Ever wondered why people so often do tuning of a Ural motorcycle with their own hands? In fact, the answer to this question is very simple. Do-it-yourself motorcycle tuning is several times cheaper than ordering work from a specialized workshop. And many people know the Ural motorcycle, so there are a lot of garage specialists around and many parts can be found on the secondary market.
Motorcycle Ural stock
The simplicity of the design of the Ural motorcycle allows you to install parts from Dnepr and other brands of motorcycles on it. And, if you tried to find information on the Internet, you could see that there is a lot of it there.
History of the Ural motorcycle
97% of all domestic Ural motorcycles are exported to many countries around the world. And only three percent are sold in Russia.
Time moves inexorably forward.
And with its course, everything in our lives changes. But for more than seventy years the Ural motorcycle has remained unchanged. You will not be able to feel all the pride in the domestic Irbitsky motorcycle plant if you have not sat behind the wheel of this motorcycle. Since 1957, the plant has been producing motorcycles and delighting its customers with their excellent quality. The range of Ural motorcycles is constantly expanding. And there is no better motorcycle among domestic motorcycles today. These motorcycles are popular not only in the territory of the former Soviet Union. Our motorcycle is known in the countries of America and Europe, Australia and Africa. Residents of Iraq and Iran love the Urals.
Since 1960, the plant has been tuning its motorcycles. Most of the parts have been modernized. The tuning model of Ural motorcycles has raised the bar for the quality of these products. Together with foreign partners, the range of motorcycles is constantly being improved.
Tuning the Ural motorcycle has made this equipment very expensive, and only true fans can afford to buy it. Eighty percent of motorcycles are produced with a cradle. The plant produces not only road models. There are models designed for cross-country and road racing competitions. Back in Soviet times, models that were intended for patrol were modernized. Instead of cradles, they are equipped with a machine gun and a launcher carrier.
The history of the Ural motorcycle is very rich. This motorcycle has become a classic. Great respect for the people who assemble this equipment, and pride in our industry.
Belgian masterpiece
Two people worked on this model, one of whom was Belgian. One evening he walked into a local bar, in the parking lot of which there was an old Dnepr. That’s how he came up with the idea of restoring a Soviet bike.
The repair process and tuning took more than two months. Although it was initially planned to restore the motorcycle in the rat-custom style, in the end the old Dnepr combines several styles: scrambler, chopper and tracker.
For a more believable effect, the specialist used special paint to give the surface a rusty effect. The Belgian enthusiast added several parts from the famous Harley-Davidson to the Soviet bike: a custom steering wheel, a leather saddle and a brake light.
The master also equipped the engine with new Schaeffler bearings and pistons from the BMW R60, and the wheels were finished with shiny tires from Heidenau K37. Now the old “Dnepr” from 1970 has found a second wind and is ready to conquer new tracks.
Do-it-yourself Ural motorcycle tuning
If you own a Ural motorcycle, but its appearance does not suit you, and you constantly look at foreign handsome men, do not despair. You can improve your vehicle. Most often, they buy a domestic motorcycle just for the shell, and everything else is redone.
Tuning the Ural will take you a lot of time, but it is a very exciting process, and the result will exceed all your expectations.
Before you get started, check out all the proposed upgrades and photos of motorcycles on the Internet.
Having decided, you can begin work. First we redo the rear part of the frame.
- The pendulum needs to be expanded.
- Cut off the seat tubes.
- We weld curved pipes with a diameter of 28 mm, no less. This is not only a beautiful decor, it is also a headscarf amplifier.
- To make the suspension softer, the rear shock absorbers need to be installed at an angle.
- When you put the wide rear wheel in place, make sure that the rubber coupling works without distortion.
- The footrests need to be moved forward, it will be more comfortable for your legs.
- The frame needs to be lengthened by ten centimeters.
- The engine moves backwards.
Perhaps in this case the landing will be incorrect. But for every motorist it is different, individual.
After completing all the work, select a workpiece, perhaps from a stroller, for the rear wing. If you want it to be deeper, you can cut plates from it and butt weld it to the wing.
Let's start working on the tank:
- Use a grinder to remove the glove compartment.
- You also remove the neck and tunnel.
