Leaking oil? Pssh. Tis but a flesh wound.
The Germans on the BMW have a precision method of continuously applying oil to the chain to keep it lubricated.
The Russians, not to be out done, have a precision method of continuously applying oil to everything.
I happened to discover that the breather in the Ural's final drive gear box picks up water. Most likely water being kicked up by the front tire since the breather sits on the forward facing side of the housing.
Drained the chocolate milk. Flushed and replaced with new oil.
Thinking a snorkel mod is in order.
Drained the chocolate milk. Flushed and replaced with new oil.
Thinking a snorkel mod is in order.
I almost hate to drop this link in your thread, but the OP on ADV does link some pages that I would consider required reading for the Ural owner.
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/why-you-should-not-buy-a-ural-motorcycle.794963/
I take most of the info I see online with a grain of salt...
http://advrider.com/index.php?threads/why-you-should-not-buy-a-ural-motorcycle.794963/
I take most of the info I see online with a grain of salt...
The ensuing comments are always entertaining to read more-so than the OP.
Agreed. On topics like that you solicit emotional responses because of the investment involved. IMO expected given his blunt delivery. I do feel there's good info that can be learned from the OP's catalog of failures that he assembled.
It's a definitely worth its value alone. Myself owning a 1974 Honda CB, although in great running condition as of today, am not surprised with the "unreliability" of such old bikes. A lot of owners of these 40+ year old bikes find themselves fixing them more than riding them. Every time I ride, it's almost as if the bike is never 100%. There's always that small bit that needs tinkering, especially those darn carbs. Every bike has its quirks, even the old reliable Honda and new Triumphs. With a catalog of such disasters/problems of such a bike nowadays, it should be well documented on fixes and what to look for to minimize those problems. Haters gonna hate, and you got to pay to play. Same old sayings as to what you're getting yourself into. Being a Soviet bike that hasn't changed much over the decades, well that alone should say it all. It still is a badass looking bike.
Well, not so much Soviet as German BMW 1930's engineering. In 1940, the Soviet Union acquired the design and production techniques for BMW R71 motorcycles and sidecars. The first M-72 model was finished in 1941. Originally, factories were to be located in Moscow, Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), and Kharkov, but due to the approach of Nazi German troops, the Moscow facilities were moved to Irbit, and the Leningrad and Kharkov facilities to Gorkiy (now called Nizhny Novgorod). Plans for the M-72 were later sold to the Nanchang Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, a Chinese industrial firm, to build the Chang Jiang.
No problem. I knew what I was getting myself into. While the adv rider post is 4 years old many of the issues still exist. Short service interval compared to modern bikes. 3107 miles ( 5000km ). Scattered dealer network. etc..
Had an oil issue with the bike a few weeks ago. Oil on the engine but a visit to the dealer turned up nothing. Put several 100km on it since then and not a problem. No oil on the engine since. Never a drop of oil on the garage floor. I don't like those kind of mysteries. Who does?
Changes in riding style is also necessary. I stop more frequently to give the engine a rest more than rest myself. I'm lucky if I can get the Ural up to 80 going down hill so I avoid interstates. A more suitable speed is between 45 and 55mph which is perfect for back roads.
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I agree that the advrider post is required reading though. I was on soviet steeds before I bought the Ural and I saw a good many of those posts. I would be looking for maintenance issue posts for the current year and give them more weight than the older ones though. Simply because lots of changes have been made and they don't apply. e.g. carb issues. Urals are EFI now.
Despite the flaws or because of them I'm enjoying the bike.
I also learned something interesting at Overland Expo East about BMWs talking to a gentleman that stopped at the AA pavilion. The EFI/engine controller is not interchangeable between bikes. You simply cannot take one off one bike to replace a damaged/faulty one on another. His bike was beyond his ability to repair and he had to send his controller back to Germany to reprogram/repair it.
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I also learned something interesting at Overland Expo East about BMWs talking to a gentleman that stopped at the AA pavilion. The EFI/engine controller is not interchangeable between bikes. You simply cannot take one off one bike to replace a damaged/faulty one on another. His bike was beyond his ability to repair and he had to send his controller back to Germany to reprogram/repair it.
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Pretty sure vibration caused the lower stud to strip out. Helicoil to the rescue.
The fix took less time than I thought it would. Exhaust headers off and back on in under 2 hours. Managed to get a 4 hour ride in.
The odd places you can find close to home.
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The fix took less time than I thought it would. Exhaust headers off and back on in under 2 hours. Managed to get a 4 hour ride in.
The odd places you can find close to home.
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I thought the was the funniest thing I'd heard in a long time the first time I read it...still busts me up today!
And not anymore. Sold it. Simply not riding it.