motorcycles anyone? - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

rickg · #1 03-01-2003, 03:36 AM

I used to be a dirt bike fanatic when I was younger. Spent a lot of my teen years beating the crap out of a Honda trail 90. Amazing what those things would take!
Then I moved up to a '67 Ducati 450. Cool old bike. The front wheel would actually slightly bounce up and down when it idled. Torque galore. Awsome hill climber. Finally got rid of it when they quit importing Ducatis for several years in the early 80's, and I couldn't get parts for it anymore.
Next came a '68 BSA 441 Victor. Didn't have that one very long. Was starting to have a family, and the toys had to go. But it was another sweet old bike. I was bringing it home from the guy I bought it from in the back of my dads truck. Some guy on a motorcycle comes blasting up behind me, then comes over along side for a bit. Then he comes up along side the passenger side window. When I looked over to see what the heck he was doing, he gives me a big smile and a thumbs up, and off he goes.
I'd like to have both the Ducati and the BSA back. They're collectors now. I am storing a '63 Harley Davidson 250 Sprint for a friend of mine now. It's a total basket case. He had to move to Texas several years ago, and didn't have room to take it with him. But if he never comes and gets it.....
Any old bike fans out there?

rickg · #2 03-01-2003, 03:48 AM

BTW, any takers on what this is? (It's a currently made bike)

TTaM · #3 03-01-2003, 11:43 AM

I love motorcycles almost as much as I love automobiles. I've had one bike in my life, a '93 Suzuki Katana 600. Fast, fun, not much to look at, but I got a deal. I bought it my sophomore year of college, tooled around w/ it for 2 semesters, then got rid of it after an unfortunate enounter lowsiding it after being cut off by some cell-phone talk, BMW driving b*tch. I was going around the curve [4 lane road], she decided to cut me off, I locked the rear wheel, got loose in some sand/dirt and lost. Oh well, live and learn. I plan on getting another when I have money

As for your mystery bike, that is a Ural Bavarian Solo. www.ural.com They are Russian bikes, exact copies of BMWs from WWII. The Russians seized the BMWs and basically copied them part for part. Alot come w/ side cars now, and one even has a drive shaft going to the sidecar for more off-road and winter riding.

TTaM · #4 03-01-2003, 11:59 AM

Not a bike I would want, nor is it vintage, but...

Gilly · #5 03-01-2003, 05:26 PM

"Hurry up, the IHOP opens in 10 minutes!"

My ownership of motorcycles is all 3's:
1st 75 Kawasaki 400 triple
2nd 75 Kawasaki 750 triple
3rd 87 BMW K75S

My next bike I'm kinda liking the new BMW K1200GT. Not a triple, but what are ya gonna do?

Anyone reading this ever been on the Slimey Crud Run? How about any Broccoli Riders?
One of my friends has a collection of Munch Mammuts, ever heard of those?
Hey, check out this link, also be sure to turn on your speakers and click on the icon on the top left of the page this takes you to:

http://www.marineturbine.com/superbike/

Gilly

rickg · #6 03-01-2003, 06:53 PM

Hey cool!

Didn't figure anyone would pick out the Ural. I'd never heard of one with all reading I used to do of every cycle magazine I could get my hands on. A gal I used to work with a few years ago told me about them. Her husband was saving up to get one. She brought in a brochure and showed me. First thing I said was that it looked like a BMW rip-off. Sure enough. Do you know anything about them? Are they any good? There's one of only a few dealers in the states here in Washington state, and some day want to take a cruise down there and check them out. I've always been more a fan of big-bore four stroke bikes, than of the now-you-have-power, now-you-don't 2-stroke variety. Not sure I'll ever get a bike again (since my brother broke his leg on one several years ago), but I'm always going to be a fan. Kind of an armchair biker I guess

rickg · #7 03-01-2003, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by gillybenztech
[BMy ownership of motorcycles is all 3's:
1st 75 Kawasaki 400 triple
2nd 75 Kawasaki 750 triple
3rd 87 BMW K75S

Gilly [/B]

I remember when guys at my high school started buying those "Kamakazi" 750 triples when they first came out. I think every one of them flipped the things over backwards at least once trying to be cool and do a wheelie with it

I never rode on one, but I guess the power band was just all of a sudden there, whether you were ready for it or not

PC Dave · #8 03-01-2003, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rickg
Hey cool! Didn't figure anyone would pick out the Ural... Do you know anything about them? Are they any good?