- A wedge is used to cut the top of the tank.
- The two halves are welded at the back. And the neck and tunnel are welded.
- To keep everything sealed, use epoxy resin.
Now we work with the seat:
- You need to cut the base from two-millimeter steel.
- Place thin foam rubber under it.
- The finished structure can be covered with either suede or leather.
The steering wheel needs to be made simple. Everything is cut from a single piece of metal. This is the handle, clutch lever, brakes. For the mirror stand, cut blanks from eight-mm steel. You can buy a housing for a mirror in a store or make it yourself in the form of a sphere.
Silencers are located on the right side.
- Weld the left exhaust pipe without bending it.
- The right pipe remains standard, but it needs to be shortened a little at the top so that the leg does not melt.
- The seams are cleaned, polished and chrome plated.
- To get a chopper sound, you can insert valve springs from a car into the mufflers.
Engines in the Urals can be boosted. When working properly, its power increases to forty-two horsepower.
Ural tuning video
How to make a cool motorcycle out of nothing: learn the secrets of a young Belarusian customizer
Passion for technology is serious and long-term, and even more serious is its modification and change. Is it worth getting involved in this and what motivates customizers, said Maxim Orlov , who stubbornly tries to remake any available motorcycle, despite the lack of funds and so far little experience.
— It would be strange not to ask where the hobby began. Let's try to guess: from bicycles?
- I loved the bike! But over time, it became frankly scarce. I bypassed the moped stage and immediately bought a motorcycle. My mother, however, thought I had a moped. And I just found “Voskhod” without documents through an advertisement. For about a year I got used to the technology and mastered driving skills. At the same time, I watched numerous programs about motorcycle modifications. I was inspired by the idea to such an extent that I decided to do it myself.
— Successful?
- Not really. Initially I planned to build a chopper, but something went wrong. And since I liked the old school, I decided to make a bobber. I made some simple changes and practiced. In general, I tried my hand and eventually sold the creation for symbolic money.
The bobber is a motorcycle concept that has no room for extra weight or parts. The most necessary elements are replaced with lighter ones; relatively necessary ones can be completely dismantled.
Then there were “Urals”, “Dnepr”, “Izh Planeta”... I rebuilt them, drove them, sold them. I always wanted to build a bobber. I want to be as close to the road as possible, have maximum control and minimum weight.
— Why not do restoration? The entire design has been calculated by the engineers; all that remains is to restore the appearance of the motorcycle or add your own touches.
— Restoration is too boring for me. It's interesting to drive something you've made with your own hands. Many people have the same “Izh” in its original form - it’s too simple. Although I had restoration experience. Or rather, bringing the motorcycle to its original condition.
— Where do the ideas for custom come from in this case?
- I spied something, added something of my own and rethought it - here is a new idea. Although by and large everything works out as I go along, I don’t make drawings. I built Izh for two and a half years. It had a high handlebar and a short fork. I traveled with them for a year and studied the “jambs.” Vibration appears at high speed - it needs to be redone. But as? Let's take a look at the same Harley-Davidson!
— Is there anything you can see at the exhibitions? Hundreds of people go there...
— As a rule, no breakthroughs are made at exhibitions. Some customs are too simple, without major changes. There are exhibits that were exhibited 5 years ago, except that the owners change. What really inspires me is the work of Indian Larry. Here he was putting together unimaginable “hodgepodges” with masterly performance!
- Why then visit them at all?
- For the sake of experience, you can’t go anywhere without it. This is my first exhibition year as a participant. Visited Recast Moto Fest and MotoVeloExpo 2016, received an award for the best motorcycle based on a Soviet one. When you come to such events as a spectator, everything is easy and fun, but when you participate, everything looks different. The first day is interesting: you can walk around, look, chat. The second day is already more difficult: you can’t leave if you want to do your own thing!
— Are new motorcycles for projects also bought on the go?
— Only the first one was bought by chance. I was already looking for the rest purposefully. What attracted me to Izha was the good engine capacity - 350 cc, which I managed to boost to 500. The simplicity of such equipment is also important: if something happens, it can be repaired with just a hammer and a screwdriver. Currently working on the Suzuki Nazuma 1200 - trying to turn it into something closer to a chopper.
