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Tech Tips
Ural Tech Support Guy's 10,000 km/yr Ural Deco Classic

Dear All-

At 9900KM, I'm 100 klicks away from the magical 10,000KM mark for the year on my personal bike - a 1998 Deco with E-start and a fairing.

When I started this adventure, I knew that my "brand new old bike" would have some faults, and it did. Most of these were minor, and most were electrical in nature. None left me stranded, though, and nothing I did to the rig resulted in more than an hour or two of shop time to make it right again.

Mind you, I rode this thing HARD. My mechanical friends have a word for it...Chuckmiles. They are of the opinion that one Chuckmile is like three normal miles. I've been out on the freeway at 70+ for over 100 KM, regularly taken the rig one 300+km roadtrips around the state, shifted at redline hundreds of times, attempted pending lockup stops from 60+ MPH, and considered a decent cruising speed to be 65 MPH. 90% of the KM accumulated are 50 MPH and above, and a good two thirds of the time I was at my cruising speed.

In short, I attempted to beat the URAL snot outta the bike.

Here's what I've learned:

1. Break-in is CRITICAL. Follow the rules...I've ridden rigs that have not been properly broken in, and there is NO comparison.

2. There is NO comparison between a new bike and a full broken-in bike...They are two completely different animals. For example, there is a hill by my house that I could barely muster 35 MPH up on my 200 klick motor...Yesterday, I tore up it at 60 MPH with the throttle at 30%. Power output will increase by at least 50% over time, especially in the upper RPM ranges.

3. The bike continues to loosen up well after the 2500 KM mark. I was still gaining power at 7000 KM.

4. Shift quality improves dramatically over time. The box is VERY notchy for the first 2500 km, but really begins to smooth out between 2500 - 5000KM. I have developed a very quick roll-off upshift which give me a gear change which rivals much more expensive equipment.

5. The key to a solid gearshift is to adopt a "Press and hold" method. PRESS the shifter into gear with your heel, then HOLD it for a second. This allows the shift quadrant to "find" the detent. Snicking it in to gear with short jabs like a Japanese box simply won't work well...Toe shifting yields the same result.

6. Starting procedures will change dramatically over the life of the bike. After mine is primed, I can hand-crank it and get it to catch. It just keeps getting easier...

7. These bikes are more sensitive to adjustment than any other motorized vehicle I've EVER worked on...Get your adjustments correct, and they're a joy to ride. I worked on one recently which had been neglected...A long story. Anyhow, a few simple adjustments and the bike COMPLETELY changed personality.

The critical adjustments are:
A. Timing - 9 degrees BTDC is IT.

B. Pickup coil - Set it at 0.010", no more, no less.

C. Valve clearances - A tight 0.002" clearance will result in a very crisp throttle with a minimum of valve train noise.

D. Air screws - ONE to ONE and a HALF turns is all your air screws should be set at on a 28 mm carb...If they are out any further, the motor will run excessively lean and "blue" your pipes. After 10,000km, mine are still a light honey color, and I haven't uses any Blue Job on them in 8000KM.

8. And finally, the final drive. Final drives are completely LEAK-FREE when filled to the correct level. I had trouble with mine the first few thousand klicks, but discovered it was a result of the "More is better" train of thought. Single wheel final drives require EXACTLY 110ml of fluid...Go to the drugstore and get a medicine measuring cup to do this. It won't seem like all that much, but it IS the right amount.

Soo...for those of you wondering what your rig's gonna be like in a few thousand klicks...Well, it's only gonna get better!

URAL Tech Dep't

Very nice post! I love it when posts are chock full of good info.

I take it that there may be some tolerance and measurement differences between different outfits? Should one refer to the owners manual or technical updates to double check?

Thanks much,
Thomas

Chuck:
Great Post, and now I know what I have to look forward to. My Deco has almost 1000 km on it, and is now in for 500km service. I couldn't bear to part with it for very long, so was a little late in turning it in. Alex said it wouldn't be a problem.
The fastest I have been on this bike so far has been about 47 mph, on a rather bumpy straightaway, Airport Way in Seattle. It felt like it was about maxed out at that speed. I have been very careful not to try to pound up hills, and have generally tried to go easy on the machine. At 500 km, I changed oil and filter (anybody know the US equivalent of the Ural oil filter?), and ran two intermediate qts through it to flush it out well. It ran MUCH better after the oil change. I wanted to try adjusting the valves, but found that my feeler gauges had no blade thin enough. Alex said something about being able to adjust the valves WITHOUT a feeler gauge, by turning the engine to Top Dead Center. Can anyone give details on this?
I am collecting all the best Ural tips I can find on the board into a document. Your post will certainly be there. Thanks again!
We don' need no steenkin' feeler guage!
Larry K
Seattle

Hey Larry, I'm gonna post the details on that procedure shortly. Stay tuned, you'll see it here first!

Dear Valve Adjusters-

Alex is an absolute pro at valve adjustments, so he's developed a good way of doing it WITHOUT a feeler gauge. Problem is, if you are not experienced in the craft of valve adjustment, his method can cause you to over-tighten the valves.

Therefore, I strongly recommend new owners go out and get a feeler gauge set with a 0.002" gauge. After you've done it the hard way a few times, you'll develop the "feel" for it and Alex's method will then work well for you.

The reason I'm so darned picky on this subject is the exhaust valve receives its cooling from the few microseconds it's on the seat. Set it too tight, and you'll burn the valve...leave it there long enough, and the valve will fail, taking the rest of the motor with it.

So...when in doubt, set 'em a tad loose!

URAL Tech Dep't

Just out of curiosity.
What is the redline on this motor???
I`ve been asking locally & I haven`t found an answer.

Looks like more to come on this one...  Check it out at http://www.ural.com