Preparing the Ural motorcycle for off-road use (Part 1)

Tuning a Ural motorcycle that won’t interfere with the classics - why a motorcycle?

Time does not stand still, technology is constantly evolving, new, more modern opportunities for people appear.
But there is a technique that is not subject to temporary changes: the Ural motorcycle. The pride of the Irbit plant is known to all domestic motorcyclists, and Ural tuning is the real pride of Russia. Tuned Ural motorcycle

Over the past few years, production has become more modernized, most of the work is done by machines, and Ural tuning has improved significantly. Today, the plant is receiving foreign investment and, together with international specialists, domestic craftsmen are working to improve the model range. Motorcycle tuning and modernization comes to the fore in the company. The successful start of the new generation Ural model M70 Sidecar is evidenced by the tuning of this Ural motorcycle made in accordance with all international requirements.

Tuned Ural motorcycle

According to a sociological survey, the most popular motorcycle of the new millennium is the Ural motorcycle. Tuning it can characterize the owner and depends directly on his preferences. At the factory, most models are equipped with a stroller, which is designed to transport passengers. Tuning a Ural with your own hands can be done regardless of whether the vehicle is equipped with a stroller or not. If it is, you can tune the Ural stroller. There are many useful recommendations on this matter on the Internet; just enter in one of the search engines: “Ural tuning video or Ural motorcycle tuning video.”

If you are not sure that you are ready to carry out these steps yourself, then let's get started. In order to tune a Ural motorcycle, photos of which are in every phone, you need to acquire free time and special knowledge in the automotive field.

To do this, you need to: upgrade or decorate the wheels, install new rims, decorate the sides with special colorful ribbons or chrome inserts.

Sidecar wheel on a motorcycle Ural Wheel tuning in the Urals

You can also do tuning yourself. It is better to buy spare parts for the Urals from an official representative. Tuning can be divided into those that change external and internal characteristics. Internally, improving the Urals helps improve its performance. In addition, tuning the Ural engine can significantly extend the life of the motorcycle. With the chassis, it is recommended to simultaneously improve the suspension, replace the brake and engine fluid, and if necessary, you can replace the entire system. Finally, the exhaust pipe may need to be replaced. External tuning improves the appearance of vehicles. New parts and devices are added to it, external components and blocks are changed, and painting is carried out. After it, the surfaces are given smoothness and shine, thanks to special polishing devices, while the internal filling of the machine is not changed. Before you take your motorcycle into the garage for repairs, you need to study the information on Ural motorcycle tuning. Photos can be found both in specialized magazines and on forums of Ural owners. First, they remodel the rear of the motorcycle. Tuning the engine of a Ural motorcycle is not worth doing.

Divide the work into several stages:

1. Remove the seatpost.
2. Weld the bent pipes. Their diameter should not be more than 0.28 cm.
3. Install rear shock absorbers. Pass it at an angle, as a result the suspension will become softer.

After you have installed the rear wheel, check the rubber part. It functions properly when there is no distortion and the engine is horizontal. Next, pay attention to the running boards. They need to be set forward, thus increasing comfort while driving. As a result, the frame will lengthen by 100 mm. What to do with the tank?

1. Use an angle grinder to remove the glove compartment.
2. Do the same work with the tunnel and neck.
3. Cut off the tank and all unnecessary parts.

Conducts seat tuning:

1. Cut the base from a special material; the thickness of the steel should not be more than 0.2 cm.
2. Use solid metal to cut out the clutch, brake and handle.
3. Be sure to point the muffler to the correct side.

Important. In second place in popularity after the motorcycle is the Ural truck. Tuning it should be carried out according to the same principle. Tuning spare parts for the Urals. Engine. The engine is the basis of any transport; it determines the characteristics of the technical device of the car. Deep tuning should start with the engine. On Ural motorcycles it can be forced. Important! The engine can be boosted only if all faults have been eliminated. There are different ways to give the engine extra performance, here are some of them:

1. It is necessary to reduce the friction force at the inlet. There should be nothing in the system that prevents free suction. Remove all air filters and obstructions.
2. Change the device in which carburation occurs.

Motor modernization:

1. Raise the outlet window by 200 mm. To do this, remove all unnecessary parts using a file.
2. Reduce the diameter of the rounds and use a small file to round off the sharp edges. If you do everything correctly, the motor's performance will double.

External tuning

The original design of the Ural is already impressive, especially if you like the classics. But there is no limit to perfection. Owners of this motorcycle tend to customize the motorcycle according to their personal tastes. Of course, all work to improve the motorcycle can be ordered at the salon, but a real biker will always prefer to do the tuning of the Ural motorcycle with his own hands. The tuning process may be lengthy and require effort, but the result will certainly be worth it.

