Firstly, Howdy all! I'm new here so this is more or less my introduction. Now on to business: I've recently gotten the 2 (well 3) wheel bug, which may or may not be directly related to me reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance". Now that I have a new obsession (I'm a slave to volvos 4 life!!!) and I've gone head over heels for Urals I need to learn as much about them as I can. I got the basic history/ wiki blurb on the Urals but I thirst for more knowledge. When I mentioned I like Urals to a friend he laughed and told me about his friend who bought one in 96 and had the back end fall out (whatever that means) while driving, this was followed by a rant on shoddy Russian engineering So my first question is: How shoddy are Urals/ will I die in a ball of fire and become a splat on the side of the highway? Second: I'm 6'6"... would I even fit on one of these. Another friend of mine has a Yamaha R6 and I feel like a kid on one of those mini crotch rocket bikes that they sell at toys r us... This will not do. Third: How easy is maintenance and how readily available are parts... I don't want to go through our local Russian Mob to get a brake cable. Fourth: MODS!!!! Not that I'm really performance oriented but I still want to monkey around with the engine... I'm in no way looking for R6 performance (that bike scares the everloving jesus out of me) but a bit more pep would be nice, so what modifications are "safe" and common?
Thanks in advance for the info and the likes. I'm going to be bouncing between the forums at Turbobricks and here so My responses may be a bit delayed.

Thanks
-Kormos

First, Welcome. As far as your height, just like most bikes, seats can be adjusted, and if you look at this forum and others you will find Rich Maund who can maybe fab up a custom seat for your needs. If you go to Sovietsteeds.com, and the IMZ-Ural.com websites as well you can get lots of answers to your questions. The Russian motorcycle fever is hard to shake. They are really fun and are simple to work on. If your looking for gas n go 'Honda" type and fast for the highway, look elsewhere. These bikes have improved greatly over the years and most will recommend any Ural 2005 or newer. There are a couple of great deals on Urals on the classified section of this forum,and at Sovietsteeds. Look and ye shall find. Good luck. Have fun!

And, actually, the Russian Mob is a great supplier of Ural parts.

Just be careful when negotiating price!

If you got through "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" start to finish then you may well be Foil head material.

If I remember corretly, the seat height on the Ural is 33". You are 6'6", so there is no way you could ride in the sidecar comfortably. I am 5'8", and I can just barely stretch my legs out in it. Urals need constant light maintenance, like 5-10 mins, every day and probably a one or two hour session every two or three weeks, but it's all easy stuff. You can go 60 mph all day on one, but you will use a lot of gas (23 mpg). If you keep your speed under 50 mph, you should be able to get 30 mpg. Urals go thorough a lot of rear tires on the bike side. I have had to replace mine 3 times in about 8000 miles. This has been roughly what my experience has been to date. Hope that helps!

Wow. Different experience here. I'm 6'3 and I fit in the sidecar very comfortably; the only daily maintenance is checking air pressure, oil and the odometer to see how much gas is left. The one or two hour session every two or three weeks is just for fun. I've gone oil change to oil change without having to do anything in between. I get 29MPG whether I'm off roading, putting along at 50mph or hauling ass at Ural speed all day long. I rotate my tires, but have 9000kms on them all (original Uralshinas) and there is plenty more tread. If your sidecar is not aligned properly, the tires wear much faster- especially the pusher.

I am 5'7" and I fit in the sidecar with room to spare. However, different people are built in different ways. It may depend on your personal frame.

When I worked the IMWA booth at some of the CycleWorld shows, it was my job to get people to sit in the sidecar. The record holder was 6'6". I don't know how comfortable he was, but by golly, I got him in there!

At one show, I coaxed a gentleman who said he was 6'4" into the hack. He was doubtful, but he finally consented to try it. He then climbed out and disappeared for a few minutes. He tracked down some friends, climbed back in, and said, "See, I really DO fit!"

The usual solution for larger pilots is a bench seat instead of the tractor seats. That way you can slide back and forth and find your comfort spot.

My son-in-law is 6'8", he'll fit, but his knees are right next to his ears!

Dave

I read "Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance" at least 3 times in the early 80's while in the Navy. It stuck with me. Sounds like your not convinced. Anyway, just reading your commits I would suggest that you DO NOT buy a Russian motorcycle. You will be a moaner and groaner.

Easy there...he is just asking. I remember I was similarly concerned before I plunked down the cash on my Patrol. Just ask Gummiente!

The modern Ural is head and tails above anything your buddy may have experienced. There are stills some wrinkles, but that is why they have an excellent warranty. I have taken two long roads trips on mine, and she ran like a top, as did the four other Urals that went with me on one of them. Keep reading and asking questions and I am sure you will succumb to the will of Ural!

Ahhh.. a lover of Volvos.... so you have good taste and are an individualist...

You'll fit right in as long as you don't expect the Ural to be as maintenance-free as your Volvo....

Out of interest (I work for Volvo) what Volvo do you drive :)

Just buy a Ural and the small things that you'll need to do will become like the small things you need to do for the woman in your world (except with a Ural you'll get more pleasure, less backchat and she'll always be waiting in the garage for you...)

Some of the crusty auld fellahs here try to scare away new guys... it's a sort of Darwinian exercise that actually works quite well. How you react will give you a good idea of how suited you are to these bikes...

If you buy a new one, don't try to mod it. Buy an old one for that.

But then, if you are REALLY into a challenge that will reward, look for a Dnepr....


Dublinski in sunny Sweden

I have a 1994 650 Ural Tourist and it's been a GREAT bike ! .

Not terribly fast but I do run the crap out of it and it begs for more .

I am told the newer 750's have seriously more power than the older 650's do .

It's an old tech machine and needs care & feeding but they're good bikes .

Look around , they're all over the place and often cheap .

The most fun you'll have with your pants on...