Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 23, 2012 Share #1 Posted October 23, 2012 Been contemplating a Ural Patrol 2WD for the winter riding season... Nothing new there, except there is a dealer just 50 miles from me. So I rode down there today and chatted. SOMEBODY STOP ME! http://www.imz-ural.com/wp-content/gallery/ural-patrol/2blpa.jpg Quote in hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freebird Posted October 23, 2012 Share #2 Posted October 23, 2012 I think they are very cool bikes. Very old "WWII" BMW technology. We had a member here named "Thumper" at one time. He was a great guy, wish he was still around. Anyway, he bought something similar but I can't remember if his was a Ural or a Denpr. I THINK it was the Denpr though. He really liked it but I remember his report on it here. He said that basically you bought it and had to overhaul it right off the bat. Tolerances for bearings, rings, etc. were very bad from the factory. He said it was relatively inexpensive to do though and worth the effort. Now, If I've got the two brands straight, I think I also heard that the Ural was actually better built than the Denpr. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunboat Posted October 23, 2012 Share #3 Posted October 23, 2012 my understanding is the ural's of the last 5 years or so are a whole lot better than the one's of 15 years. at one time there was a emport/dealer some where around cleveland,ohio where you could buy them / or the sidecars. reguards don c. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 23, 2012 Share #4 Posted October 23, 2012 (edited) Well I know one thing. They didnt lie about the public fascination for these things. I mean, look, it worked REALLY GOOD as moderator bait! The couple that run this small dealer in Lubbock seem very genuine. They ride Ducatis...and dont seem to be in it for the money, but instead the love of 2 wheeling. It even smells like an old-school motorcycle store that we remember as kids. You know, a mixture of oil, rubber, gas, and paint. Walk into a 'boutique' style modern dealership and you smell lots of leather, which isnt really bad, but mixed in with that is the smell of popourri, scented candles, and fancy woodcabinetry smells, along with the perfumes of the clothing sales chicks. Its all good....but the old-school stuff is just not that common now. Urals have improved over time, to the point where people are using them to cross continents. To be sure, they arent as fuss-free as a new Chevy Malibu, but a heck of a lot more fun. I read a book last year by Carla King, called American Borders. Back in the mid-90s, she rode one of these over 10,000 miles around the USA. Alone. Yes, it broke down a few times. And with her report to the factory, many of those things have been addressed. I might be riding one soon. Havent pulled the trigger yet. The lady here at the dealer told me if I buy one, to be ready for the UDF. I said, whats that? She said, its the Ural Delay Factor. People will exit their car, or house, or store, to come outside and talk to you about it. She said gas stops can take 20 minutes or more! The owner, Smokey, told me that if you dont have any friends, if you buy a Ural, you will make lots of them... I have enough freinds...thats not the reason for me....I just hate not being able to ride when we get kinda icy around here...plus the occasional dirt road is mostly off limits on the big road sofa...well not with the 2WD Ural...it will handle that stuff just fine. http://www.imz-ural.com/ [ame] [/ame] Edited October 23, 2012 by tx2sturgis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted October 23, 2012 Share #5 Posted October 23, 2012 Many, many years ago I tried out a BMW R75/5. It looked basically the same. I kept it for a couple of days and during that time the one major drawback to this bike was the carburetors. The bowls were held on by a wire bail. If you weren't careful, your left foot while shifting gears would flip the bail around and the bowl would fall off in the highway. You'd find this out pretty quick because it would start to run on one cylinder. Had this to happen more than once during the couple of days I had the bike. Anyway, the bank said I couldn't afford it so I had to give it back. Great handler for the time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Owl Posted October 23, 2012 Share #6 Posted October 23, 2012 While your brousing around their store, see if they have an old side car kicking around that they don't want your first born for. Thinking about putting a hack on the Virago and that Ural is just about the right size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 23, 2012 Share #7 Posted October 23, 2012 While your brousing around their store, see if they have an old side car kicking around that they don't want your first born for. Thinking about putting a hack on the Virago and that Ural is just about the right size. Hey, they did say they sell Royal Enfield sidecars, which are smaller and lighter than the Ural sidecars, which are heavy steel. We didnt get into pricing or specifics, since I wasnt buying RE sidecars, but feel free to check their website: http://www.wildfiremotorcycleco.com/ http://www.wildfiremotorcycleco.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/IMG_0010.139190123_large.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrench Posted October 24, 2012 Share #8 Posted October 24, 2012 There's just something that does draw people to a hack rig. There's been an old-looking Ural that's been passing my house the last month or so, kinda sounds like a cross between a Cessna and a 5hp Briggs without a muffler. It looks like he's just got a straight piece of pipe for the exhaust, and I can hear him when he turns off the main highway almost 2 miles away. I think he works on post at Ft. Knox as he's most always wearing the required reflective gear. I've been seeing all different kinds of bikes since the BRAC thing at Knox ramped up, several dual-sport bikes, and even a few enduros being ridden by ladies. It's like reliving the past when you find an old-school shop nowadays, they've almost gone the way of the dinosaurs. There's one here close to me, in an old block and brick garage building that was a car dealer in the 50's, he mainly specializes in H/D's, but it's the same way, just something about that "atmosphere". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthandy Posted October 24, 2012 Share #9 Posted October 24, 2012 I have a friend with a regular Ural and sidecar and a 2 wheel drive Dnepr. The Dnepr company went out of business some years ago, but the Ural company is still pumping out what is basically a 1939 BMW R75/5 with improved electrics and better materials. If memory serves, these bikes require premium gas so they can be a bit more expensive to run at today's gas prices. Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 24, 2012 Share #10 Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) If memory serves, these bikes require premium gas so they can be a bit more expensive to run at today's gas prices. Andy I'm assuming the insurance I will pay each year will probably amount to more than the difference in gas between regular and hi-octane for a years gasoline expense. When fueling the ElectraGlide, which requires premium in hot weather, the difference in price per fill-up amounts to less than a dollar normally, so its barely noticed, and doesn’t keep me from enjoying it. When I was at the dealership, the lady was showing me pictures she had taken of riders who are traveling the USA on these bikes. Many have stopped there in Lubbock just to buy tires or have a service done. All of them had the bike packed to the gills with gear. The sidecar is rated to carry 400 pounds. The bike wont replace a pickup or SUV of course, but it certainly can be pressed into service as something approaching 'practical' transportation, whatever that means: http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2012/08/22/ural-sidecar-motorcycle-better-than-a-lamborghini/ http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/world/europe/29sidecar.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all& http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/motorcycles/reviews/2010-ural-patrol-t-test-ride Edited October 24, 2012 by tx2sturgis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarlS Posted October 24, 2012 Share #11 Posted October 24, 2012 After viewing the video in post #4 I clicked on a couple of the videos showing the Ural factory tours, very interesting seeing them mostly hand build these things. One thing for sure, there is no OSHA in Russia. They sure do look like they would be fun to play around on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redneck Posted October 24, 2012 Share #12 Posted October 24, 2012 Been contemplating a Ural Patrol 2WD for the winter riding season... Nothing new there, except there is a dealer just 50 miles from me. So I rode down there today and chatted. SOMEBODY STOP ME! http://www.imz-ural.com/wp-content/gallery/ural-patrol/2blpa.jpg Quote in hand. Those look really neat! It would be perfect for you, just like a Mac inferior technology and nostalgic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 24, 2012 Share #13 Posted October 24, 2012 (edited) Those look really neat! It would be perfect for you, just like a Mac inferior technology and nostalgic. First trip will be to Odessa to round up all the irrelevant winders boxes and take them to the landfill.... BTW, I'm planning on adding a cassette deck so it will be caught up with my 07 Venture. Edited October 24, 2012 by tx2sturgis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redneck Posted October 24, 2012 Share #14 Posted October 24, 2012 First trip will be to Odessa to round up all the irrelevant winders boxes and take them to the landfill.... BTW, I'm planning on adding a cassette deck so it will be caught up with my 07 Venture. I figured that would get your bowels in an uproar. Good luck with your new adventure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave77459 Posted October 24, 2012 Share #15 Posted October 24, 2012 I had some free time in Lubbock* visiting the kids at TTU for Parents Weekend. Wish I knew about the dealer then. Would it last an ironbutt? Dave * - we went to the Silent Wings Museum at the airport instead. Highly recommended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meach Posted October 24, 2012 Share #16 Posted October 24, 2012 I had a chance to look at one first hand at a local BMW shop. It was cool, would love to take one for a spin myself. While out the other day a HD with a sidecar went by, don't recall ever seeing a HD before with one. Here is a link to a thread at another forum with Ural owners talking about Urals, interesting read. http://www.motocampers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5087&highlight=ural Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 24, 2012 Share #17 Posted October 24, 2012 While out the other day a HD with a sidecar went by, don't recall ever seeing a HD before with one. Harley used to produce its own factory sidecars, they were a $10,000 accessory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBeaver Posted October 24, 2012 Share #18 Posted October 24, 2012 Huh, how about that. I had no idea they sold those things there. I thought they were a salvage shop... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 24, 2012 Share #19 Posted October 24, 2012 Huh, how about that. I had no idea they sold those things there. I thought they were a salvage shop... Yeah, if you get the chance, stop by there. Nice people. Its on 66th, about a half mile or so WEST of Milwaukee. Tiny little place, on the left as your heading west. I'm impressed by this dealer too, but they are in Massachusetts, which is a bit far for me to travel to to 'kick the tires'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalhounWV Posted October 24, 2012 Share #20 Posted October 24, 2012 Max speed is about 65 mph, I hear they love life at 55 mph. I did some research and know that at least 1 has done an Iron Butt rally, and did complete it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 24, 2012 Share #21 Posted October 24, 2012 Max speed is about 65 mph, I hear they love life at 55 mph. I did some research and know that at least 1 has done an Iron Butt rally, and did complete it. Well, recommended speed is about 62 for the 2WD, and 65 for the 1WD...the bike will go faster, but I believe that due to the asymmetrical handling quirks, and the gearing, they dont recommend you push them faster than that. The owner at this small shop said there are some simple mods (jetting and airflow) to get the engine breathing a bit better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildfire Posted October 25, 2012 Share #22 Posted October 25, 2012 Huh, how about that. I had no idea they sold those things there. I thought they were a salvage shop... We sell Urals & Royal Enfields new & used...and we also sell used motorcycles...not all of them are rebuilders, some are trades, etc... drop by & see for yourself ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBeaver Posted October 25, 2012 Share #23 Posted October 25, 2012 We sell Urals & Royal Enfields new & used...and we also sell used motorcycles...not all of them are rebuilders, some are trades, etc... drop by & see for yourself ! I might just have to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tx2sturgis Posted October 25, 2012 Share #24 Posted October 25, 2012 We sell Urals & Royal Enfields new & used...and we also sell used motorcycles...not all of them are rebuilders, some are trades, etc... drop by & see for yourself ! You found us! and here we are thinking we were being sneaky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LilBeaver Posted October 25, 2012 Share #25 Posted October 25, 2012 You found us! and here we are thinking we were being sneaky! That is what you get for thinking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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