. Sounds like it would be a wise idea to have a tool roll chilling in the side car for the rare in field situations but other wise good to go.

Originally Posted by Emerikol

Thanks, I needed a good laugh...
"affordable Ural..."
That's a lot like saying "Military Intelligence" and "Jumbo Shrimp"...

To Cheesy's comment, all four tires are the same on the newer rigs, but the rims are different. It's an involved afternoon, but you can rotate all four tires. Definitely agree with Cheesy that you shouldn't skimp on tubes. I buy heavy duty tubes and then use tire slime as an extra layer of protection. Check your rim strips while you're in there, too. The valve cover gaskets are "almost" reusable. They'll work well enough for a repair or adjustment out in the field, but I've always had them leak afterwards. Not oil pouring out, but more of a dusty, grimy collection of oil film across the bottom of the joint. Remember, Tappy Valves are Happy Valves! If you can't hear the drive train clattering along, they're too tight! Everything else is pretty much just routine maintenance. These are Russian rigs, so the only tools you need are pretty much just a flat blade screwdriver, an adjustable wrench (the metric ones, not the SAE ones), a big hammer, and a bottle of vodka.

Remember i am coming at this from the realm of being a former sport bike owner and current Harley owner. Cheap is retaliative lol Tool wise it sounds like i am pretty much dealing with the same sort of tool kit i would have on the Deuce lol

[Emerikol]

It really isn't that much different than an old truck. Lots of tinkering, but it fires up and runs forever if it's not abused and pushed to its limits all the time. The engine is basically half a VW beetle engine, and the transmission is off of a tractor. The rest is built to drag the sidecar around, and Robert's your Mother's Brother! I'm a little ashamed to say that I haven't ridden my Ural since the ride to Wickenburg a couple months back. Things have been crazy out this way, and it's started to get hot again. It's going to be about 95* here today. As for the tool roll, mine came with a very impressive tool kit. Pretty much everything you would need to take the rig apart into itty bitty pieces. I'm hoping that I get to ride the Ural more when we get back to Georgia. The weather isn't so oppressively hot, and there's more within close riding range of where we'll be touching down.

[cheesy]

The tool roll comes standard with every Ural. On a used Ural it's either untouched or missing half its tools. Mine was mostly there and I've added to it. Even if the tool kit is complete, add a second 17 mm wrench. You'll be glad you did when you have a flat tire and need to loosen the pinch bolt on the axle.

A few more things that should be added to the trunk are either a small bottle or scissor jack because you ain't getting that pig up on the center stand by yourself. Trust me on this one. Also a small chunk of 2x4 as a wheel chock.

Spare tubes, tire spoons, tire gauge, and a small compressor. Cut the lighter plug off the compressor and replace it with an SAE plug. Add a second SAE plug to the battery. I say this because the first time you need the compressor and plug it into the socket in the tub is when you'll find out that the fuse to the sidecar will blow because the compressor draws more juice than you thought. You will swear. A lot. So will your SO, sitting in the tub on a sweltering Illannoy afternoon.

[Darkrider]

Thanks for the info guys, Sorry for jacking your thread Cheesy.

[Emerikol]

http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1617705898
http://www.chinariders.net/attachmen...1&d=1617706218

Here's what I did for a jack on my rig. I had a spare scissor jack laying around on a shelf, so I got some lag bolts, hand wheel knobs, big fender washers and some insulated wire clamps. I put the handle in the same mounting tabs as the e-tool, and I carry a chunk of 4x4 in the tub in case I need some extra height when I'm using the jack. It also makes for a great wheel chock if there isn't a handy rock laying around.

[cheesy]

I have some ideas on how to tote the kayak.