Show us your motorcycles!

[David Conwill]

Every girl wants a ride in the sidecar, too

Except my wife!

Thanks for the information, very helpful and succinct. Far easier to understand than what I dug up on Wikipedia and Google after I made the post.

Just out of curiousity, why do you prefer the Enfield over the Ural for solo use? I rather like the '40s look of the Ural "Retro" as compared to the '50s-style 500 Bullet, though I certainly wouldn't be unhappy with either.

-Dave

 

[Luddite]

Just out of curiousity, why do you prefer the Enfield over the Ural for solo use? I rather like the '40s look of the Ural "Retro" as compared to the '50s-style 500 Bullet, though I certainly wouldn't be unhappy with either.
-Dave

Don't get me wrong, I love Urals, and still have a solo, but they're simply not as nice to ride as the Enfield. Something to do with the geometry of the frame makes them ponderous at best - sidecar rake on the forks at a guess. Add to that appalling brakes and very poor carburation, and although interesting, it does become tiresome. The Enfield, however is relatively nippy, steers sweetly, requires little fettling and does most everything you'd expect a modern bike to do. The Indian army versions have all the anachronistic looks of the Ural, too.

 

[cbrunt]

Hi Luddite,

Thanks for the kind words.. and the sweet image. That bike is a really cool custom; though the image was taken at speed me thinks its a Heritage Softail Springer that's been very cleverly customized to have that classic "pogo-seat" look and geometry. And the tank emblem and "Hollywood" bars and chopped fender really complete the old school bobber look ! And its got the factory disc brakes. Gives me ideas...

I'll tell you, I've had a few hairy moments when the old mechanical drum brakes just didn't want to stop.. !!!

Clint

 

[jeep44]

Don't you guys tease me with all these flathead Harleys. I know they're slow, so I've always wanted to build a WL with an Ironhead Sportster engine (some would say a rigid Ironhead with WL tin, I guess). However that's another project for another day.

Right now I'm looking for something I can make payments on, maybe. We're going through Frankenmuth, Michigan on Friday where there's a Royal Enfield/Ural dealer. Can someone who is familiar with the Russian bikes explain the difference between a Ural and a Dnepr to me? Until I started looking into them today, I had always assumed it was two names for the same thing. Also, are the Russian bikes available without the side car? I come from a biker family and don't think I could handle the abuse I'd take for using a sidecar.

-Dave

Hello
Like Luddite said, the Dnepr is basically extinct, while Ural is still going. They have been taken over, by an American, I believe, and vast improvements in quality and reliability have been made. They are definitely not cheap these days, going for around $14,000. There is a person selling Dnepr "kits" on eBay, but these do not have a good reputation, and are best left alone unless you are knowledgeable in rebuilding these bikes.
My Ural has been quite useful these days as my "grocery getter"-I run all my local errands around town on this bike-from getting groceries at Krogers, filling lawnmower gas cans,to getting shelving at Lowes. It is slow, and the brakes on this old '97 are poor. If you are in Michigan, stop by Crawford's,too-they have both Ural and Enfield. The owner of Crawford's has a "Wolf"-a solo version of the Ural with no sidecar, but they are very uncommon-I guess most people would just buy a BMW instead-they buy a Ural for the whole sidecar package.As far as bikers giving you a hard time, my experience has been that almost every bike rider I have encountered thinks the Ural is totally cool.When I don't feel like wrestling this beast around, I take the Enfield-I have the Indian-style metal pannier boxes on it, which makes it useful for errands,also. As much as I like the sleek look of a bike with no extra junk on it, they just are not useful for anything other than riding around on. These days, the enfield is doing things I would have just taken my truck to do last year.

 

[renor27]

Hello
Like Luddite said, the Dnepr is basically extinct, while Ural is still going. They have been taken over, by an American, I believe, and vast improvements in quality and reliability have been made. They are definitely not cheap these days, going for around $14,000.

You are joking about the quality and the price right.

A local motorcycle shop the old fashion type that has been working on bike for the last 40 years had a Ural in last week talk about crude and what a poor ride even with the sidecar. the wields were some of the worst I have ever seen my K9 can wield better. The wires were a rats nest of mix pieces. this was a two year old bike.

