The Arctic Circle on a Ural – some of the most beautiful country, and some of the crappiest roads, I have ever seen. Andy Grow, proud owner of a 2008 Ural Gear-Up in Arctic Camo, recently completed a huge Alaskan road trip, that took him and his Gear-Up into the Arctic Circle and home again. In one piece. (And with no problems, by the way, the any perpetual Ural doubters lingering out there.)

I was fortunate enough to hang with Andy Grow back in April, when he had just taken delivery of his Gear-Up. He and I rode to Salem together, to get our 500km maintenance done at Raceway Services. It was a joy to see his ride report, especially the many incredible photos he got of Alaska and a rally he intended.

Check out Andy’s full ride report: D2D and the Arctic Circle on a Ural - ADVrider

• “I had complete confidence in her the entire way…and nothing - NOTHING - occurred that would make me reconsider doing the trip again. Fuel mileage was anywhere from 25-30mpg. It’s a beast on the hills and going through the mountain passes. But it gets it done.”
• “You MUST know your bikes limits. I knew from the start I wouldn’t be able to keep up with anyone on the pavement, and I was right. But on the dirt I was doing the same speeds - if not a bit faster - than some of the regular motos (only because they were riding slower!).”
• “I ended up changing out the pusher at 3350kms. The Dempster highway took it down to darn near nothing, but it was still good enough to call a spare. For those taking notes, I am running the stock Uralshinas.”
• “Being the only sidecar - and a Ural at that - at a gathering like this - you are sure to get attention. And chicks. Lots of chicks.”

Go, Andy! Good job, mate.

(Not mine, by the way.)

From Soviet Steeds - Front tire flat

What do you do if your front tire goes flat while you’re riding? It’s a harrowing situation. Offhand, I’m not sure how I’d deal with it either, other than not hitting the front brake. Will need to consult the manual and see if there’s any advice…

The folks on Soviet Steeds throw out their tips on how to deal with a flat front tire:

“I would appreciate any advice as to how better manage (under total control) such a sudden flat of the front tire”

Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - Front tire flat

A possible maneuver… or just a really bad idea

One thing comes to mind (as I ponder this while finishing the post). I’m not suggesting this, do not recommend you try it, and say it fully understanding it may completely wrong.

You could give the bike just a bit of throttle. This would cause inertia to make the sidecar drag, tilting the front of the bike to the right and, hopefully, off the road to a safe spot. Once bike was tilted, roll off throttle and gently apply rear brake to bring the rig to a halt.

What do you think?

Looking to get a Ural? Good on you. Here are 3 things you want to do before laying your money down.

1. If you don’t already, read and follow the Soviet Steeds message boards. Great discussions on all things Ural, and a big help to give you an idea of what folks things of their Urals, common issues, that sort of thing.
2. Find your nearest Ural dealer. Good dealers will be there for you for warranty, parts, and even some wrenching advice. Soviet Steeds is also a good place to turn for opinions on different dealers. If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, check out Raceway Services, Salem, Oregon, and Ural Northwest, Bellingham, Washington (near Seattle).
3. Have you ridden a sidecar rig before? If not, I highly, highly recommend the trike and sidecar motorcycle training Vernon Wade in Hood River does with his Adventure Sidecar courses. It’s a 3-day class (and a good reason to take a trip to the Columbia Gorge).

I hope that helps you get started on buying a Ural. Other questions about Urals? Ask below, or contact me.

In addition to my tool roll, there are a few other miscellaneous items I carry in my Ural’s trunk. These are kept in a zippered bag, kind of like a miniature attache or travel kit. Here’s what’s inside (and some more photos are at the end of the post)…

• WD-40
• Reflective vest
• Tire levers
• Dielectric grease
• Bungee cords
• Cotter pins
• Lengths of twine
• Accessories for the LED disc light
• Fuses
• Fuse box
• O-ring for oil filter
• .004 feeler gauge (for adjusting valves)
• 2 spark plugs
• 2 lengths of zip ties
• Flashlight
• 2 bottles of touch-up paint (one green, one black) — which reminds me, I need to add a small paint brush
• Duct tape
• Electrical tape
• Ural Maintenance CDs (2-disc set)

And yes, I carry the maintenance CDs in my toolkit. You might be scrunching up an eyebrow, shaking your head and saying, “That eejit’s on a motorcycle, not in an office. When he’s in the middle of nowhere and breaks down, he’s not gonna have a computer!” You’ve got a point, but the reason I carry them is simple: I’m a geek. If the Patrol breaks down somewhere, odds are good that a laptop was packed for the trip, so if they’re needed, the CDs can be busted out, the Ural wrenched and, hopefully we’re back in the road.

