Sheldon's 1998 Ural Deco - Week Ten
"Return of the
Frog"
Day 48, Sunday March 14, 1999... When
looking for a title for this week I was thinking about the Sportsman being back
home. I ran across the above title from a 1938 movie and it hit me that the
Sportsman is the closest thing to a Frog to be found in the motorcycling world....
And it is even the right color.
10:00 a.m. Sunday dawned bright and sunny, about 20 f., and predicted to reach nearly
40 f. today. Lisa was supposed to come over for dinner this afternoon but she called
last night and can't make it, so instead I am going to run North to Grand Lake and install
some software. Had hoped to not do any work today, but this needs to be done, and
besides, it is as good of an excuse for a ride as one can imagine. I am going to
take the Deco. First I want to go over it from stem to stern checking all the
bolts. So it is off to the garage I go...
5:00 p.m. Never got a chance to check the Sportsman's electricals. Did 50
km on the Deco going to install the software and returning home. When I returned
home I got off the bike, never going in the house, and kicked the Sportsman. It
started on about the fifth kick. I let it idle with the enricheners and choke on but
it died a minute later. Kicked it again and it started right up. Turned the
idle up just a quarter turn on the left and it idled fine. This was the first time
that I have been able to ride them back to back. Idled for a while then drove off
down the street. About a half block away it started sputtering. I went around
the block and then pulled back in my driveway. By then it seemed to be fine.
Drove away and it sputtered a bit then got better. I think what had happened was
that, since the bike had been sitting most of the winter, the battery is probably about
dead. With the 14 amp alternator they can barely keep up and they run terrible when
low. It did seem that it must be charging though. Got out to the old highway
and my smile was from ear to ear. I do so love the Sportsman. It is so very
stable. The bike feels like it weighs a couple hundred pounds more than the
Deco. Just feels that way, it is a little heavier but not much. The Earles
fork seems to really make a difference. I do so like the feel of the Sportsman until
you get up to speed. At 50 mph it has much more vibration than the Deco and seems to
be screaming in comparison. There is a remarkable difference in the RPMs at that
speed.
Both bikes jumped out of third gear half a dozen times today. I do have to try to
find out what is wrong there. My last try at adjustment seems to not have made a
difference. Marlow was supposed to check that out but he never said anything about
it. Riding along, on the Sportsman, at about 50 mph the speedometer quit working.
I couldn't believe it. I think these two bike are having sympathy pains.
They both jump out of third gear, both have broken speedometers, yet both are
beautiful wonderful machines. When I was riding the Deco, cruising along at about 45
in a 55 zone, a van passed me and the guy slowed next to me, then waved and moved on.
A couple of miles up the road he was stopped at an intersection, standing behind
his van waiting for me. I pulled in and had a nice UDF experience. We chatted
for about fifteen minutes. He rides a Gold Wing but we know that now his mind will
be rolling Ural around like a rock tumbler. Poor guy will probably be able to think
of nothing else.
I do certainly have a few things that need attention on these bikes but not tonight.
It was about 0 C. (32 f.) while I was riding and it sure could have been warmer.
I did get a bit chilled so I am going to crank the heat up in the house and try to
relax tonight. I may even play a video game. Need to do some work on web sites
but, again, not tonight.
One final observation. I seem to get more waves and smiles on the Sportsman than
on the Deco, so far.
Day 49, Monday March 22, 1999... Rushed home after work,
hopped on the Deco and went for a ride. Put another 40km on her, with a smile on my
face the whole time. It was cool riding but I barely noticed.
Day 50, Tuesday March 23, 1999... Woke up this morning with
light shining in my eyes. Ever have that instant panic realizing that something was
very wrong? I usually get up at 4:30 or 5:00 a.m., and the sun is not shining at
that time of morning. With my eyes as wide as saucers I looked at the alarm clock,
which had never been set last night, and it was 6:03. Usually I am out the door by
6:15 so I was really running late. Ran to the bathroom, which is where I forgot to
shave, and got ready in record time. Dressed and out the door. Looked at my
watch as I was opening the garage door, only 6:15. That was record time!
Realizing that I really had all kind of time, and it was 22 degrees, I decided to take the
Deco to work.
Pulled it out of the garage and fired it up, then let it warm up while I put on jacket,
gloves, cap and goggles. Rode away into the rising sun. The bike was running
wonderful. It just purred along, and all was right with the world. Until:
Cruising along at about 40 mph on the frontage road the bike started to feel kind
of squirrelly. I was practically in front of a convenience store/gas station so I
pulled in next to the air hose. I thought I might be having a tire that was low, or
at worst a bearing going out. I looked at the tire and it was flat, so I started
looking for the stem to fill it with air. Couldn't see it so I rolled the bike
forward to rotate it. No Stem...
Apparently the tire had rotated on the rim a bit and
cut the stem off. That is not good. Had to get an innocent bystander to help
me rock it up on the center stand, but then I changed the wheel to the spare, and took the
bike home. I didn't feel safe riding on the hills of Duluth with the wheel that gave
me brake grief the other day. Got the car and went off to work, arriving at 8:00.