As for the price $14,000 you are joking right?
I can and have built /2 BMW with sidecars for under $10,000. My last personal bike ( 1964 BMW R60/2 with 1942 Stoye SS sidecar ) coat all of $7000. The bike I am building now ( 1965 BMW r60/2 with S350 Steib sidecar ) was going to put on the market for $10,000 guess I will have to raise my price if Urals are going for $14,000

If you want a vintage bike get a BMW.
Just my 2 cents
David

 

[jeep44]

Buy a NEW BMW, and see what it costs-not 1964 machines in unknown condition with no warranty. The Dollar has taken a terrible beating, and prices for Urals have risen several thousand dollars in just a few months. I suspect the same would be true of a new BMW also. Vintage BMWs are not cheap,either,and neither are sidecars.
Yes, this is expensive,but I really don't agree with your assessment of Ural quality from ONE bike you apparently looked at- but in my experience, BMW owners can be notoriously dismissive of any bike brand other than their own. This attitude has always kept me from adding a BMW to my collection of motorcycles. I have ,or have had, Nortons, Triumph, H-D, BSA, Royal Enfield,Matchless, and my Ural.

 

[renor27]

Buy a NEW BMW, and see what it costs-not 1964 machines in unknown condition with no warranty. The Dollar has taken a terrible beating, and prices for Urals have risen several thousand dollars in just a few months. I suspect the same would be true of a new BMW also. Vintage BMWs are not cheap,either,and neither are sidecars.
Yes, this is expensive,but I really don't agree with your assessment of Ural quality from ONE bike you apparently looked at- but in my experience, BMW owners can be notoriously dismissive of any bike brand other than their own. This attitude has always kept me from adding a BMW to my collection of motorcycles. I have ,or have had, Nortons, Triumph, H-D, BSA, Royal Enfield,Matchless, and my Ural.

I agree that all non us bikes have gone up in price due to the falling dollar.
A running restored Vintage BMW can set you back a bit but if you look you can find a nice bike for under 6,000 not show room condition but a nice ride and if you get a bike from the 1970's which would be along the style of the Nortons and Triumphs from the same vintage you are looking less then $4,000. Like any motorcycles its a matter of looking and knowing what you want and not being in a rush to get a bike.
As for my experience with Urals the one I saw was not the first I had looked @ closely just one of many. I have built sidecar rigs up for folks with Ural sidecars have run a few as my personal hack . What I find is that they are ok but the quality control is just not there. Though I have used a Ural hack for the base of a wild off road rig I built. Had to go though re-wield many of the seams. I used the hack to run fire roads in the Sierra with my friends who are enduro bikes, you should see the looks on the guys in Jeeps when we pass them. I just would not spend the money on a Ural motorcycle, why buy a copy when you can get the real thing. But I would buy another Ural sidecar they are tough and do not need to much work and one can not get WW2 German sidecars any more.
As for the " attitude " of the BMW rider I find that more with the HD riders though some of the guys who ride the newer BMWs are jerks but they are jerk no matter what they are on. Vintage riders enjoy a bike for what it is though I have found the anti sidecar attitude more then any thing else.
David

 

[David Conwill]

An update on the Ural/Royal Enfield saga. We stopped in at Reinbold's Sales & Service in Frankenmuth, MI on our way to Caro to visit my wife's family. They had four new Royal Enfields on the showroom floor and a used, low-mileage fifth in the back room. There was a Mil-Spec Bullet, an "Electra X" (1970s-styled bike), a Deluxe, and a Classic. I think I liked the Classic the best, but the red/chrome Deluxe in the back room was really sharp as well.

There were no Urals on hand. The staff informed me that demand is running ahead of production and that you essentially have to place your order and wait six months.

I enquired about solo rideability and their opinion was that the models with leading-link forks were nearly uncontrollable without the 'car attached (see the Tourist, Gear Up, and Scout) whereas the model with the telescopic forks (like the Retro I posted) was okay and in fact could be ordered without the sidecar. I asked a couple times to make sure it was in fact the Retro that was available solo and not the (unappealing to me) Wolf model.

I've also been looking at the Dnepr kits online. I think I prefer the styling over the Ural. It might be fun to pick one up as a project, but certainly I'd have no illusions about it being a throw-it-together-and-ride type thing after what I've read here and on the Jockey Journal.

Finally, there's a 1973 BMW R90 in the latest Auto & RV magazine that someone was attempting to turn into a 3-wheeler. It's really screwed up, but seeing the bike without the seat on it really makes it look a lot older. I think that with the right bars and a tractor-style solo seat, a newer Beamer could make a nice retro-style bike.