More Toolkit Photos

From Soviet Steeds - First (brief) trip onto the expressway

Wonder if you can take a Ural on a highway? Here’s one rider’s experience:

I drove my hack down to the shore to work on my wife’s uncle’s Virago for him. I took backroads, but decided to brave the freeway for about ten miles to get around a small city, and to satisfy my morbid curiosity about how this machine not meant for freeways would do. I was pleasantly surprised. I kept my speed around 60-65 mph, which was not a problem on I-395 (in Eastern CT) because it is lightly trafficked. The motor seemed quite capable and unstrained, the rig tracked straight and steady, all the usual vibrations were gone, and the mirrors were crystal clear! I don’t think I would want to ride it all day on the expressway, but it’s nice to know that it isn’t completely out of the question if necessary now and then.

Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - First (brief) trip onto the expressway

From a sunny day, April 10, 2008

Back in April, when Andy Grow and I rode up to Salem for our 500km maintenance, I rode solo back to Eugene and stopped off briefly on Alpine Road, a tidge north of Monroe. I took a breather there, looking down a nice stretch of road that, according to my atlas, heads into the hills to Alsea Falls. While having a quick snack and some refreshment, I decided that would be a good place for me, Jodie and Ella to head off to sometime soon.

I also took this picture. I came across it the other day, as I was digging up a few other photos. I don’t quite know why, but it’s one of my favorite shots of Svetlana. Maybe it’s the light; maybe it’s the puddles in the background. Don’t know what it is, but I just like it. I hope you do too.

What’s in your tool roll?

In a way, it’s a personal question, but one the Uralist is generally all to happy to answer. And keep answering. And defend to the death his answer, whilst being not too derogatory of the misguided yet well-meaning answers that others might provide.

Well, not really. Uralists are always happy to talk about what they carry in their sidecars and trunks, because hey, when you can haul pretty much anything you want, you enjoy bragging about it a wee bit. As for me, well, yeah I like to talk about what I carry too.

Here’s what’s in Svetlana’s toolkit (photos too, and more below the list)…
Read the rest of this entry »

It’s been over a week now since our idling issues on our Highway 126 day trip, and I am glad to say that the Ural has been running fine. I’m not going to do anything to the Ural at this point. Instead, I’m going to keep an eye on how Svetlana rides, and will focus on getting more miles/kilometers on her.

Here are some things I’ve learned:

• The idle might need to be kicked up a hair. If I decide to do this, however, I’ll also need to re-sync my carbs. For my not too mechanically minded self, that will mean a carb syncing tool like a TwinMax — which at this point I’d rather just put on my Christmas list.
• Temperature, not bike condition, could have been the primary issue. Our daytrip was on a hot day: about 97°, in full sun. Urals, being air-cooled beasts, do not always run happily on hot summer days. We have not had any similar issues since this hot-day’s ride, so things may well be okay.
• The ultimate key is break-in. Svetlana is coming up on 1400kms, and I’m pretty confident that by the end of September she’ll be ready for her 2500km maintenance interval. (It’d be sooner, but we’re going to be away a lot.) While still not really out of break-in, every km should see performance improvements.

It’s been an experience, figuring out the different potential causes and nuances that can affect Svetlana’s running. Even better? The causes, the circumstances, are all simple.

And that’s what I love about my Ural — simplicity.

Happy Independence Day to my Three Readers. May you have much fun, smooth Uraling and good nosh.

As for me, Jodie, and Ella, we are going to be out and about this holiday weekend. Posts on Ride Three will crank back up on Monday, July 7.

Happy grilling and safe riding!

From the Soviet Steeds Message Boards

There is a great deal of “conventional wisdom” out there about breaking in a Ural properly. In addition to the points agreed on and disagreed on, one thing that everyone agrees on is that there is definitely a point after which your Ural essentially grows up, runs smoother and is even more fun. As for me, I can’t wait to get Svetlana there — as fun as she is now, we’ve got a lot to look forward to!

Soviet Steeds - Shakedown–coming up on 2500–results

I’m nearing the total break-in period and if this is the way the rig runs on break-in, I couldn’t ask for any better.

Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - Shakedown–coming up on 2500–results »