You're basically buying 1940's German design with 21st century Ukrainian construction quality. Like the Indian-made Royal Enfields, which are a British '50s design the Indian factory just kept making under license (and also available in the US today), you're buying a historical relic from the days when bikes weren't reliable, everybody knew how to wrench, you rebuilt the beasts every 5,000 miles, etc. If that's what you're looking for, they're very charming, inexpensive, and by far the cheapest way to get into a sidecar rig. Just don't expect Japanese or modern German refinement or reliability, and spare parts will be hard to come by.

For less money, you can pick up the Ural's grandchild, an '80s or early '90s BMW airhead boxer that's much faster, better built, more reliable, more refined, endlessly rebuildable and has a thriving support network. Check out the marketplace section at www.ibmwr.org.

Gilly · #9 03-01-2003, 09:44 PM

RickG
The 500 triple was really known for flipping backwards. They were made a bit longer than the 750 (the 500 came out I believe in '69, the 750 came out more like '71-'72). The early 750's probably were even more capable of doing this, but the '75's (last year) had a swingarm that was lengthened to help stop this (or at least to keep it from happening unintentionally

). The one I had was pretty stock, but I did do a set of expansion chambers on it (black FBG's) and some K&N air filters.
Yes, it was fast as stink, and you really had to ease in to the powerband. I never pulled a wheelie with it myself. The 400 was actually the one I had to concentrate on the powerband more, and it surprised me a few times and launched unintentionally.
The beemer has only did that to me once......bunch of girls next to me on a warm Friday night, I'm sure you know "the rest of the story".

Gilly

Frank X. Morris · #10 03-01-2003, 10:19 PM

Howdy All,
The closest I came to owning a street bike was about 20 years ago some friends of mine from the "dog" world were going to build an Arial Square Four 1000 for me for $10,000. They had bought all the parts and bikes from all the dealers on the west coast when Arial went out of business. At the time I was thinking about getting one they still had enough parts to build 100 complete bikes. They were lookng for a buyer to take everything for $100,000. I think I missed out on something there

Gilly · #11 03-01-2003, 10:54 PM

My friend with the Munch collectin has a square four, it's a '58, don't know the cc's. I got to ride it around the block, talk about weird! Not only is the shifter on the "wrong" side, but the shift pattern is also backwards, ie from neutral, first gear is "up", and the higher gears are "down"!. I forget if it's a 3 speed or 4 speed.
The thing acted like it has some "kahunas", I bet it is 1000cc.

Gilly

Frank X. Morris · #12 03-01-2003, 11:53 PM

Howdy Dan,
Trying to remember things at my age is a little tough but I'll try

Yes the shifter is on the English side not the American. I also remember sitting on one and having both feet touch the ground. I think the bike weighed about 450lbs. One more thing that I semi remember being said was at 70mph it was running at 1200rpm. Although it may have been 1700rpm. Damn!¡ Old age is catching up on me

rickg · #13 03-02-2003, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by gillybenztech
talk about weird! Not only is the shifter on the "wrong" side, but the shift pattern is also backwards, ie from neutral, first gear is "up", and the higher gears are "down"!.Gilly

That's the way my Ducati was. Just about the time I got really used to it, my brother let me take a ride on his Honda. I seem to remember about pegging the thing into a car when I went to hit what I thought was the rear brake, and shifted gears instead!

The real hard part with the "Duke" was getting used to the kick starter being on the left side, and it swung forward instead of back as is normal. And that SOB would kick back on a cold morning!! I thought I broke my leg one time it kicked, my foot came off the kick start pedal and the thing just nailed me in the shin. I can't repeat here the string of words I used for about 15 minutes after that!

My whole lower leg was all kinds of pretty colors for weeks