In this article, we have already discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the Ural motorcycle in terms of off-road travel. But the stock Ural without a stroller is not very easy to use; there is nowhere to even put tools and spare parts, not to mention a shovel, fishing rods and a metal detector. I consider the stroller to be useless ballast. Yes, it allows you to carry more cargo and one more passenger, makes the motorcycle safer and more stable, and even then not in all situations. This is where the advantages of using a side trailer end, and it has more than enough disadvantages:
- serious deterioration in dynamics;
- deterioration of passability;
- increased fuel consumption (1.5-2 times);
- shorter lifespan and high risk of overheating, especially in mud.
There are probably other disadvantages, but now we’re not talking about them, but about preparing the Urals without a stroller for off-road driving and active recreation.
Concept
In principle, a tricycle can be equated to an ATV; In terms of driving performance, these two vehicles differ slightly. The Ural region, which has already been discussed in this article, acted as a donor. Yes, the motorcycle was quite good, but I needed a more cross-country and stable vehicle.
Tricycle from the Urals stuck in a rut
The fact is that the terrain through which you need to move is gradually becoming swampy. Forest roads, which used to be so pleasant to ride a motorcycle on, disappear, overgrown with tall grass, or even completely going under water. Even if you manage to find them, driving along them on a motorcycle is noticeably more difficult than on a tricycle or quad. In addition, a significant part of the journey has to be covered in conditions of complete absence of roads, where the motorcycle does not fit well. Taking all this into account, it was decided to make a tricycle from the Urals with our own hands.
The driver is confused
Major changes
The main task when creating a trike from the Urals was to install two wheels back. It was possible to install an independent suspension, but I decided not to complicate the design and take a simpler route - install a regular axle. It was possible to weld the bridge to the rear swingarm or even to the frame, but such a suspension would have been too rigid, although reliable. It was decided to make a full-fledged suspension by analogy with a car. The shock absorbers are original Uralov ones.
Trike suspension
The bridge is from a VAZ-2101, inverted, with a welded differential (locked). Blocking the bridge had a great effect on cross-country ability, but had a detrimental effect on handling; The steering wheel is very heavy, sharp turns are impossible, the turning radius is more than 8 meters.
Zhigulevsky Bridge
Due to the fact that the bridge was turned upside down, the fastenings had to be re-cooked and adjusted to the structural features. Shortened Zhiguli cardan shaft. On the engine side, it is welded to the main gear fork, and, passing through a rubber suspension coupling, is connected to the axle. This design of the main gear is not the most successful; it was necessary to leave the original Ural rubber coupling to make the transmission less rigid. This drawback is planned to be eliminated in the future.
The cardan is rigidly connected to the gearbox
In order to avoid severe bending of the driveshaft, I moved the engine about 8 cm to the left. This, although labor-intensive, is not difficult. It was possible to solve this problem in other ways: move the bridge to the right, increase the base, etc.
The tricycle's engine is slightly shifted to the left
Engine
In general, the engine design has not undergone any major changes with the exception of a couple of features - one carburetor instead of two and forced cooling. The carburetor was taken new from China, it looks similar to the Izhevsk carburetor without any modifications. Air filter Izhevsky. The power is quite enough even for confident acceleration in 4th gear, the cylinders work synchronously, the engine starts perfectly.
Inexpensive Chinese carburetor
It’s too early to judge fuel consumption, because... with one carburetor it should be lower, but with a blocked car axle it should increase noticeably. There were no significant differences in fuel consumption between a tricycle with one carburetor and a motorcycle with two.
All-terrain vehicle from the Urals
The cooling system uses 2 electric motors from the car interior heater with a power of approximately 30 W each. With the fans turned on, the engine does not overheat even when driving for many hours in first gear and often getting stuck in the mud. Turned on by a toggle switch.
Forced cooling to the Urals
Other improvements
The main changes affected only the chassis and engine of the motorcycle. The remaining changes were made previously and are discussed in this, this, and this article.
The fans are turned on by a toggle switch
Conclusion
In the next article (or articles) I will tell you in detail about how this Ural enduro motorcycle was created. Overall, I was completely satisfied with the result; Over the course of several visits, no serious deficiencies were identified. Of course, this is not the final version yet; plans include installing “toothy” tires, final painting, installing new rims and maybe something else, as well as changing the oil, piston rings and other repairs. First of all, it is worth installing toothy tires, because... On a regular road motorcycle, the Ural rides very, very poorly in the mud, almost not at all.
Installing motocross tires is a top priority
Advantages and disadvantages
Let's start with the advantages that a homemade trike from a Ural motorcycle has: - excellent cross-country ability, especially in mud; - comfort and less fatigue; — simplicity, low cost and reliability of the design; — minimal risk of engine overheating.