When I got home I wiped down the bead with a rag, put in a new
"American Made" (Hope we don't have to deal with donor organ rejection) inner
tube with metal locking stem, then realized what this was all about. I was sitting on a
cooler, staring at the Moto Guzzi, then at the Deco, then at the Sportsman, then back to
the Deco when it finally dawned on me what she was trying to tell me. "Eureka",
I shouted, and slapped my forehead,. As I picked myself up off the floor I said to her,
you just want your whitewalls installed! Sure enough, that was it. I put the whitewall on
the rear tire and she seemed much happier. I have a job to do tomorrow but Thursday I am
going to mount the other two whitewalls and I am sure all will be well.
Day 51, Wednesday March 24, 1999... Worked all day, then
went to Christal Center to do some web site
work. Had to photograph the facilities, and staff, and get information to revise
their web site. Afterwards Christal and I went to dinner at Bellisio's Italian
Restaurant. First time I had been there, and I believe it may be the nicest
restaurant in Duluth. They opened for business last summer so it is surprising it
has taken me this long to check it out. Christal and I have been friends for some
time, so afterwards we went to her house, sat on the couch and drank tea and chatted, and
she braided my hair. Felt kind of funny today running around with two braids, got
teased about the "Willy Nelson Look", but actually got a lot of good comments on
it, which surprised me. I thought it looked very silly. Didn't get home until
after 10:00 so I didn't do any work at all. Just had a nice relaxing evening with a
friend.
Day 52, Thursday March 25, 1999... Had
the usual hectic day at work. I was at work at 5:30 this morning, so tonight I left
at 3:45 and headed home. Had to stop at the gas company and the bank, then it was
home, on with jacket and a quick call. Tomorrow my fellow board member on
Lake Superior Writers, Mary Ellen, was supposed to drop by
my office to have me sign some papers on grant requests. I called her and asked if I
could run by her house to sign the papers because I needed a destination for a ride.
Hopped on the bike and headed out. It was 45 f. when I left home and 25 when I
returned an hour later. Bike purred perfectly and I even stopped off at Central
Sales and picked up another ammo case to use as a tool box in the trunk of the Deco.
While I was at Mary Ann's I had the opportunity to check out an article that was in
today's Duluth Budgeteer News about Lake Superior Writers. It was a very nice
article and if you would like to read the text check out the article.
I even managed to stop at the rest area at the Thomson Outlook. Watched the
shadow of Spirit Mountain reach across the bay with the sunset and took a few pictures.
If you come to Duluth for the NARMA Rally we will be stopping at this rest area on
our tour. Great view.
Click photo for
larger view
Came home and spent the rest of the night working on web sites.
Day 53, Friday March 26, 1999... Worked and came home
and went for a ride. Stopped and rented some movies then just wandered around
Cloquet. Probably not exceeding 20 mph. Not many miles but it was a nice ride.
Click photo for larger view
Day
54, Saturday March 27, 1999... Slept in until almost 8:00 a.m.
which is way late for me. Then watched a movie, took a phone call from a customer
who I told that I was taking a day off. About 11:00 I pushed all three bikes out to
the driveway and started fiddling with each of them. Even snapped a few
pictures. Did my first fluid change on a Ural. Up to this point they have all
been done by the dealer. Had a little problem figuring out the best way to measure
the oil and Hyper Lube. Also couldn't find either of my funnels with the long
tubes. Finally used a small funnel and a turkey baster to get the oil in the
holes. The Hyper Lube is about the consistency of honey and does not pour very
well. Others have told me to let it sit in a pan of hot water before using it.
Next time I will do exactly that.
Took the Deco to the video store in Cloquet and she did one of her "things"
again. She wouldn't go home. She just wanted to keep going and going. A
twelve mile round trip lasted an hour again. The Deco is purring so nicely.
The engine is just as smooth as can be. It is a remarkable difference from the
Sportsman which is rough and has never seemed quite with it, but I never had anything to
compare it to before.
Judy came over tonight. I had planned on barbecuing, then we were going to go for
a hack ride. But seeing as I had taken a day off I decided that I didn't want to
cook, and the weather was threatening rain and high winds. So we jumped in her new
sporty red car and off to the Hong Kong Restaurant to fill up on lots of great food.
The home to watch a movie on Direct TV (The Negotiator).
I probably won't get much riding in tomorrow. I have a board meeting at noon and
I have to prepare for it in the morning. So getting today off was a real treat.
You can e-mail Sheldon at sheldon@sheldonaubut.com
Check out Sheldon's Sportsman Diary
Check out the "European Motorcycle Universe"
Copyright 1989-2010, Sheldon T. Aubut, all rights reserved
Last modified:
March 22, 2011
For questions or comments about this site please e-mail
webmaster.
Click photo for
larger view