So, Smutyanka is living up to her namesake again. (Smutyanka is “female troublemaker” in Russian)
We did a lot of work on her last week and replaced the air filter, put on the new carburetor flanges and heat blocks, and replaced the torn fuel line. Our plan was to take her to Crossroads Cycles this week to get the carbs balanced, now that they are firmly attached, and with that and her inspection, she should be good to go for regular riding.
No dice.
We tried to start her up on Friday and got nothing. I couldn’t even really hear the engine trying to turn over, which usually means something is very wrong. We headed over to the Soviet Steeds forum, and folks advised that when we drained the tank, we probably pulled some gunk into the petcock, and to take it off and clean it. We did that, and there was indeed a little bit of gunk (especially blocking the reserve tank hole), and then re-attached it. It still won’t start up. The fuel flow now seems fine, but in the process of looking at all that stuff, we realized that our throttle cables are barely hanging on, and are literally hanging out of the throttle assembly on the right handgrip. Back to the boards!
This is starting to get really frustrating for both of us. We enjoyed getting to work on the bike and learn about motorcycle maintenance, but we have had the bike for three months and have driven it for only around an hour and a half, total ride time.
So, we’re thinking of selling Smutyanka and buying a brand new Ural Patrol T, sometime in the next couple months, once Marc starts his USIS job.
There are a few reasons for this:
- The Patrol T comes factory painted in the original Soviet army green/brown. While we have photographic documentation of black, civilian sidecar bikes being requisitioned for military use, using Smutyanka in her current color configuration makes her stand out at events, and might draw some “farb!” remarks, even though it’s not.
- The Patrol T has 2WD. For city driving it’s not an issue, but both of us really want to do some offroading with our Ural, and Smutyanka’s seemingly brittle condition and 1WD make that a little more difficult (though not impossible). 2WD would also allow us to drive in the snow, which would be nice.
- With a fresh, brand new bike, it would be easier to diagnose problems. Right now we’re stuck in a cycle in which we fix one thing, only to realize that it was just a symptom of something else that has been broken the whole tine. With a new bike, you have a fresh starting point, so it’s easier to know when something is wrong.
- Quite frankly, we’re not really in a good position to be doing major work on a motorcycle right now. If we were living in a house, with a garage, it might be another story, but it’s very difficult to do any major work on a motorcycle when all you have is an apartment parking lot.
- Urals now come with a 3(?) year factory warranty, and we live only two hours away from a dealer. We can continue to do the minor stuff ourselves, but it’s nice to know that if something really goes wrong, we can get it fixed for free for a couple years.
- The biggest of all: even if we got Smutyanka running well, neither of us would trust her to be anything more than a “fun around town” vehicle. I wouldn’t trust her to get me to work, and we would have to trailer her to all reenactments we took her to, however close. A brand new Ural is reliable enough to be used as a daily commuter, and then it truly could be our second vehicle. Marc wants to get a new car, but he would prefer to wait a little longer to replace his, and having a Ural that works might be a good stopgap.
We haven’t made up our minds yet, or even really discussed it all that much, but the topic has been brought up for discussion a couple times. It wouldn’t be for a couple months yet, but it’s a possibility.
Hey yall, I got someone who would probably buy your bike in a second. Let me know what you decide-Matt, the guy who built my bike, is a big Ural fan and does a lot of work on them. I could get you guys in contact, if you’re interested. LK
If we decide to go that route, that would be awesome.
You say there’s a dealer within 2 hrs or Arlington VA? Where?? We’re in Harpers Ferry WV and the nearest dealer is in PA.
Velocity Vintage in Richmond, VA.
Get with me at Thenetraider@hotmail.com and I’ll get you in touch with my buddy. Oh, and I might have an interesting job lead, too. -LK
Dear Kelsey:
For the price of one new Ural, you guys could get 2 slightly used BMW K75s that will probably run for 150,000 miles before needing a serious valve adjustment. Instead of re-enactments, you could ride to places like the Grand Canyon, where you could open a bottle of wine and still expect your bikes to start exactly like they did 3000 times previously.
I greatly admire your perseverance. Man, are you guys patient. But after a while, wouldn’t you really rather be riding?
I meant to ask you, what was all that white stuff in the engine oil?
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Twisted Roads
Twisted Roads
Yes, we could get modern bikes, but really, we prefer more vintage-type bikes. It’s kind of like choosing to drive a Beetle when you could get a Prius. Sure, it has problems, but it has more soul. Also, frankly, we like the attention-gathering nature of sidecar bikes, as well as the ability to carry a large amount of gear without saddlebags. The other issue is that frankly, I can’t ride big bikes. My legs are extremely short, and that tends to eliminate about 90% of the bikes out there that I would be even remotely interested in riding (it also doesn’t help that neither of us likes either cruisers or sport bikes).
Here’s the thing – for us, reenacting is our primary hobby. Most months we attend an event 2-3 weekends out of the month. It’s a good hobby for us because both of us have jobs that make it nearly impossible to get off work for more than a weekend. Sure, we could do long trips like you describe in theory, but in practice, we’d both have to quit our jobs, and seeing as how we have $1600 of rent to pay a month, and I make about $800/mo at my job, it’s just…not feasible. Urals work well for us precisely because the *can* deal with a lot of down time, because really, except for use as a potential commuter, any bike we have is going to have a lot of down time.
The white stuff is actually a mix of oil and water, and it’s what happens whenever we forget to put our tarp over the bike. The engine isn’t very well sealed.
Dear Kelsey:
I wasn’t really serious in my suggestion. But I am amazed at the maintenance these Urals demand. I read of a guy who rode cross country on a 2005 Ural, and he replaced 5 or 6 things on this machine, and still broke down three times.
You have to love what you ride and I deeply respect your commitment to the Ural. I am amazed at the patience both you and Charlie6 (Domingo) exhibit during your day-to-day love affair with these machines. For the first time ever, I will be changing my bike’s oil and doing stuff I always paid a mechanic to do this year. Money is tight and there is no alternative. (I lost 80 percent of my income in the last month.) Thank God I will not have to buy tires in 2010.
Your argument is precisely why I recommended the BMW K75. The newest one you can get is 14 years old. They look like old fart bikes. I have a 28″ inseam and can flatfoot the bike with both feet. You can attend local BMW rallys on weekends, which is like touring Jurrasic Park with live dinosaurs riding dinosaurs. And even though the K75 never breaks down, when it does, it’s just like a Ural as there are only two BMW dealers left in the United States (on opposite coasts), and each part is hand-made by a Catholic saint.
Of course, your rides would be different as the K75 will run at 85mph all day, without getting hot, or using any oil, or dropping parts. You’ll have more time for other things, like bungee jumping… You’ll be invited to high class parties… You’ll write several best selling books while your husband will become a rock star… Then again, I get sick of all this on a regular basis too.
At these enactments, does anyone show up with a tank or artillery?
If water can leak into the engine as easily as it can be prevented by a tarp, wouldn’t you have compression issues? Just asking.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Twisted Roads