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The following changes are most often made in the appearance of the “Ural” iron horse:

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• Handles, mirrors and fairings are changed.
• The seat is made single.
• Get rid of massive “wings”.
• The steering wheel is raised and straightened slightly.
• The footrests are moved forward to make riding more comfortable.
• The original fuel tank is replaced with a streamlined tank. Tanks from motorcycles “IZH-49”, “Planet”, “Jupiter” and “IZH-56” are suitable for the “Ural”. If you have an old Ural model, then you can install a Java-250 tank on it.
• If the owner wants to turn his Ural into a chopper, then the rear wheel should be replaced with a wider one. The optimal size is 130-150. The wider rear wheel requires replacement of the rear frame.
• Parts are chrome plated.
• The clutch and brake levers are replaced with ones cut from a piece of solid metal.
• The muffler is located on the right side.

Of course, each motorcycle owner decides for himself how far he will go to change the appearance of his “iron horse”. The cost of this model is quite high, so if you need a completely modified bike, it is better to buy something more affordable. But if you like the classic Ural motorcycle, this is your choice. Photos of tuning these bikes can be found on the Internet and you can choose the option that you will focus on.

Inner harmony

Many owners start tuning the Urals to improve the technical characteristics of the motorcycle. Despite some orthodoxy in the design of the engine and gearbox, there is room for improvement here. The following steps can be taken:

• Installation of crankshaft (crank) support bearings, the quality of which is better than standard ones. It is not recommended to reduce the size of the support necks themselves. After all, this removes the heat-treated layer and reduces the strength of the critical elements.
• Reduced weight of pistons and connecting rods. Excess mass of these parts leads to an increase in the moment of inertia and a decrease in engine power. Even simply by removing the casting flash, you can significantly reduce the weight and increase the effective output of the power unit.
• Alignment and grinding of inlet and outlet channels. Grinding in valves. Such procedures will improve the filling of the cylinders with the combustible mixture.
• Manufacturing a new camshaft with a different cam profile, allowing the valve timing to be changed. This is a complex engine tuning that requires special knowledge.
• Installation of new carburetors. A well-proven measure that allows you to get rid of failure during acceleration, which is characteristic of all IMZ models without exception.
  This is due to the fact that the manufacturer equips the equipment with variable-discharge carburetors, which are poorly suited for four-stroke motorcycle engines. You can get rid of this by equipping the motorcycle with suitable constant-vacuum carburetors. Both Mikuni and Keihin have such models. To optimize operation, the flow area of ​​the nozzles will need to be adjusted. Ideally, such modifications are carried out on a special stand. In the absence of one, one has to be content with fitting in road conditions. After such engine modernization, the Ural will accelerate much more confidently.
• Replacing standard air filters with others that have similar throughput but less resistance.
• Installation of inertial boost. This will only work if you purchase components from a reputable manufacturer. There are often low-quality or even non-functional components on the market.
• Manufacturing of new gearbox gears. Despite the relative labor intensity, this motorcycle tuning is more than justified. Original gears are often not of high quality and not only make it difficult to change gears, but also make noise during operation.
• Installation of alloy wheels. Such modernization is not always justified. A cast wheel, if it is not spoked, will look ridiculous on a classic.

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Whether you make all the upgrades, or just some, in any case, tuning the Ural motorcycle engine will be completely justified.

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

Source

Additional engine modifications

In addition to the above methods of tuning a Ural motorcycle, there are several more secrets. It is possible to install a crankshaft from the K 750 on the Ural engine, which will increase the cylinder stroke to 78mm.

Thus, it is possible to significantly increase the working volume of the Ural engine. It's quite difficult to find, but it's worth it. Another problem with the motorcycle is the tight response to the throttle and slow acceleration. The reason for this is that the flywheel is too heavy, the weight of which is designed for riding with a stroller and for transporting heavy objects.

According to the drawing, it is possible to reduce its weight by a couple of kilograms. Due to the weight reduction, the inertia of the crankshaft will decrease, and the acceleration dynamics will significantly increase. To fully realize the power on the road, the gears of the gearbox must be replaced with 9 or 10 pairs. In conclusion, we would like to note that tuning the Ural motorcycle engine is justified only for racing purposes; for everyday use, such an engine will have a short resource and significant fuel consumption.

Preparing the Ural motorcycle for off-road use (Part 1)

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.