— So you can manage several projects at once?
— The work is going on in parallel. If you have money, you buy and work, if not, you work with what you have.
- I went, bought it, assembled it - custom?
— Some are bought, some are made by hand. You can get a lot of things, the question is what you want. For Soviet motorcycles, there are no problems with spare parts at all - there are both used and new ones. The latter, however, have mediocre quality, but they will get their money's worth.
— A question that worries many: is it possible to make money from this hobby?
- In theory it is possible. With my level, I haven’t thought about it yet - it’s too early. Really cool projects cost good money and are not sold in Belarus. There are very few people in our country who can buy a motorcycle for $50,000. A high-quality custom cannot be cheap by definition. The same “Izh” for example: about $2,500 was invested in just one engine.
— That is, you can build a custom one for one salary, but you won’t be able to build a really high-quality custom one?
— If you just do it, yes. I collected spare parts, welded the frame and assembled it. But it is necessary to take into account that something will break or fail. Constant rework is the most important expense item.
- Does everything really break down and fail so often?
— The most difficult thing is to come to an agreement with yourself. Sometimes after an hour you no longer like a new modification, sometimes others can appreciate it, but something haunts you. The most important element for me is the “exhaust”. It should sound beautiful and look beautiful. I remade it six times at Izh.
There is no escape from technical miscalculations either. Simple inattention can seriously puzzle. For example, there was a problem: the engine did not want to start. I thought about it for a week. It turned out that the crankshaft seal was “bitten” and was sucking air from under the generator. Or you decide to check the power, and the engine gives out a “fist of friendship” because it is not designed for long-term peak loads.
You need to work more and create more. Get used to paying attention to every little detail, but this doesn’t always work out. Partly due to lack of experience, partly due to lack of the necessary tools. Now I’m trying to “overcome” stainless steel and sheet metal. You need an English wheel - you make it with a friend, “collective farm”. It may not be all smooth sailing, but we can work. Another example is stainless steel drills. They cost $20!
— Let’s summarize: no money, no equipment, don’t bother with custom. Right?
- No, the usual tool that you have in the garage will suffice. The main thing is not to be afraid to do it, not to beat around the bush. The motorcycle movement is such a culture that you can turn to anyone for advice, and they will help you not only in word, but also in deed.
Andrey GORELIK Photos by the author and from open sources ABW.BY
On ABW.BY there is an updated “Motor section”. Now it has become much more convenient to sell and buy motorcycles on our resource. If you find any error, feel free to write to the “Support Service” - when our programmer is not riding his chopper, he responds very quickly.
Chopper from the Urals
Choppers became popular in post-war America. In order to somehow stand out among the faceless masses, the mobilized Americans came up with the following. They decided to remove everything unnecessary from their motorcycles.
It all started with the massive wings. Most motorcyclists have completely given up on these parts. To reduce the weight of the motorcycle, the tank was made minimally capacious. They also abandoned the double seat. On motorcycles they left a single seat on springs. The handlebars for choppers were made high.
You can make a chopper from the Urals. To do this, you need to find a spoked and narrow rear wheel. The tires should be size 130-150. No need for a larger one. The wheel size will determine where the rear of the frame needs to be changed. Two welded v-frames will replace the standard swingarm.
For a seat, a standard “frog” from a rare model, for example, the K-750, would look great. It is imperative to raise the “spine” part of the frame. The part of the frame that goes down to the engine from the steering column is padded with spacers to make it look longer.
With a telescopic fork, the feathers can be cooked to make them longer, or they can be completely remade. Extended stays will require the installation of an additional crossbar. This will give the structure the necessary rigidity. The front wheel must be larger than the standard one, but thin. Front brakes are not needed.
Mirrors and turn signals are removed - they are not used in choppers. Muffler - only with direct flow. The footpegs need to be moved forward - this is not discussed. Thus, having completed all the necessary work, you will turn your Ural into a stunning chopper.
Motorcycle ignition systems are designed to ignite the working mixture in the engine cylinders. On the Ural motorcycle the system is constantly being modernized. Mechanical ignition has its disadvantages and significant ones. The Ekaterinburg company proposed electronic ignition for the Ural motorcycle, which was accepted by the manufacturer.
