Ok, I may be a complete idiot, at least that is what has been suggested by my wife and a few others. I stumbled apon this brand new Ural car. Now I have been considering getting a Hack for a while now, Camping with Dog and Kathy made easier so to speak. My big dilema is what bike is best for this heavy car?? ( read affordable of course) Now I have an old Honda CX which I could make up some mounts for fairly easily but I don't think it is a good tug. I have read through most of the Hack forums so have a bit of an Idea on how I should build a mount and make it adjustable. Seems it is mostly trail and error, emphasis on error, when it comes to my design skills. I would like a newer GS (expensive) but am attracted to the older Air heads. Opinions ??? Brian Canoe B.C.
I couldn't ever see myself spending $10K for this old GS (but it looks mint doesn't it!), but wouldn't that be a nice match to that Ural car! http://alberta.kijiji.ca/c-cars-veh...1986-BMW-R80GS-Paris-Dakar-W0QQAdIdZ412242613 I'd look for an older 800-1000cc Beemer. Those are heavy units those Ural cars... at least compared to my DMC Enduro it is. You'll need at least 45 hp to have enough oomph to cruise at a decent speed with that... and preferrably a lot more!
+1 on Beemers. People have been hacking airheads forever. I have an R80/7 hauling a Dnepr sidecar around. It does fine. Why not hack the CX? 50 hp, shaft drive, tough as nails, I bet it would be fine. Not too speedy, but probably more guts than a 650 Ural. What kind of driving do you want to do?
I would hack the CX. Being a 650 it has more punch than a Ural. It is far more reliable. I guess it has about the same amount of horsepower as an R80. Start looking for a rear wheel of a CX "C" model, it is smaller and give the CX more traction.
You'll have to build a heck of a subframe. Those CXen have the engine as a stressed member do they not? If you can get past that, I think the CX would be a good tug. They are torquey. Can you weld? My CB400+Velorex has a half-frame with the engine as a stressed member kind of like the CX. For it, I cut a couple pieces of angled metal out of a worn out grain blower chute and bolted them onto the front motor mount, hanging down to make a place to put the front lower hack mount. I think for a heavy Ural car, you might want a full subframe though, that connects back to the rear frame somewhere. I get some frame flex even with the lightweight Velorex car with my setup, and I am pretty sure that tripling the weight of the sidecar would put an unacceptable amount of stress on my redneck setup.
Yeah, a subframe for the CX could be the deal killer since the engine hangs from the top of the frame, but otherwise I'd think it would be a most excellent tug. They're torquey little buggers and have as much hp as an old airhead, plus they're super easy to maintain. I wish I had my old GL500 back, it would have made a kickass hack.
Yeah I saw that R80 Dakar. A bit spendy, There is an 1150 close but for 7500. still a bit steep for my pocket book at the moment. I kind of plan on more gravel than pavement hence the GS over the CX. I have looked at doing the CX but it doesn't run well from sitting ( Bad Me) and has a coolant leak I have not been able to fix.. Water pump seal. I am able just not willing. Sidecar Bob over on the Side car forum put out some rudimentary plans of his CX install. Working from them I have a plan for the CX but think I should put my effort into more productive use as ultimately I don't really want to use the CX. It is a Canadian Euro model so more of a first gen Sport bike. I have been looking at getting a Dual sport bike for a while now ( thousand of miles of gravel to explore in BC)but have stayed away cause I know myself and my awful fight with gravity. I fall over a lot, and being 56 don't heal fast. I am thinking with the Hack I might not take the chances plus no worrys when I stop, plus I can carry the Queen sized air mattress to keep Kathy happy. The most important consideration Of course I have never even sat on a Hack, little less riden one. Maybe the CX route would teach me to either love it or hate it. I certainly wouldn't have much invested to find out. Hmmmm. Brian Canoe B.C.
if you want a reasonably priced airhead, i have an 86 r80 in the airhead flea market for sale, it needs a new ignition system, (about 350 bucks) and some top end gaskets. otherwise, its ready to roll. i rode it every day at least 40 miles a day for the last 5 months.
It would be possible to do depending on your abilities (or mates abilities) to mess with metal (fabricate) and mechanical skills to sort the old Honda engine. Most modern bikes don't have the old style cradle steel frame so sub frames a re needed. Even old airheads need some frame bracing (post 1969). As mentioned you can get a smaller diameter rear wheel for these to change the gearing a bit? Is it the 500 or 650? I have an idea the final drive ratio may be different, not sure though. A 650 with 500 final drive would make a good tug perhaps. Suspension changes are needed (heavier springs and shocks) usually. So If you start with what you have rather than spend the money on a newer tug it is possible to have a great back road rig with earls type front forks and longer travel rear suspension. The hazards are having something that is half baked that you hate or spending more than it is worth to you. Falling down is no fun at our age. Cheers, Bruce
Up there where you are I think you should stay away from an older airhead. Reliability is a factor. A newer airhead would be a better choice. Or an oilhead. Or even a K-bike. But if you want an old airhead, how about this one from the Abbotsford Craigslist--you wouldn't even need to paint it because it already matches!!
Hmmm I might have to go look at that one, only 4 hours away. After checking out the Ad it might be too nice for me to do what I want to do to it, classic and all. Price is right though. Got me thinking, thanks Brian Canoe B.C.
Don't get me wrong, as I'd love to have a nice older RS or RT in my collection, but maybe a tug more off-road capable would be the ticket? ...and maybe an older/classic style bike would more closely match as well? ...however I've seen a few newer 1200ish boxer GS's that look great with a Ural style tub on 'em (want... as in I'd like to own such a setup myself).
Dual sporting with a hack, at least running gravel roads of Texas, does not require a lot of ground clearance. Trails where other 4 wheel vehicles have driven, that were never meant to be roads, may need more height. I've taken my old Guzzi down a bunch of badly maintained roads with out any problems over the last 1 1/2 years with no problems. This is the only place i've been stopped so far and it was only because street tires could not get traction in the loose gravel.
What about one of these. The 650 Single. Anybody done one with one? Mounts? I looked at this bike early in the fall but didn't pull the trigger, I see it is still up for sale and the price is better. I suppose if the Hack didn't work out I would still have a great dual sport ride http://vernon.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-motorcycles-touring-2006-BMW-F-Series-W0QQAdIdZ412506346 Brian Canoe B.C.
Nice, did you make your own leading link set up? 've taken my old Guzzi down a bunch of badly maintained roads with out any problems over the last 1 1/2 years with no problems. [/QUOTE]
if you like the bike you already have then I would use it. You're going to need a subframe for any bike you use so start with what you have.
That was a nice find.Just finding a Ural tub isn't easy anymore..But a brand new one even better.I had my first one with a81RT.The tubs are heavy,but probally the strongest tub out there..Depending on what you are using it foe you might want to consider more horsepower..Airheads are great tub bikes but a little slow on power,but dependable as hell..I have mine on a 03 GSA has all the power I need..NIce find though...
I did a lot of reading on this forum before I came up with the design for the leading links that I finely built and they have held up with no problems other than not having enough dampening in the Sportster shocks. I need to find some better ones, but I should weight this thing first as it is heavy.
