Dnepr Vs. Ural
The Differences
UpDate: In the spring of 1999 Ural America revised its web page to make it a bit more balanced.
Note: Recently the folks on the NARMA listserve were discussing the somewhat one-sided polemic about Urals vs. Dneprs that is posted on the Ural website at: http://www.ural.com/factory.html. It was generally felt by the folks around here, NARMA, that it maybe didn't give the whole story. We therefore have invited Dnepr owners to submit their take on the issue. We certainly don't want to start any brand wars, and we really don't allow brand bashing at this site, but we believe that when something is so obviously one-sided as that tome is, then the abused should have the opportunity to tell their side of the story. Actually, we at NARMA believe both bikes are wonderful examples of Russian machinery, only with slightly different attributes. So, here it is from the Dnepr owners side of the fence:
Here's my view on the Dnepr stuff written up on the Ural site:
"Ural engine has cast iron cylinders"
I'm not sure WHY they think this is better. No one uses this anymore outside of low
grade lawn mower production. Even Harley gave up cast iron barrels. They don't shed heat
as well as the aluminum/steel sleeved cyclinders on Dneprs and most other engines. Also,
the aluminum cylinders allow the use of case studs to hold the whole assembly together.
Keeps a nice even squeeze on all the parts. There's documented failures of the cast iron
cylinders. They can crack. This happened to a friend of mine in northern Va.
"Ural has a needle bearing on the big end of connecting rod"
This is a VERY good thing! Because the Ural has no warning light for low oil
pressure. In the event of low oil pressure the splash lubrication will keep the bearing OK
for awhile. Needle bearing have far smaller contact surfaces than plain shell bearings,
like Dnepr uses. The needle bearings are also far more sensitive to sloppy construction. I
like the old fashioned plain bearings here. They work well in my Chevy truck too! Dnepr's
HAVE warning lights for low oil pressure.
"Ural has a one piece connecting rod"
So? Wait 'till rebuild time. Much trickier to rebuild. Need special tools too. I
don't see an advantage here. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
"Ural has oil pump driven by camshaft" (Well known BMW design)
Again..... Six of one, half dozen of the other. My Dnepr has never needed any bottom
end attention.
"Gear case assembly bla bla bla...... Ural's design has improved since
then."
The Ural has less shifter throw. The Dnepr's is long like my Guzzi's. My Dnepr gear
box is far smoother than any Ural I've ridden. If anyone knows the "improvement"
please let me know.
"The Dnepr semi- automatic gearshift does not work well and is
unreliable. The Dnepr clutch is only used for start"
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA!!! Sorry. Lost my self control there. I love good fiction
though! My Dnepr shifts beautifully. Semi OR with the hand clutch. You can ride it either
way. I believe it to be one of the best features of the machine. When you're hanging off
in a corner and don't want to let go to clutch..... just get off the gas, shift and go!
Wonderful. Handy when you stop to pay a toll too. Use your foot. I can find neutral
everytime too! Great gear box!
"Only Ural has leading link forks........."
BS! I've seen pics of the Dnepr earles fork. RAM in Wa. tells me they will be
importing them in the future. Big deal.
"Same alternators, but Russian supply (Ural) is OK, Ukraine (Dnepr) is
unreliable."
They got us there! My two Ukainian alternators are the same on the outside, but
inside they're very poorly made. For gosh sakes, the were insulated with masking tape.
Neither lasted long. Dnepr needs to do better here. I got mine rebuilt/rewound to american
standards. No problems since then.
"Brakes are same, but Dnepr uses cable instead of solid rod for the
sidecar wheel"
Yep! So what? The mechanical equalizer for my sidecar brake works great! VERY
even braking. My buddy's Ural can be adjusted to work well too. Six of one, half dozen of
the other.
"Prior to manufacture of the Ural 2WD, there was a German company
thatbought Dnepr 16 (2WD) w/o engines and installed Ural engines or rebuilt BMW engines.
The logical conclusion, reinforced by other data, is the Dnepr engine is inferior to the
Ural."
I can see using Ural engines for the better availability of parts around the world.
Dan Irizary tells me it's due to the better durability of the Dnepr tranny. It'll handle
higher loads better. And the Dnepr frame is heavier/stronger than Ural. It weighs 80 lb.
more. Dan has tested them. I believe him. I'd like to see the Ural data on this myself.
That's my personal view on this. I have no idea why Ural feels they have to dump on Dnepr like this. Seems cheesy to me. I like both bikes. They both have their strong points. My own Dnepr has some very nice Ural parts on it.
My own experience shows me that Urals have much prettier components and fit & finish. I like the way they are built. What attracted me to my Dnepr was the hell for strong construction of the beast. It gives the impression of massive durability. The Urals I've ridden were fun and handled well. Nice light feel to the controls. My Dnepr is extremely stable. I could hardly upset it during the advanced sidecar safety course I took on it. It's handling is more stable. Steers more slowly than the Ural. The Ural felt like a sport ute. The Dnepr feels like a jeep. Both bikes are a blast to ride and easy to care for. I'm not trying to start controvery here. But as one of the few of us who've been experienced in both bikes I wanted to offer an opinion.
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