Tuesday, Jan 22.
Ah, the vicissitudes of a Ural owner's life.
As I riding during lunch, seeking a better cell signal (and failing to do so), I started hearing this metallic rubbing noise coming from the clutch area on Scarlett.
Dammit.
It only happened when in gear and shifting gears, not in neutral.
Rode back to the campsite (no noise once the clutch lever is released) and drove Scarlett onto the trailer.
I checked the clutch release rod against the new spare I'd recently received from Randy of Unique Rides, my Ural dealer, and discovered the one I'd been carrying as a spare for years was shorter than the recently received rod!
As new clutch plates were deployed over last few years you see, they were a bit thicker so the rod had to be about 1/4" longer.
When I removed the rod, I found it showing damage on its square contact point with the clutch pressure plate.
So with RichardM's help, I replaced the short version of the clutch release rod with the longer version, got it all buttoned up and still had that noise while engaging the clutch lever.
Dammit.
So, Scarlett will remain on the trailer as I don't happen to travel with a replacement clutch pack! Since Martha mailed me my camera and its not due to arrive till Thursday at my FIL's place in Sun City, I won't leave the campsite till Thursday.
I should be home by this weekend, will remove the gearbox to get at the clutch pack and see what's damaged, order parts, and see where that gets me. What a PITA.
Really starting to think that perhaps I need something a bit more reliable in the stable....perhaps a two-person Razor ATV? Get rid of the Urals and move on?
What do you think?
12 comments:
Hmmm,the title says Redleg's Rides, not URAL Rides. It sounds like you have two questions here; a URAL question and a Blogging question. Or a third question, are we in a rut?
URALISTS know that owning one is to wrench one. One cannot have a URAL without wrench time. Goes with the territory. If you love to wrench as much or more than riding, then URALs are great therapy. Reading about riding a URAL to some is as entertaining are reading about wrenching a URAL, if you are into the wrenching hyperbole.
If you are more into riding at this stage of your life, then ride what gets you excited. You can take great photos from any saddle.
If you are bored with URALS, get something that excites you. If you are bored with sunsets, try taking photos of things you see while riding. If you are bored with blogging, write about new and different subjects. Will you lose some readers? Probably but you will also gain new ones. It is not about how many read your blog, it is about are you satisfied with your words and images. Are you creating for the "blog" or does the blog follow and reflect what you are creating and experiencing?
As humans we grow very day. What grabbed our interest ten years ago is not what gets us excited today. Try new ventures, new rides, a new way to look at photography. Push the envelope.
Dom, you developed a great eye and technique for capturing sunsets and mountains. All of that knowledge and disciplined learning can be applied to other types of photography. It's not the camera, it's the image you capture with it.
In the end read, write, photograph and ride what gets your juices flowing. It will show in your blog... and in your outlook on life.
Thanks for your thoughtful comments Jan.
Not exactly bored with Urals but not exactly thrilled by them either anymore. As you know, not afraid to wrench on one, but damn.....sometimes I think I spend more time working on one or worrying about something on one than riding.
More thinking involved, and trying not to do anything impulsive I'll regreat later...
I think it's time for something that will not require spares to be carried every trip.
Look at local dealers for side by side ATVs as well as makes that have dealers near where you will be boondocking. I have been in a Polaris side by side and it was very comfy and capable of hauling out the deer we shot!
Dave, yes there are to be sure no more Urals in my future....will probably keep the one with the Beemer engine though....thinking street legal dirt bike instead
Dom,
In reading through your Post and from other conversations that we've had, I'd slow down and give this all some more thought. I agree with Jan above, you're asking a lot of questions here and from what I know of you, they're a bit more involved than what the color of your next machine should be.
If I were you (do as I say and not as I do often enough?) I'd spend some time with a chart. You know I like Pies but any will do, your goal to prioritize how what makes you happy, what you enjoy compared to effort input with both sides equating to 100. I'd be very surprised if you've got four 25's on both sides.
Each winter I find myself doing almost the very same thing though honestly I haven't used real numbers but the questions have been essentially the same.
"Am I doing this because it's just what Coop does and is expected to do or do I truly enjoy it/these things?" I have my own answers but do find value in asking the questions. I would hope that if you go objective rather than subjective, things migh become more clear?
Coop/Doug
Thanks very much for the thoughtful comments....will respond to your email in full.
My thoughts would be to move to a BMW outfit, not as labor intensive
Bob
Hi Bob and Sharon
Yeah, probably less wrenching with a bmw rig, the cost is high though and as I approach possible retirement....
I would buy a used GS sidecar, you've already spent a ton of money on two urals that I know of, and every time you go out something breaks or comes out of adjustment. I don't have nearly the amount of miles on my rig but in the six years I've had it i've only paid for oil changes. Just my thoughts.
Going in new direction re off-road exploration vehicle Bob....more to follow
Any idea what happened to unique rides and Randy? No longer a Ural dealer it looks like.
Randy the owner of Unique Rides has retired from the Ural business.
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