A cheap, easy-to-follow must-have for any Ural owner

One of the allures of the Ural is that even the average rider – even non mechanically-minded schmucks like me – can do their own maintenance and service. To help us along, Ural has a 2-disc CD set that covers the basic service (IMWA 0032 750 cc Basic Service (2 disc set), MSRP $23.99). I ordered a copy when I got my bike, and would recommend that any new Ural owner order a copy too.

Here’s what I’ve learned so far, from the Ural maintenance procedures themselves to tools and equipment I’ll need in the garage.

Ural Basic Service, Disc 1 Contents

• Introduction
• Oil Change
• Torque Headbolts
• Tappet Adjustment (on my set this isn’t on the CD’s label, but it is part of the program)
• Carb Balance
• Spline Lubrication
• Battery Inspection
• Brake Inspection
• Air Filter Service
• Sidecar Alignment

Pretty much every procedure covered on the CD can be done with the screwdrivers, wrenches allen (hex) wrenches or other tools that come in any new Ural’s stock toolkit. As many sage Ural owners recommend, “do your maintenance with what you carry” – so either bust out that stock tool kit and get to work, or stock your rig’s tool kit with tools you both carry in your rig and you use to work on your Ural at home (or roadside…). Here are some additional tools and such that you’ll need:

In general you’ll want…

• Socket wrenches and ratchet
• Shop rags
• BFH (lovingly known to the Ural enthusiast as the “Big Feckin’ Hammer”)
• Cotter pins (when you remove a cotter pin, you’ll generally replace it with a new one)
• Couple of small steel bowls for holding nuts, bolts and other small pieces you don’t want rolling around

Oil Change

• 105 oz. (3 L) 20W-50 motor oil for engine and transmission
• 4.5 oz. (135 ml) for final drive
• Catch basin for oil
• Cappable container for recycling your used oil (check with your recycling service or auto parts store for free oil recycling)
• Measuring cup (for final drive oil)
• Funnel

Torque Headbolts

• Torque wrench

Tappet Adjustment

• Feeler Gauge (.002″ and .004″)

What’s a tappet? I asked that too. Here’s a definition of tappet and a more detailed explanation of what a tappet is

Carb Balance

• TwinMax Carb Adjuster

Air Filter Service

• K&N Filter Care “Recharger” Service Kit (varies by model, make sure you get the right one for your filter)
• Brush

Sidecar Alignment
This will make more sense when you watch the video, but you’ll need 2 “guides”: straight, thin, long (about 8′) pieces of metal or wood that are, again, straight. No bend, no curve. Perfectly straight. You’ll also need a way to level and attach one guide to the front and rear wheels, and the other guide to the sidecar wheel.

So far so good

Ural’s 2-disc CD set of “Ural Basic Service” is a cheap, easy-to-follow must-have for every new Ural owner. The CDs use video and the occasional caption to help you get familiar with all basic maintenance procedures, from changing the oil to adjusting the brakes. On a rainy, crappy, cold weekend here in Eugene, I’ve been watching my set, and every procedure and part of my rig is making much, much more sense to my non-mechanical mind. I feel much more confident in my ability to tackle the maintenance on my Patrol now.

Next… Ural Basic Service: Ural Maintenance CD, Disc 2