Russian Iron

[Union Thug]

Ok, when I'm not ranting about Bush, I do have other interests.

I haven't ridden a motorcycle in 3 years. I was a big Triumph freak and hard core road thumper for a long time. Then the triumph died.

I like unique bikes. I don't like the usual, every day, blah blah. So today I bought a Ural Wolf... This is not the sidecar rig that most people associate with Urals. This is a solo, extended fork 750 boxer that feels just like my old Triumph on the road and rumbles like an old school BMW bike. What a fantastic piece of old world and new world collide technology.

Watch out road. I'm back...
http://www.russianiron.com/forums/index.php?act=Attach&type=post&id=4030

[htuttle]

1. I've been looking at one of those!

I'd want to get one of the 'Patrol' models with the powered sidecar, though.

Urals rumble like an old school BMW bike, because they ARE old school BMW bikes -- but I'm sure you know that already.

Another one I've been looking at is one of the Royal Enfield bikes currently manufactured in India:

Manufacturer site:
http://www.royalenfield.com/

USA distributor:
http://www.enfieldmotorcycles.com/

Modern-retro bikes are cool. :)

Lately, I've been riding a Bajaj scooter, though. It's a 'modern clone' of an old Vespa, but with a updated 4-stroke engine (and 4 speed manual transmission).

http://www.bajajusa.com

Just can't beat 105 mpg ( @ 54mph )...

[Union Thug]

2. Where do you live? The national distributor for Urals..

is about 30 miles from where I live. =)

I thought about an enfield, but I wanted the extra power of the 750 twin over the single bucket enfield. The enfields are VERY cool though... They really harken back to british rocker/cafe racer culture. =)

I got a good deal on the Wolf. It was a demo bike that they towed around the country to various MC shows (for example, it was most recently at Sturgis). Has about a 160 miles on it, but it still has the same warranty as a new bike, etc. It needs a little cleaning and polishing, but overall, it's a very fun bike. Handles like my old TR6C 650 and is very solid.

The Vespa clone sounds fun. Sound like a little Quadrophenia action is in order. =)

[htuttle]

7. I'm in Madison. There's a distributor in Verona, just outside the city

The same distributor handles both Urals and Enfields.

Wasn't the Wolf model of Ural the one they had a Moscow biker gang design as their street cruiser? (just checked on Ural's website). Sure. they say the Moscow Night Wolves biker club worked with Ural to design the Wolf. Cool.

Regarding my scoot, I still need to buy another half dozen mirrors. :)


The one drawback I've encountered with modern-retro bikes is getting parts. My local scooter shop has a lot of stuff for Bajaj in stock, but I had to wait about 2 weeks for a new headlight for my Chetak. It has the mount soldered right onto the reflector, so it needs a special headlight. I had to order it from Punjab, so I bought an extra one.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

3. Radical! What kind of Triumph did you have?

I had a T-160 and rode it till parts were insanely impossible to get. Of course, that was about a year before the internet made them available, but by then, it was too late.

I am now on a 82 Honda Magna... V4's are awesome engines.

[Union Thug]

4. My triumph was/is a 69 tr6 (c)

It's in the garage, engine blown, but otherwise intact and looking pretty good for its age! =)

The bonnevilles were great bikes!

I never rode a 4... I've ridden one of the three cyl. Triumphs.. that was fun!!! Now they've got some huge-ass Triumph Rocket out.. allegedly one of the most powerful bikes on the market.

I like my cruises, though. I'm not a speedking, really =)

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

5. No, me either. the T160 was a triple, the last one made

quite an odd duck, really... in the last year there was not much in the way of standards.
one bike got norton brakes
the next got triumph...

stuff like that

mine had disc brakes, which were experimental at the time for the UK, but Honda and kawasaki already had them of course.

yeah, the new triple is pretty awesome.

I loved the little trumpets, I almost bought one a while back.

[Union Thug]

6. My mistake..

I saw the "T" and thought immediately of the bonnie. So was the 160 a trident? (god, my memory is failing me)... or was it that very competition orange, three cyclinder, long, stretched out, sort of tear drop shaped tank bike that I CANNOT REMEMBER THE NAME OF right now? =)