1997 Ural 650 Tourist

It's not a sure thing yet, but its as close to a sure thing as it can be, and I already have my hopes up. This is the bike for sale:



Those pictures kind of suck, so this is a better picture of what a 97 Tourist looks like:


I wrote this up a couple days ago, then got distracted, so here's the previous explanation:
Well, assuming something doesn't change drastically in the next few days the new motorcycle has been selected, a 1997 Ural 650 Tourist.

But Jack you say, Isn't this the 5th new motorcycle idea you've had in as many weeks? CYNIC! I say, you make it seem as though I can't make up my mind! At which point we both tumble over in a fit of laughter.

Well as it is, the loan is on its way for this specific motorcycle, so all I have to do is make sure that it actually is still available, and then go and collect it. Easy enough? Well here is to hoping.

This bike has some things going for it which previous ideas did not.
1. The sidecar is complete, wired, and attached - with brake.
2. Spare wheel that will fit all 3 wheels on the bike.
3. Leading link front end designed for steering a sidecar.
4. Reverse gear which means I at 145 pounds don't have to flat foot a 700 pound bike into and out of parking spaces.
5. Motorcycle that is actually designed for winter riding.
6. You can get snow tires for them.
7. INCREDIBLY simple.
8. I have always wanted one.
9. The exact same price as a Harley of the same year without sidecar or mounting kit.
10. Shaft Drive.
11. 6,000 miles.

Now the slightly bad. She tops out at about 65mph, extended highway travel is not recommended, I have never driven a sidecar rig, and she is in central Vermont.

I don't much mind the speed limits, technically I never really go anywhere that requires the highways, even visiting Kyle can be done via Rt 9.

The never having driven a sidecar rig... well... that one is going to be a sort of crash course in learning, hopefully only figuratively.

Being in Vermont, well at those speeds getting home could take a rather long time, but we have family friends in Keene, so I am hoping that I can stop in and say hello to them (for a night) on the way home. I might even manage to see Liam on the route home, assuming he is around, and I don't get horrifically lost.


I could toss out every point I made, except for the reverse gear, and the leading link suspension. We'll go in that order.

As I said, the rig weighs 700 pounds, this is actually not as bad as you think. The KZ or Harley rigs would have weighed 800 pounds. So we are looking at a 700 pound motorcycle with limited place for footing between bike and sidecar - which is on the right, which I would like to think is my stronger leg, as absurd as that sounds. So.... what would the plan be for parking on streets? Parallel parking would be entirely out of the question. Backing her into parking spaces as you generally would a bike would be out of the question. Hell parking at Deedy's house would become complicated. But with this motorcycle you simply snook it into Reverse with a hand operated lever, and back it up.

The Twin Leading Link Suspension. Well first you have to picture almost any motorcycle's front end to understand this. The front forks slope out away from the frame, which is designed to give you the proper rake and trail for riding solo. There is really no steering involved over about 10 miles per hour, you push slightly on the right handlebar to go right, and slightly one the left to go left (which means you steer right to go left, and left to go right). With a sidecar rig you actually have to steer, and the stresses involved are rather harsh on telescopic tubes, and even harder on the arms.

What the Leading Link is, is basically forks that angle straight down from the steering stem, with the wheel sitting a few inches away from these straight down tubes, then at a slight angle - as if completing a triangle there are twin shocks, like you have on the back of the bike. The shocks provide some damping to system. This puts the front wheel significantly closer to the motorcycle, and makes steering a hell of a lot easier.

To outfit either the KZ or the Harley with such a front end would cost $2000. You can't outfit either bikes with a mechanical reverse gear, though I did have a plan in my head for an electronic idea - but that was going to require a car battery, an electric motor, some additional wiring, and an elongated rear axle.

Sidecar, Bike, and Me (I guess)

I got the Windjammer partially mounted the other night and completely wired up. I had to modify the way it was done slightly, the original bike to fairing cable was missing - so I drilled a 3/8 hole in the inside portion of the fairing and ran the wires for the headlight through it. The turn signal stocks come through the fairing so wiring those required no modifications.

All in all it came out well enough. I need to get some longer bolts to actually bolt it down, and sort out some other minor details, but nothing to hard with that.


with the Sidecar I decided to just use what I had laying around the garage, so I used a KZ1000 headlight, and also will use some spare signals as blinkers and marker lights, I will use the tail/brake light off the 73 Triumph.

Almost

She looks less together than she was before, but she is actually improving. I figured out one of the faults today after changing the fuel lines I discovered the right two carbs weren't getting fuel so I took apart the fuel tap and did a real solid cleaning with WD-40, Paint Thinner, and Liquid Wrench. All considered it worked and now fuel flows through both spigots. I am still having an issue with flooding, but I think thats more her unwillingness to start, so the fuel just flows and floods. I checked to make sure I have spark and its strong all the way across the board. Took the air filters off, and added tubes to the carb breathers. She's close now, she ALMOST started a couple minutes ago, but now the battery is becoming weak from multiple attempts. So I will put the charger on that tomorrow morning and run it till she's at 100%

There is a chance that the points need adjusted, or need to advance the distributor a little bit. But even said, well, she's getting close to running. Once I have her starting I think I will be good to finish her up fast. Then I can register her, she doesn't need a title since MA law says bikes predating 1980 can be registered with a Bill of Sale only. Once she has a plate and has gone through a few shake down cruises, timed proper, and all that - then I can ride her down to Matt's in Conn - who sold me the Dnepr sidecar chassis, and he'll help me weld on the proper tabs to fit a sidecar to her - since he knows the proper set up and has plenty of rigs around. So they will all be in the right place.