History of the Urals

The world first learned about this new product back in the 20s of the last century, and then the first copy was produced with a powerful 1,200 cc engine and a power of only 24 hp. At low speeds the Ural handled perfectly, but after the 60 km/h mark this indicator disappeared. It is also worth noting that the designs and some parts of the motorcycle were borrowed from another foreign manufacturer, so the first Ural M-72 was not completely Russian, it had a particle of the German BMW R-71.

Then the manufacturer experienced several ups and downs; World War II forced them to reconsider production. After the war, the bikes were produced as military motorcycles with a special design: PKMB machine guns were built into them. Further in the Soviet Union, the legend was actively sold; about 3 million copies were sold.

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Today's Urals are represented by several models. They are equipped with an engine with a volume of 750 cubic meters and a power of 40 horses. With a large weight of 200 kg, the motorcycle is capable of traveling at high speed without losing control. Also, the new motorcycles received a completely standard, but stylish appearance, which is made in a militaristic style.

Irbit "strollers"

On November 17, 1941, the first echelon of the Moscow Motorcycle Plant arrived in Irbit - from that day on, the city was doomed to motorsports. The war was still going on when the first motocross was held in Irbit.

For more than 60 years, one of the best motorsports schools in the country in the “motorcycles with sidecars” category has been operating in Irbit. Since 1945, 59 Irbit racers have become champions of the USSR and Russia - they have more than 226 gold medals to their credit! Some won this high title once, and some more than a dozen times.

On June 25, 1944, demonstration performances took place, about a dozen riders took to the start in “single” M-72s, two in foreign cars - BMW R-71 and Royal Enfield J. But the first official motocross was held by Irbitsk residents on June 17, 1945. Why official? Because the city committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks joined the organization, and now this date is considered the birthday of motorsports in Irbit. About two dozen participants started on singles and only one “sidecar” M-72. To everyone's delight, the duo of young motorcycle testers - Veniamin Gubin and Alexey Dubskikh - showed an excellent result, slightly losing to the winner. Why did you perform on a motorcycle with a sidecar? Legend has it that Gubin was short in stature and could barely reach the ground with his feet on the single M-72. The guys also carried out the first modification of the side trailer. There were many ditches on the track, and so that the back of the stroller would not cling to the ground, the crew without regret parted with the luggage compartment, shortening the “boat”.

For the 1945 USSR Championship, Irbitsk residents entered five crews in the wheelchair class. The competition took place in the vicinity of Moscow at the 23rd kilometer of the Minsk Highway. The IMZ team from the first “batch” became the winner in the 300-kilometer linear race, where the Igor Okunev/Alexei Antropov crew achieved particular success. The Irbit duo set an All-Union record for covering 300 km on a specially prepared M-75. Okunev and Antropov covered this path in 2 hours 56 meters 9.9 seconds, improving the previous record by more than 30 minutes. In the cross-country, 2nd place was taken by the already well-known pair - Veniamin Gubin / Alexey Dubskikh on the M-72. Looking ahead, let's say that they will also become champions and prize-winners of the USSR and the RSFSR.

In preparation for the 1947 national championship in two disciplines - “ring” and “cross”, special sports strollers were produced at the Irbit Motorcycle Plant (for the first time in the country on an industrial basis). They called them “TT”, by analogy with the famous race on the Isle of Man - “Tourist Trophy”. The stroller was universal - both for road racing and cross-country. On the eve of the championship of the Soviet Union, the championship of the RSFSR was held in Serpukhov. Six Irbit crews took off using updated equipment. For the road race, an M-75 engine was installed in a lightweight chassis, and for cross-country racing, an M-72 engine was installed. Using such equipment, the Irbitsk team was beyond competition, and the pair Alexander Lukoyanov/Nikolai Sachkov became the absolute winners of the RSFSR - both in road racing and cross-country. This crew also performed brilliantly at the USSR Championships in Tallinn - victory on the “ring” and second place in the cross-country. Of course, the “TT” stroller was not perfect and had a rigid wheel suspension (racers called it a “double-support”). Torsion bar suspension appeared only in the early 50s.

Cross-country tracks of that time were significantly different from modern ones - they were laid along country roads, through swamps and fords, through ravines... The circle of such a track was 25-50 kilometers, the entire distance was 50-100 kilometers (several laps). Riders often had to pull the motorcycles out by hand. This is where various devices on motorcycles came from, including handles on the front and rear guards. The stroller had a special seat for the convenience of the wheelchair user while kneeling. On flat sections of the highway, the “passenger” could rest on this pillow.

In Irbit, winter is long - snow lies from November to April. So winter racing is in order for Irbitsk residents. Often the tracks were laid along a “crossroads” with partial use of horse roads, on which, due to the limited width, only a motorcycle could fit, and the side trailer moved across the virgin soil. Therefore, instead of a wheel, a special metal ski was installed on the stroller.

