So, let's take a closer look at the process of preparing the Urals for fishing trips, digging and just forays into nature. General points were discussed in the previous article. The changes affected, first of all, the electrics, the appearance of the motorcycle and the exhaust system. As already mentioned, no major changes were made to the design: the frame was not overcooked, the engine was not boosted, etc. Everything was done with the goal of maximizing the simplification of the design and greater ease of off-road movement. First, let's look at what changes have been made to the motorcycle's electrical system.
Electrics
In general, the electrics of the Ural motorcycle, in my opinion, are not very well thought out. Of course, those who created the motorcycle knew better, but why was it necessary to place the ignition switch, fuse box and turn signal switch on the steering wheel, and the relay regulator almost at the rear of the motorcycle? The result of such a decision is a bunch of unnecessary wires, which, moreover, are very vulnerable. The logic of the person who placed the relay-regulator on the right so that it sticks out is completely incomprehensible to me. Not only does the relay flood with water in the rain (it’s never failed me because of this, but I’m still somehow worried about it), it’s also easy to damage when dropped (this has never happened either) , but the risk is still high). Yes, for operating the Urals with a sidecar, this arrangement of electrics is quite suitable, but for enduro it is unacceptable. Therefore, it was decided to completely redo the motorcycle's electrical system.
Wiring, switches, ignition switch, etc.
As a result of much deliberation, it was decided to do the following: place the relay regulator, the ignition switch, all the switches and all the wires connecting them in one housing. The result is a kind of “control unit” that is connected only to the generator, ignition coil, battery and headlight. As a result, there were a minimum of loose wires left on the motorcycle, which were placed in corrugated tubes. The fuse box, turn signal breaker, horn and speedometer were not needed. The number of wires has decreased by more than 2 times.
All in one building
A metal computer power supply was chosen as the electrical housing. The relay fit perfectly in it, although initially I doubted it. The block is attached to the right of the tank where the front link of the side trailer is attached. The wires to the battery and generator are routed under the tank. The block does not interfere with movement at all, and the risk of damage to it, in my opinion, is minimal.
Mounting the “control unit”
At the top of the block there are four toggle switches, a warning lamp and an ignition switch in the form of a USB port. I also plan to install a cigarette lighter socket for charging a smartphone and maybe something else. So, according to the toggle switches: the first is ground, the second is ignition (in series with the lock (engine stop)), the third is light (3 positions (low, off, high)), the fourth is reserve. The control lamp, as expected, is connected to the relay. But let’s take a closer look at the ignition switch.
Flash drive as a key
The native ignition switch of the Urals did not suit me with its bulkiness and excessive functionality (as many as 4 key positions). We needed a simpler solution with two positions: on and off. As a result, an ignition switch was made in the form of a USB port and a key for it in the form of a flash drive. The ignition switch is connected in series with the toggle switch in such a way that the ignition is turned on only when the toggle switch is turned on and a flash drive is inserted. This was done so as not to pull out the flash drive every time to stop the engine. You can also attach a flash drive to your right hand so that if you fall, the engine will immediately stall (this approach is used on jet skis). Well, you must admit, this ignition switch looks cool, unusual and simple.
headlight
The original headlight of the Ural motorcycle has good optics and good luminous flux, so it was decided to leave it with minor improvements. First of all, the original asymmetrical glass was replaced with symmetrical glass (of an older type). This glass provides a more uniform light flux without clear cut-off boundaries.
Ural motorcycle headlight
The side light bulb was turned off as unnecessary. Instead of the original incandescent lamp, a more powerful halogen lamp is used. Even low beam at night on the roads is quite enough, so I’m not going to install additional headlights yet, maybe later someday. The rear light and turn signals were removed as unnecessary. the motorcycle is hardly ever used on roads with any noticeable traffic.
Spark, coil and capacitor
The Ural motorcycle has always had a rather weak spark, which can make cold starting of the engine difficult. As soon as the owners of Urals do not struggle with this: they put 6-volt coils on 12-volt motorcycles, several capacitors, coils from cars, for example, Gazelle. A 6-volt coil can sometimes last for several years, but for me it lasted for a couple of trips (apparently the quality is not very good or defective), although the previous six-volt coil lasted about 3 years. Next, I tried installing a gazelle coil (for 2 outputs). The spark was killer, but after 20 meters the engine stalled and did not want to work anymore. It was possible to continue to try to experiment, but I did not do this for two reasons: - when using other coils, the ignition contacts burn (according to numerous Ural owners); — there is a high risk of the ignition system failing somewhere several tens of kilometers from populated areas, where even cellular communications do not work. The motorcycle is designed for traveling to such remote places, but changing a coil or capacitor in the Urals in the forest, surrounded by a cloud of mosquitoes, and even at night, is still a pleasure. Therefore, even if it starts up a little worse, it will not let you down at the most unfortunate moment. In the end, I installed the original Soviet-made 12-volt coil and a new capacitor of the appropriate size without any markings, bought at an auto parts store for about 40 rubles. After that I started cleaning the contacts and installing the ignition.
How to set the ignition in the Urals?
To begin with, I completely disassembled the ignition and carefully cleaned the contacts with sandpaper. This largely determines how powerful the spark will be, so you need to clean the contacts carefully. After that, we proceed to the most difficult part, setting the contact gap. In principle, this is not so difficult, but you can’t get to the adjusting and fixing screws with a screwdriver. The gap should be 0.4-0.6 mm. To install it, the crankshaft must be turned so that the cam with the top of the hill opens the contacts to the maximum distance from each other. We set the gap, tighten the fixing screw, rotate the crankshaft and be sure to check the gap again, because when tightened, it could get lost. If everything is good, then we proceed to install the ignition.
In general, installing the ignition of a Ural motorcycle is simpler than it seems. Previously, I installed it simply by eye, but then I decided to do everything according to the instructions. So, adjusting the ignition of a Ural motorcycle begins with the fact that it is necessary to combine the mark on the flywheel tilted to the right with the RZ mark. Next comes the most interesting part, turn on the ignition, take a small iron object, for example an 8 by 10 open-end wrench, and apply it to the coil core, which acts here as an electromagnet. The key should be attracted and held by the core. Next, we move the ignition timing weights by hand and, if the key falls, then the ignition is set correctly. If not, rotate the breaker body and repeat the experiment. Done, tighten the fixing screws and install the cover. As you can see, adjusting the ignition of a Ural motorcycle is quite simple.
Candles
The choice fell on car spark plugs with a 16mm wrench with a long thread (for convenience, since such a wrench is in my set). You can’t just screw these spark plugs in like that, at best they will be bent by the piston, so we put 4 o-rings on each spark plug. By the way, the sealing ring from the spark plug can be used to place under the gas tap (tested, does not leak). We put a smaller gap, sealing rings and tighten the spark plugs. I used candlesticks from the GAZ-53 engine, the resistance of which was minimized.
High-quality high-voltage and zero-resistance candle holders
As a result of replacing the capacitor, cleaning the contacts, correctly setting the gap and ignition, the spark became noticeably more powerful. The motorcycle starts first time, even on a cold morning, and runs smoothly throughout the entire rev range.
