03
What’s in your Urals’ trunk? Here’s what I carry in Svetlana’s trunk. What should you carry in yours? The lads on Soviet Steeds all give lengthy, detailed lists of what they carry:
06
Pondering whether or not to get a windshield for your Ural? Which types and brands should you consider?
“I am looking for a windshield. Just wanna keep the rocks and bugs off me and maybe deflect a little wind. I am leaning towards a handlebar mount frameless style but will consider all recomendations.”
Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - Need advice on windshield and mirrors »
05
Now, I love the internet, and I love shopping online, but I also love having a reliable local shop for motorcycle apparel, parts and gear. Eugene has an excellent shop, called Discount Motorcycle Parts. Husband-and-wife team Steve and Annette have run the store for over 15 years, and provide a solid, well-priced selection of everything from riding jackets and saddlebags, to mirrors and battery tenders.
Some of the motorcycle equipment Jodie and I have purchased here (so far) includes…
Discount Motorcycle Parts
28
“BFH”
Definition: Big Feckin’ Hammer, or, the most important tool the Ural motorcyclist can own.
Usage: “I broke down. So I got out my BFH, whacked the Ural a few times here and there, and was back on the road about 2 minutes later.”
22
When shopping for motorcycle insurance, you have to pay close attention to the details. And when it comes to details, accessory coverage, and what’s considered an accessory, varies greatly from insurer to insurer.
As I looked into quotes at Progressive, I found a note in their accessory coverage that noted sidecars might be considered an accessory. However, overall the accessory coverage noted that accessories were considered non-factory items, or in other words, the stuff you add on after you get your motorcycle, and not what the factory put on during their manufacturing process.
But which applied to the Ural’s sidecar? Was it an accessory, or did it fall under the “manufacturer installed”?
To my mind, the natural answer was manufacturer-installed – for a Ural the sidecar isn’t an accessory, it’s a factory-installed part of the motorcycle. That’s just common sense, but of course, no one has ever accused insurers of letting common sense get in their way.
I called Progressive and double-checked these details with them. It was very simple, and surprisingly easy:
“The sidecar’s put on at the factory,” they said. “So it’s not an accessory and the accessory coverage doesn’t apply to it. It’s just part of the motorcycle, so it’s under the standard coverage. If it was an aftermarket sidecar, then it would be different. But it’s not.”
There you go. The things to remember:
And make your first call to Progressive. As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve been very happy with their motorcycle coverage, especially given that Ural is not as well-known of a brand.
15
Like St0nkingByte — Soviet Steeds - Who insures your Ural? — it took some time and research to sort out insurance for my Ural. And who better to check with, naturally, than with all the other Ural owners out there for who they use for motorcycle insurance?
I called my insurance agent today to get insurance on the new Patrol. Since it is new I asked her to get me full coverage. She hasn’t done many sidecar rigs so she was warning me that it might be considered ‘exotic’ and thus might be hard to insure? I’m sure she just doesn’t know yet. Anyway she said it might be helpful if I could tell her what companies other Ural owners are using for their insurance. I’m most interested people who have full coverage and your approximate annual cost, if you’re willing to share.
This didn’t wind up being my experience, but it’s good to be aware this issue is out there. I wound up insuring Svetlana through Progressive, and had an easy time getting (very competitive) quotes. Progressive is well aware of Ural, and covers the sidecar as a factory item, not an accessory (which is a different kettle of fish when it comes to insurance coverage for motorcycles).
Whoever you insure your residence, car, etc. through, be sure to check with Progressive when insuring a Ural. Progressive is known for being well-versed in motorcycle coverage, with good plans.
14
When it was time to replace your Ural’s air filter, you promptly went out and bought a K&N permanent air filter for your Ural, right? If not, do so now. Don’t worry, we’ll wait…
Okay, good on you. Now that you’ve got your K&N air filter and you’ve been running hell out of your Ural, it’s a few more thousand kilometers later, and it’s time to clean that dirty, cloggy permanent air filter.
Here’s how you do just that, step by step. (BTW, when I it’s time to replace my air filter and eventually need to clean it, I’ll add a post with pictures about that too.)
Soviet Steeds :: View topic - k&N filter cleaning
“Have the K&N reusable filter in my 07 Gear Up and thought with a little over 5,000 Km I would clean it today. This was the first time I have cleaned it so it will give the new fellows an idea of how to do it”
30
While Ride Three has a pretty extensive area devoted to resources about sidecar motorcycles, I thought there should be a quick something that highlights great sidecar motorcycle resources in Oregon, specifically Eugene. If you live in Eugene and are considering a sidecar motorcycle, these can help:
What’d I miss? I’m still pretty new to motorcycling, and am sure there are plenty of great places and folks out there who are great resources for motorcyclists. Let me know what I missed, and I’ll add that resource to Ride Three.
25
UDF, or Ural Delay Factor, is the name Ural owners have given the blessing and curse of owning a Ural in a world where sidecar motorcycles are in short supply. UDF is simple. Think of it like this: If you are so much as riding to the store to grab some milk, UDF is the 20 minutes extra your trip will take, because someone has questions about your sidecar rig. Often this is quite fun — but sometimes you just want to grab your milk and go home.
As one Soviet Steeds poster notes, there are ways to deal with UDF, and he has come up with a very creative solution:
UDF can be fun, interesting, or sometimes downright intrusive. Often, we just want to get on with our ride or walk away and get on with our day. After many sessions, I came up with this partial solution. It’s not original. Sometime back, JohnBG posted a link to a label/sign maker program. I have lost the link…
It’s not old
It’s made in Russia
It has 2-wheel drive
Chicks dig it
No rides given
Hands off please
Follow the whole discussion: Soviet Steeds - My UDF Solution
11
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)…
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
