Testing the Mod on Darrell's Rig's EFI Throttle Body and checking out the other mods.

As of the time I write this, the unofficial word from IMZ-URAL is that the dealers voted at their last dealer meeting to NOT have URAL release a tool for 2014 URAL Sidecar Rigs to owners.

The dealer tool, is a software program and a special cable that connects to a laptop's USB port and a special OBD connector located behind the left side cover under the rider's seat.

The owner tool, at its most basic, would allow owners like me to balance the throttle bodies instead of having to ride up to the dealer and having the dealer do it.  At it's fullest capability, it would allow the upload of new or different EFI mappings by the owner instead of the dealer.

Initially, URAL had said they'd be releasing a tool for owners by this past summer, but now, that is no longer the case.

Apparently, some other dealers have been charging for this service (not my dealer: Unique Rides) and couple that with the cost of said tool ($800 was what dealers are charged), it is not going to be an option.  I don't agree but what are you going to do right?

Well, I'll tell you what this URALista is going to do!

Thanks to my fellow Uralista Darrell S, who had the idea on his own, there's another way to balance an EFI rig's throttle bodies without the fancy schmancy cable and software program from Electrojet/URAL.  Here's a video he shot about the installation of the vacuum ports:

Bottom line: you add vacuum ports to the throttle bodies and use established methods for balancing the 2014 carburetors!

To test all this, Darrell came down on Christmas Eve as I had bought the Harmonizer Tool from him for use on my BMW Airhead and my 2011 URAL Patrol, Valencia.  We were going to test the feasibility of the vacuum ports he'd previously installed onto his rig's throttle bodies.

Sorry about the focus, but you can clearly see the vacuum port that Darrell added.

He'd checked with a guy at Electrojet, the outfit that makes the EFI for URAL and

the location of the vacuum port is a "designed-in" location for a vacuum port by whomever makes

the throttle body assembly itself.

 We hooked up the Harmonizer tool as if it was going to a carbureted motorcycle

and went through the procedures to check and balance carburetors.

We found Babe, Darrell's rig's idle balance a small bit off center and corrected for it, finding that because the ECUs of the EFI system "talk" to each other that careful adjustments of the idle screws was required on both throttle bodies.  There's a picture of the screw used to adjust the idle pictured below.

Following usual procedures, we then checked the balance with the throttle at around 1800 RPM and found it pulling higher on the left side of the scale.  Darrell loosened the adjustment nut on the left side cable and a few twists later, we had it rock steady in the center of the Harmonizer's electrical bar graph.

Of course, we then had to tweak the idle a bit but no problem.  We strapped the Harmonizer to the GPS unit on Darrell's rig and off he went for a test ride.  Darrell came back and reported things running great and the displayed position on the Harmonizer as dead center!

Both of us were quite happy this experiment with the vacuum ports worked out and I'll probably be doing mine the same way very soon.

Here's a video Darrell shot as we worked with the Harmonizer:

Darrell also brought me an extra HD Sportster muffler, he had one left over when he converted his rig to using a two-into-one header pipe assembly from Raceway Services.  This gained him a greater amount of ground clearance on the left side of the rig where Uralisti regularly knock off the factory muffler when on rocky terrain.

 Left side header pipe comes out of the left jug and routes over

to the right where it junctions with the header pipe coming out of the right jug.

 You can see the junction of the left and right header pipes, the leading

towards the rear where Darrell connected one HD Sportster muffler using

an adapter as the piping was different sizes.

Just look at all the ground clearance on Babe now!  

No more knocking off the left side muffler when on rocky trails!

You can see part of the HD Sportster muffler in the back, note how

Darrell ended up removing the stock centerstand because of the way

he hung the muffler on the right side of the rig.

As I don't have the extra $400 to spend right now, I'll not be installing the Raceway Services two-into-one header pipes but instead am going to explore the use of the extra HD Sportster Muffler Darrell gave me to see if I can gain some ground clearance over that provided by the stock muffler from URAL motors.

One last picture from Darrell's rig, he's got the stock URAL belly pan skid plate:

URAL Skid Plate

It's not as "beefy" as the one I bought from Mr. COB but I am sure it does the job just fine with the first few hits.  I just think the Mr. COB version will probably last longer or take more hits in the long run?

Mr. COB Skid Plate, pricier but beefier.

Previously: Sunny Skies, Snowy Views