So in my ongoing and obsessive need for a gear up in artic white, I called a dealer close to me listed on the ural website. He told me they have'nt carried the brand in over four years and that I should'nt get one, they are mechanical nightmares. Told me ones they sold when they were a dealer that they still service are in the shop 3 out of 12 months a year. Is this bullshit? I know older ones had build quality problems, electrical issues, and part failure issues but has this not been corrected? Tell me about new ural quality.
It sounds to me like that dealer did not like dealing in Urals. '05 and newer Urals are quite reliable compared to the old 650 versions. If you use them as they are meant to be used and keep up with the frequent but simple maintenance, they are pretty good now. Most of the chronic problems were solved by going up to a 750 motor, using a beefy Denso alternator, several other upgrades (Keihin carbs, Brembo front disk), and better build quality overall. I have an '05 that I got used and I have had no problems in two years of pretty regular use. The most recent years even have machined Herzog gears - oooOOOooo! One remaining problem is that the bearing grease for the alternator shaft melts and the shaft can sieze and cause Bad Things. The fix for this involves a few hours of your time, simple tools, and hi-temp grease called Krytox. Get yourself over to the Soviet Steeds forum and sit at the feet of the gurus there.
I'm up to 20k on my GearUp. Zero maintenance problems. She's just spent a total of 4 hours in the shop for the 5k maintenance, but that's it. Admittedly, I do my own work, but I'm not a genius mechanic; it's just that the Ural's so simple that even a Bozo like me can keep it running with minimal effort. It's reliable enough for all this nonsense: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=508626 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=491770 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=488003 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=462388 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8629848#post8629848 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7163439#post7163439
I follow quite a few riders who post while touring Russia.......the old Dpners and Urals are everywhere and are the "poor peoples cars" according to U-Bear.....what do these Russian owners know that we don't? I see photos of hacks over there that are older than dirt and are still hauling loads of goats, vegetables and anything else you can imagine down a miserable, rough road. Theirs seem to run forever...I doubt if many of them are following the "Manufacturers Maintenance Schedule"......since most can't read......any thoughts on how they seem to work forever? Well.....I guess they all don't run forever.
Some people hate Harleys, some hate KTM's, Horror stories are just that, stories. When a dealer bashes a make they no longer carry, they are just being self serving, He wants You to buy what he sells. 32000 on My Ural, and it hasn't broke down yet, use it the way it was meant to be used, and it will treat You right. It takes a little over an hour to do a full service on a Ural. IMHO, a Ural is so simple to service, If You need a dealer to do it for You, Your to stupid to ride a motorcycle anyway, but then again, some cant change the spark plug on a chainsaw.
Well Said....I hear a lot of folks bashing the Urals but the folks I know that own them are very happy. My Beemer hack would completely fall apart in some places a Ural takes in stride. The off road capabilities are what impress me with the Ural....My Hack Touring is always limited to pavement...or something that resembles it.....that sucks since I miss sooooo much country I want to see. A 2WD Ural will likely be in my future.......
Howdy porterfish, Go to the "ride reports" forum, go to "search", type in the word, "Ural-a-ling" read for DAYS, look at photos and videos and make up your own mind.
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=9796353#post9796353 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410814 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=454177 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=10562785#post10562785 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372870 http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=354338 I am a Ural owner and I am happy with the 2007 Ural Retro I get to haul the wife around in, I have provided some reading for you to digest. Urals are fun bikes that reward owners who take care of them and don't flog them at speeds they don't like on the freeways. Sure they will need a part or something at times but they are simple to work on as far as bikes go. Do some reading and then come back and ask some questions and we will try to help. I have found the dealers to be helpful and the other owners to be great.
One of the first things with those Urals and Dneprs is, that they are driven a lot slower than in Continental Europe or the US... Most of them will hardly ever be ridden faster than 40mph (60kmph), that said the old sidevalve 750 is a lot tougher than the 650ies that came afterwards and third: those Urals and Dneprs are kept alive with a sheer unimaginable amount of cheap spares... Cheers Greg
The Ural is a reliable and rugged bike that requires basic maintenance , I have sent you a PM . Paul Holopaw Ural
As another happy Ural owner (2006 Gear Up, 15K on clock) let me add to the data. Although regular maintenance is a must, my bike has been good. Sure you need to check fastners and follow a preventative maintenance and lubrication schedule that most modern bikes no longer require, but that is part of the charm. These things grown on you and all other modern, bullet proof machines start to seem less desirable....................
I agree with the above. I owned a 06 Tourist, which I purchased used. It was rock solid reliable, plus a hoot to ride. I sold it for lack of storage space, but have regretted it. I will own another one!!!!
Wanna go the the Arctic Circle with your Ural? Go here... Wanna go even farther North? Go here... Wanna do it in the wintertime? Go here... How about a short trip across the Yukon and Alaska? Go here... I think we've given you enough to keep you occupied for days...
hehe, I have already read most of those ride reports. I took the former dealers comments in stride, I just wanted to bounce the comments off you guys. A gear up means trading or selling the GS so this is no small decision, but I can think of no other group whose opinions I value more on this topic.
Also, that all of the dealers I've dealt with (Heindl, Holopaw, Crawford, UralNW) are all very good about stocking parts and getting them to you very quickly. I've had nothing but good experiences in the two+ years I've been in the Ural community.
Howdy porterfish, If it will make your decision any easier, here's a date point for you. Since buying my Ural in 2005, I have ridden my heavily farkled 1150GS a total of perhaps 1,500 miles :eek1 If I had known how hard the Ural bug bites I would have sold that bike and other such as the R1 and the DRZ which have been ridden even LESS. Alas these bikes are now five years older and in todays economy pretty worthless so they still take up space in the garage as the Ural is ridden daily, damned Ural's.
over 23000 miles since 12/01/07 --- 2 guzzis settin in the shop colecting dust --1 bmw looking to find a new home -- yeah these damn Urals are not reliable --- new rule-- if you come on the forum and say a dealer is bad mouthing the brand at least state who the ass wipe is so we can avoid the guy so no one has to deal with some one who evidently does not know what he's doing or talking about-- and BTW I've had 3 Bmws in my stable at various times and they ALL gave me more grief than the Ural