All kinds of new products were developed for sports in the department of the chief designer of the plant. Since 1952, they began to produce cross-country M-72Ks in small batches for the country's leading clubs. Considering that fording was an invariable component of motocrosses of that time, the air intake was placed in the upper part of the gas tank. Production of the M-72K lasted six years, and just over 300 motorcycles were produced. Having received such a device, the racers themselves “brought it to mind” - they installed a friction shock absorber on the spark plug suspension of the rear wheel, installed a hydraulic damper, etc.

From 1959 to 1965, the M-61K was mass-produced in Irbit. An overhead valve 650 cc 28-30 hp M-61 engine was installed in the M-72 chassis with the spark plug suspension stroke increased by 20 mm. 855 of these machines rolled off the plant’s assembly line, not counting those motorcycles that were made specifically for Irbitan racers. At the end of the 50s, the M-52K was also produced on the basis of the serial M-52 (working volume 494 cm³).

By the early 60s, Irbit had become one of the country's recognized leaders in motorsports in the wheelchair class. Therefore, it is no coincidence that in 1962 he was entrusted with holding the Union motocross championship. In those years, the tracks underwent radical changes - they were no longer hundred-kilometer “mud” roads, but spectator-friendly loop tracks (2-4 km in length) with a set of natural obstacles. For the factory team at IMZ they developed and manufactured a new motorcycle, the Cross-650. A high-speed 40-horsepower engine spinning up to 6,000 rpm, a rear swingarm and a weight reduced by 15 kg made the car modern and fast. The seat was also removed from the stroller - there was no time for the wheelchair user to rest on the new route.

38 crews came to Irbit for the national championship, 9 of them were already champions of the USSR at different times (the crew title is always based on the driver). Among them are Evgeny Kosmatov (Moscow), Alexander Razorenov and Yuri Sokolov (both from the Investigative Committee of the USSR Armed Forces), Vladimir Volchkevich (Leningrad), Irbitsk residents Genrikh Vartanyan, Veniamin Gubin, Anatoly Bykov and others. The result amazed everyone. In the free class “from 350 cm³ and above” the entire podium was occupied by representatives of one team - the Irbit Motor Plant. The title of USSR champions was won by the crew of Henrikh Vartanyan/Victor Karzhavin, the duo Leonid Leshkov/Evgeniy Korolev took the silver, and the bronze medal went to the pair Veniamin Gubin/Gennady Borodin. Yes, this is the same Veniamin Gubin from the distant “forty-fifth”!

The next new product in 1969 was the M-64K, already with a 750 cc engine, a lever front fork and an enlarged steering column bearing. However, this motorcycle did not receive recognition. The reason was the gathering of all four crews of the factory team at the national championship in Vilnius. There is only one reason - the steering column bearing is jammed.

Until the early 70s, Soviet “strollers” did not travel abroad. In 1971, they were finally released to three stages of the FIM Cup, the forerunner of the European Championship. The team consisted of three crews: Irbit couples Anatoly Sibirtsev/Igor Nikonov and Valentin Telegin/Petr Sosnovskikh, Moscow duo Valery Alfeev/Alexander Kuzovkin. Our racers competed on 45-horsepower IMZ Cross-750 cars. And although they consistently ranked in the top ten, they had to fight not on equal terms - the rivals’ motorcycles were 30-40 kilograms lighter and much more powerful than ours (60-70 hp).

The foreigners were especially amazed by the strollers. It was much more convenient to work in them; they weighed 15-20 kilograms lighter than ours. Pyotr Sosnovskikh and Igor Nikonov (craftsmen from God), with the permission of their foreign colleagues, carefully studied European technology, making the appropriate measurements. The next year, Europe, previously amazed by the “tank-like” appearance of Russian cars, saw “civilized” motorcycles. At the very first stage in Belgium, the crew of Anatoly Sibirtsev/Igor Nikonov became winners, and Valentin Telegin and Pyotr Sosnovskikh took third place!

Since then, these strollers in Irbit began to be called “Swedish”. The advantage of the “Swedish” stroller, compared to the old one, is undeniable. The author himself had to work on both options. It has become much more convenient and safer to help the driver control the motorcycle, both during a jump and on turns, especially on the right. In the old version, you had to load the back of the stroller and try to help the driver move the front wheel in the right direction. Physically it was not so easy. In the “Swedish” stroller, the front part of the stroller is loaded and the rear wheel of the motorcycle is partially lightened (there is a slight slip), due to the centrifugal force it is much easier to take a right turn. And the loop at the bottom of the arch mount when passing the left one helped the wheelchair user to cling with his foot.