-Dave

 

[jeep44]

One of the big problems many people have with the Dnepr "kits" is getting them titled. I don't know about michigan,but it is apparently impossible in a number of states. Go to Soviet Steeds.com to read about this. I'm going to try soon to title an old Matchless I put together from swap meet parts, so I'll see how hard it is.
A number of people have been buying Chinese Chang Jiang sidecar rigs. I almost went this route before I ended up getting my Royal Enfield. There are a few threads about how to do this on ADVRider.com.
There is a sidecar available for the Royal Enfield, too-the Indian-made Cozy. Cozy it is,too-it would be a snug fit for anyone very big. Crawford's has one in stock,with a matching Electra. I'm seriously thinking of getting one next year for my DeLuxe.

 

[David Conwill]

Having to title them as a homebuilt is definitely one of the things I'd heard about. Actually, part of me was thinking it would be cool to build a Dnepr with a Goldwing engine and transmission. If the Soviet bikes are really built as stout as they say, it should be up to the extra cylinders and power, right? Plus then it's not a homebuilt in the eyes of the state, it's a Goldwing that's been modded with Dnepr parts.

-Dave

 

[Martinis at 8]

Oooh, this is the bike [CB250] I first learnt to ride on! Was nice and easy to maneouvre, especially for a gal!

Have just sold my very un-vintage ZZR-250 and lusting after a Ducati Monster.

I just saw a write-up in the Monster. Sounds like a great bike, not too big, not too heavy.

M8

 

[David Conwill]

A few more reasons I find myself wanting a flat twin more and more...

Civilianized Harley XA

Military Harley XA

Original BMW R71

1953 Ural solo

Zündapp KS 750 - love that frame!

-Dave

 

[V.D. Brenner]

Not me, but my Father, with his super dandy home made scooter. That guy was amazing. If he wanted it....he simply built it! this picture was taken about 1943-46

(do you like the hat shadow in the foreground? thats most likely my Grandfather!)

 

[David Conwill]

Now that's Yankee ingenuity!

-Dave

 

[Retro Rob]

55 Triumph T110

[/IMG]


my latest toy

 

[Flyer36]

Heres a photo of my old girl. Its a 1912 Pope. Currently its in a million pieces and scattered across the country.

 

[shortbow]

Hey Flyer, Pope and Young in your avatar. Cool!

Wouldn't your old bike be just the thing to take on a bow hunt?:eusa_clap

 

[Barz51]

Wouldn't your old bike be just the thing to take on a bow hunt?:eusa_clap

It's just a little tricky to keep the deer on the back on the way home!

 

[fishmeok]

the Ural factory is still going, and the Russians themsleves are running the show instead of the distributer in Seattle. They have made great strides with the latest bikes, using Italian forks, brakes, MUCH better motors, etc. But at 10-12K for a basic rig (which has as much to do with the weak dollar as anything else) I think they have been forced to price themselves out of the market. I spent several hours on a brand new Ural last month and was impressed with how much better they are these days. My first was a domestic Russian Ural which came through Canada. It was an early '90's model and very crude- as a rule, until the last few years, the older a Russian/Chinese bike is, the better the quality. Just another side effect of socialism and the focus on meeting quotas not quality.

Do NOT but any of these rigs without a valid US title or customs certificate. Only Ural's and Enfields meet current EPA standards and the rest of these bikes are subject to confiscation unless they are a vintage bike (very difficult to prove as many people grind off the serials. Don't buy ANYTHING titled as a "1959 BMW" unless it's a 1959 BMW)- and the rules for titleing them as "homebuilts" vary from state to state. The Dnepers being sold as kits are mostly made from spare parts which have been floating around since the factory closed. Buyer beware!

If you want the vintage look of an R71 with a decent quality bike there are several guys in Beijing rebuilding Chang Jiangs (www.changjiangunlimited.com) who have very good reputations, including Jim Bryant (expat from Pennsylvania) who specializes in BMW motor conversions. I have a BMW 90/6 motor in my Chang, but I did all the work myself and built the bike from the ground up.
Cheers
Mark

 

[Flyer36]

shortbow, Good eye on my avatar. I take it your a bowhunter too? It would be cool to take an old motorcycle hunting. I believe I've got a photo some where of some hunters using a motorcycle.

Barz51, It would be a bit hard on my Pope lol But now if I had a sidecar it would work.