The trunk allows you to secure everything you need
And now about the disadvantages: - difficult control (due to a blocked bridge); — lack of reverse gear, which would be very useful (to be solved); — the intake manifold is strongly cooled until condensation appears (possibly having a negative effect on the combustible mixture); — a large load on the front axle (the front wheel sinks in mud, which significantly worsens cross-country ability); — high speed in 1st gear.
If there was a reverse gear, there would be no need for a shovel
In general, these shortcomings can be considered insignificant, especially considering the significant improvement in cross-country ability. In addition, many of them can be eliminated.
Trike from the Urals
Why exactly “Ural”?
Indeed, why did the choice fall on this particular technique, since the Ural motorcycle is not the best for off-road use? There are many other options: IZH and other Soviet motorcycles, as well as Chinese and Japanese enduros. The Urals were chosen because:
- was available;
- easy to repair and maintain;
- it is easy to find spare parts that are relatively inexpensive;
- cardan transmission (I consider this a very big advantage of the Urals);
- high structural strength, reliability and overall survivability;
- I have decent experience in operating, maintaining and repairing this motorcycle.
In general, instead of a motorcycle for trips to the mines and fishing, you could use an ATV or an SUV, but the Ural was already available and for my purposes it was perfect.
Ural motorcycle prepared for off-road
Chopper from the Urals - start of work
Having selected a decent motorcycle and checked its engine for performance, you can begin to create a motorcycle - the Ural Chopper. All we need to do to create a chopper is to lengthen the front of the bike and work on the rear wheel and suspension. Let's try to break down the construction process step by step.
Drawing
The process will go much faster if you make a drawing or approximate picture of what the resulting motorcycle will look like. There are quite a lot of drawings of chopper frames on the Internet, so choosing the right one will not be so difficult. If you are confident in your abilities, then you can do without it.
Perhaps the only difficult stage that you will have to face is the alteration and welding of the frame. The whole secret is to place the steering rack at the right angle, which will ultimately change the angle of inclination, allowing you to set the front fork at the required degree. It is worth saying that a lot of attention needs to be paid to welding this place, since this area will receive quite heavy loads.
Latest improvements
If you manage to weld a high-quality frame, then you can assume that most of the work has already been done. The only thing I wanted to add was the angle of the front fork. We do not recommend tilting it more than thirty-three degrees. This value is the most optimal for choppers, because the greater the angle of inclination of the front fork, the worse the motorcycle will handle. In our opinion, 28-30 degrees will be more than enough to make the motorcycle look like a real chopper from the Urals, and at the same time handle well.
The last stage is the final assembly of the motorcycle. The engine and other main mechanisms are installed on the frame. The front wheel and handlebars are finally in place and we can see for the first time what our bike looks like after the rework. But in general, the frame is not the only thing that can be done with a Ural motorcycle.
True motorcycle enthusiasts can put all their soul and money into their custom motorcycle, and end up with a Ural Chopper that will delight them for a long time. Installing and reworking the exhaust system, upgrading the fenders, seats, lighting fixtures are just a small part of what can be changed. When modernizing the appearance, you can fully express your imagination or borrow ideas from ready-made choppers.
Ural motorcycle engine tuning
Since we are talking about engine tuning, after repair and debugging it’s a good idea to work on the appearance. You can change the ignition cover to a custom one or replace the valve covers with a custom option. Ideally, make sure that not only the factory ignition cover is installed, but also valve covers made in the same style.
Ural engine as standard
Our workshop offers such covers both separately and in sets. If purchased as a set, a discount is offered.
How to make a chopper from the Urals or Dnieper with your own hands?
Wanting to buy a chopper, many motorcyclists are faced with financial problems. Motorcycles of this design are produced exclusively in foreign countries. However, don't be upset. Even if only proven mopeds with a classic design are produced in Russia, it is quite possible to reconstruct them into a chopper with your own hands.
Due to the simplicity of the equipment, Soviet motorcycles such as the Ural or Dnepr can become an excellent basis for modification. The first reconstruction was carried out in the early 90s. Then, having dismantled the Ural down to the screw, a homemade product was created that looked like a confident American Harley.
The essence of the work is to change the angle of the shock absorbers, reduce the ground clearance and trim the motorcycle in a biker style. However, changing the parameters of one part may lead to its incompatibility with another. So, if you change the angle of the shock absorber, you will have to re-weld the frame on which the unit rests. Or, if the clearance between the bottom of the motorcycle and the ground decreases, the wheels may rest on the fenders . Multiple inconsistencies will require patience and focus from the owner.