Since 1977, they decided to hold the USSR Championship in two classes: “free up to 1000 cm³” and “national up to 650 cm³”. If the “1000” had no design restrictions, except for the ban on the use of components and parts produced in capitalist countries, then with the new “650” they did the incredible. Everyone was required to perform on mass-produced “cars” without any modifications, i.e. on M-63K. It was a step back. After all, by this time the leading racers of the country were already racing on motorcycles with a pendulum fork, a “Swedish” sidecar, reinforced reverse gear, with a close gearbox, with Czech carburetors... Why did they do this? This was determined by DOSAAF: let everyone compete in production cars under equal conditions. The results of the 1977 national championship in this class looked depressing. All the strongest racers retired for technical reasons, and the classification was given to crews with a soft, “walking” style of racing, without much overload of the engine and chassis, without much risk on the track, which is so necessary for victory.

The following year, there were relaxations in the 650 class. They allowed a “Swedish” sidecar, a pendulum fork, and a reinforced reverse gear, but they didn’t allow a closer gearbox. Some racers secretly circumvented such prohibitions. The lack of a serial gearbox was skillfully compensated for by replacing the standard “eight” rear gear (based on the number of teeth on the shank) with a “seven”. In the “1000” category, some craftsmen also circumvented the ban on using components from capital countries. For example, perfectly working Bilstein gas-filled shock absorbers were skillfully disguised as homemade products.

In the second half of the 80s, realizing that we were far behind Europe, sports officials lifted all restrictions. The 650 class was instantly transformed. The serial frame was replaced with a special, lightweight one (the author was one of the developers of such a frame and successfully defended his thesis on this topic at the Irbit Motorcycle College back in the early 80s). “Large travel” appeared for both the rear wheel and the stroller. And later - mono-suspension of the rear wheel with “progression”, disc brakes on both wheels, etc. The experimental workshop of the plant produced 10-20 such devices per year until the mid-90s. The dominance of the Irbitsk team in the “union” in the “650” class, starting in 1987, was undeniable in these cars, and only occasionally did representatives of other teams get on the podium.

In the 70s and until the mid-80s, the plant produced special cross-country vehicles with 750 and 1000 cm³ engines for the country's leading racers. They were produced in limited quantities at the request of TsAMK in the experimental workshop. Our athletes rode these motorcycles not only at domestic championships, but also at European and world championships. However, at the same time, the plant’s conveyor belt continued to churn out the wretched IMZ-8.201 - a pile of obsolete scrap metal. In DOSAAF, when they received such cars, they were openly perplexed: “Why does the plant, having excellent modern cross-country motorcycles, supply them with such squalor?” Meanwhile, the plant repeatedly tried to launch the production of more modern devices on which one could perform without fear for one’s health.

But all these notorious ministerial and departmental approvals, permits, clarifications, limits, etc. plunged the developers' initiative into a bureaucratic abyss. At this time, from 500 to 1000 obsolete cars rolled off the assembly line annually. The last five IMZ-8.201 were assembled in 1992. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, I left the cross-country bike, which at that time was more suitable for extreme hunting or fishing trips than for participating in a race, even at the yard level.

Alexander Bulanov is the director of the Irbit State Motorcycle Museum, master of sports in motocross, champion of Russia (1982), record holder of the Guinness Book of Records. In 1992, Alexander Bulanov and Anatoly Bekishev drove a Ural with a raised stroller 1014 km in 24 hours along the stadium treadmill. In 1993, Alexander Bulanov, Anatoly Bekishev, Konstantin Matveev drove 25,505 km non-stop in 440 hours in the Ural.

Alexander Bulanov, photo from the author’s archive Moto magazine 2010/12

Complex modifications

It is not difficult to guess that this category does not include external changes. But the internal ones are quite enough. Carrying out tuning with their own hands, some owners make adjustments to the design of the motorcycle that are prohibited by law.

• Installation of new mufflers. Despite its apparent simplicity, such modernization requires documentary approval. Otherwise, you will not be able to officially pass the technical inspection.
• Frame modification. Having an impact on the strength of the structure, such tuning for the Ural motorcycle requires preliminary calculations, the results of which are confirmed by specialists.
• Making changes to the brake system. In this case, problems during technical inspection will not be limited to. For unauthorized alteration of brakes, the law does not even provide for a fine, but a real sentence. If you are tuning a Ural motorcycle with your own hands and decide to replace the brake drums with more efficient discs, you must coordinate such changes with IMZ representatives, having received documented permission from them.

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