THEN I will get her inspected without a sidecar, and then fit the sidecar. NOW, they say that I need a tail light, headlight, turn signals front and back, and marker lights on the sidecar to be legal.

SO...

For the headlight I plan to get one of the rectangular black plastic $35 units from Mike's XS, which is 5"x7" and will work fine.


To mount it I remembered a bracket used by Hitchcock's in England which is used for mounting 7" headlights to Royal Enfields, I actually had one of these for my first Royal Enfield, and if flipped the right way and such, should be fantastic for mounting the previously stated headlight to the fender:


When it comes to the signal light there is a company in Texas that sells sidecar accessories, some cheap, some not (headlights for example), so what I am planning is one of these marker lights on the top center of the fender $13


For the front turn signal I will use one of the 7 I have in a box over there *points* mounted to a bent piece of steel mounted to the fender, or maybe I will mount it to one of the fender side walls.

Then for the rear of the fender I need a tail light, a brake light, and a turn signal. The company in Texas I stated before sells a 3 way combo for $20 which is pretty big, 7"x 5" I think, but all considered should work superbly for what I want, mount it straight to the rear of the fender and then wire it up:



THEN for Winter use, I have a Vetter Windjammer fairing that looks like THIS:


Which I plan to mount soon. Might have to get a new windshield for it, and I most certainly have to re-wire it, but all in all, its good stuff. I think I am going to steal the new turn signals off the XS400, at least for the front of the bike as they are better looking, and are currently using the mounting stocks that are good with the Windjammer (came off the Windjammer).


So yeah, that's the update on the KZ1000 A-1

Fall River

I'm listening to Jackson Brown's The Load Out. It is one of my favorite songs for sure, especially since he pays tribute to the techies, and to putting on a show - that makes all the difference to me.

I was writing earlier, keeping track of my life in ink, which is more solid than this can ever be, and I found I had to refill the pen, which I thought was worth documenting.

That's another one of those neat pictures, not in the aspect of how well its done, but in the thought of fountain pen and Waltham mechanical watch built to WWII troop spec. Also a good shot of my current journal with how I keep track of things when I'm not here.


OK So I had an interesting last couple of days. I sold the Norton, lock stock and barrel. Great guy, he's going to do her justice, he even has the title from 1968. He really dug it, drove all the way from NYC to pick it all up, and packed it all into a Honda Civic. Good stuff.

After that was done I rode out to Fall River MA where Vanson is located, they make some of the best leather jackets and racing suits in the country, and have for decades. While there (which I got kinda lost on the way, but I made it) I saw the old Matchless that I had so admired on my last two trips, it is the only Matchless I have ever seen in person, and while it needs some work, I would give one of my toes for it.


I picked up the jacket I had been looking for, which is 1950s spec Rocker classic style jacket. Doesn't vent like the other, but I found it to be cool enough while moving, thanks to the flap in front and the wide sleeves.


To illistrate what the classic Rocker's looked like, here's a good clip of some:


Not only do I like the look and the feel of the jacket, as well as the breeze with the flap open, and the warmth when it's all sealed up, but I like the time when they were worn, and what they symbolized, and who had them, and what they were doing with and on bikes. The jacket and its style suits the motorcycles that I care about.

After Vanson I decided at the very least that I wanted a good meal. A Diner was recommended, and that's exactly where I went. Bigger than the Boulevard by far, but the food was much the same, and while not as old, it was still quite something, and original to the 50s, not one of these new replica Diners (which I actually want one of)



From there I realized that I was both too tired to make the trip home, and ill equipped, I had left my regular glasses at the house, and it was starting to get a little dimmer, and with only my sunglasses...

...well I decided to find a cheap motel and spend the night. Well... I will let the picture of what I found in the room I rented for $50 speak for itself. Mind you I had no idea this was going to be in there, and considering it was 95 in there, the AC didn't work, and I was exhausted... well it just kicked ass.


There were also mirrors and black lights over the tub... and... over the bed. I got the feeling that not too many people stop in there just to sleep the night away and hit the road the next day.



Anyways, thats the tale, at least enough of it to make sense. Time to go inside and sleeP!

*sigh*

A few days ago (I'd have to look in my journal to determine the day) we had a flood, I think it was Saturday. Mom woke me up at 7:30AM with concerns that we had a burglar. What the noise she heard was (I investigated, she locked herself in a bathroom) actually water pouring through the plaster from the pipes in my bathroom into the Living Room. An inch of water on the floors, rugs soaked, furniture soaked, top surfaces destroyed... I yelled "GET TOWELS AND BLANKETS" and dashed out to the garage for tarps.

I tossed her the tarps and went back down and shut the water to the house off. It was 5 hours after the water was turned off before water stopped coming through the ceiling. In that time Mom & I got a lot of furniture out, covered, tarps down. In a break around 8:30AM I called my brother who came over soon after. From there he and I began to get the larger furniture out, lay down more tarps, buckets, and bail out of one of the windows.

This was the scene around noon:



This was the window which we were later throwing buckets of water out of (like bailing a sinking boat) and later on my brother and I picked up the tarps full of water and literally carried them bunched up with the water inside out of the window to dump them.



Its been a hell of a week at the house, with this, with me being in and out of medicated stupors, and with the now begun cleaning out of closets which means a TON of books are going back to the Book Bear. I'm a bit of a collector of things, as in I have extreme difficulty letting go of something - even if I don't care whats in it. I'm super sentimental. I have clothes that I have owned for over 10 years.

Now... you have heard me talk about my Father... How much he influenced me when I was alive, and even after he died - he continues to be an influence. Now JUST IMAGINE me trying to figure out which of His books I am willing to part with. Anything with Locomotive, Steam, or Metal in the title stays - I don't care, it STAYS.

Also going through some of the bags mom had packed away of books to be sold or traded, I found a few first editions which he had mentioned to me in the past - one being Hemingway's Out of Africa, the other being From Here to Eternity - by Jones I believe(?) but in perfect (but obviously read) condition. I am glad I caught those, and put them back in the book case. These are all books that will end up in my apartment one day.

There is plenty else going on, some which can't be put down here as while it effects me heavily, it is not my place to put it out there for anyone to see.


I sometimes feel as though I am slowly going out of my mind. People can make you feel like such shit when you're disabled, because sometimes I Can do things, but a lot of the time I can't. I forget things, things get away from me, I can get slightly cranky when the pains up, I'm not always easy to live with - and I give my mother HUGE credit, and admiration for her willingness to live with me, to keep me around, to tolerate the things that make me sick, and to keep such upbeat spirits. All in all we get along fantastically, but sometimes there's tension, but, well, she's my mother, I'm her son - and we take care of each other.


One of the stress's right now is selling the house. Its a magnificent house. We've done a lot of work - a Lot of which was done by Dad and I, or Walter helped by Dad & I, or Steve Sr - helped by me, or Jim Williams helped by Dad, or Brent helped by Me... But do you see the common themes in this? But I mean the plumbing, heating, Wiring, Roof, windows, Kitchen, some bathrooms, painting, plastering, flooring... So the idea that what the house is worth, and then what it's worth here, then well, we're trying to sell it - but this isn't the proper TIME to be selling it - but it's a lot of house for a teacher and a guy on disability.. sooo... It's not like when Dad and my Brother lived here too.

But yeah, so life, life is life right now. But there are good things - most of which outweigh the bad. I also frankly don't care, no matter how bad it gets, it could be far far worse.

ANYWAYS... I'm done ranting for now.

Well Fuck.

OK, so I just did a ton of research on Winter tires for motorcycles. The prospects were... well... 3 selections of tires, all made by the same company (that weren't $300 each). So the Harley idea is totally dead, you can NOT get a 4 season tire for it's rear wheel. So that left the BMW option, the Ural option, and the Dnepr option.

Good Urals are expensive. Good BMWs are less expensive. But well... the Best suited BMW for what I need is an early 80s BMW R100RT (shown in a previous post). They can be had with about 30,000 miles for about $2000. They weigh 515 pounds, make 70HP, come fully faired, and will accept these snow tires. Well... the KZ1000 which I already have weighs 530 pounds, makes 80HP, comes with a Windjammer fairing, and will accept these snow tires.

A BMW would require a $600 kit to mount the sidecar I have to it. The KZ requires a trip to Conn to have Matt weld on the proper mounting brackets for somewhere between free and $100.

So you tell me... what POSSIBLE excuse could I have for selling the KZ1000 and buying a BMW?

Oh yes, and the BWM will require the valves adjusted once a month, the KZ requires no valve adjustment.

Soooooo yeah. The Harley and BMW ideas are now dead in my head.

I will also be holding onto the car until after a few trips in the snow - just in case.

4 Season Rig

OK, so the KZ1000 is being sold, so is the Car, and so is the Norton chassis. The XS400 will probably be sold shortly there after.

The brown Harley seen before is on loan until further notice.

I'm now 50/50 on the Harley plan. I'll either get a Harley or an 80s BMW, the sidecar mounting kit for a Harley is $525, for a BMW its $625. BMWs run 2-3 grand, Harleys 3-4 grand - so it depends on whats best in my price range when I have the money together.

So it'll either be a RT BMW:


Or a 1200 Sportster from 1986-2003:



One or the other will become my 4 season rig. They make the same HP, have the same reliability, both have care free final drives. One shakes, the other doesn't. The BMW comes with wind protection.

Anyways, thats the plan.