The Ural Disappointment Factor

[Urallove2017]

I had wanted a Ural from the first time a saw a picture of one about 6year ago! I read everything I could about them. In May my wife gave me a new 2017 Patrol (yes the best gift ever). On a ride three weeks ago I stop for a restroom break and as I returned to my rig I noticed the top stud that secures the final drive housing to the swingarm was coming out and threaded area on the housing was broken. On further examination two of the bottom bolts were missing. My ride was over. Even the recovery operation yielded a Ural Delay Factor. A deputy sheriff wanted to know all about my rig he talked for a half an hour. I was ready to get it to the shop and had a major ride planned in three weeks. The Ural Disappointment Factor begins, the nearest dealership was mysteriously closed and didn't answer the phone for three days (the message machine was to full to take new messages?). I contact the next closest dealer and trailer my rig there and they have been very good with communication. But Ural in Washington State has not been as communicative. They can't give the dealership any time frame of when they will have a "rebuilt final drive for them". A rebuilt final to replace one that had only 3000 miles? Can not give their dealer a timeline? almost two weeks in the shop. The Ural Disappointment Factor is real for me. So buyers temper your Ural love for Ural Disappointment Factor maybe stalking you. Do any of you Ural veterans have any advise?

[wooden nickel]

Sorry for your trouble, but welcome to the site
Where are you located, roughly?
If your bike was new old stock and therefore under warranty, you are kinda at the mercy of the mothership. I got to admit they always took better care of me than that. Several dealers usually carry final drives or housings. If it is under warranty and is in the shop over a certain length of time (a month, I think) they will extend the warranty.
You might call the good dealers Hindle in OH, Holopaw in FL, Ski in CA, or Crawfords in MI see if they have one, If so, maybe you can get the mothership to let you have that one.

[S 854]

A rebuilt final to replace one that had only 3000 miles?

With just about any other manufacturer I could sympathize with that point of view... with a Ural, chances are very good your “rebuilt” FD will have Sergi’s fingerprints on it... which is a VERY good thing... it’ll be better than factory new...

[chaos2]

Thanks for the reminder to check various nuts and bolts on my rig!

[thecount043]

I hope that the dealer will offer extending your warranty period if your bike is in the shop for a long time. In my case one of the cylinders got a leak near the end of the warranty period. They pulled out the motor to do warranty work, but when they put it back my neutral light didn't work, so it stayed in the shop. After they couldn't fix it the sent the transmission to Washington. After about almost two months (missed a summer of riding) or so I got my rig back working great. The dealer offered to extend my warranty past its expiration date by two months since my rig was laid up about that long. I didn't need it since it ran great after that. However, I sensed that the mwarranty offer was from the dealer a sense not Ural.

[VWK75S]

Where are you located, roughly?

This information can help.
John

[Peter Pan]

Tip:
have a second final drive and gear box on hand....

Look down in my signiture, then you know why.
Both are not reassembled yet, but all spares wait already in the office.
From now on do your homework well and check frequently for loose screws.
Sven

[Mr Wazzock]

the top stud that secures the final drive housing to the swingarm was coming out and threaded area on the housing was broken. On further examination two of the bottom bolts were missing.

Not unusual unfortunately. Stories on here from when it's happened to others. But this is why it's important to check these kinds of fasteners on a regular basis, because it's being loose that causes the further damage, e.g. cracking cases and breaking studs and making holes elongated oval.

[Peter Pan]

small tip: oil the seat where he final drive mounts and then when you mount the final drive (either 1wd and 2 wd) put some epoxi arround the studs and where the final drive rests against the back swing. That takes out any gap and keeps the studs/final drive firm in place.
Check regulary the FD nuts for to be tight.

[Daisy Cutter]

Owning a Ural has made me learn to be more patient than I have ever been in my life. Now that I have accepted that Murphy has a permanent seat in my side car I'm ok with it. Be patient and know that as long as the dealer is reputable, Ural will take care of you...on their own time though.

[hotflash44]

Thanks for the reminder to check various nuts and bolts on my rig!

yeah me too, the first ones i check are the 4 -17mm FD swing arm bolts. because of the issues some folks have had.

[vetsurginc]

Final drive stud backouts have made me a friend of safety wiring.

[gobium]

Ural will teach you how to be humble, even (cough, cough) 2019 efi

[BigJames]

a 2015 sure will, and I'll just leave that there...bring on the e-bike...

[Happytrails]

...bring on the e-bike...

...we'll have to get one of those huge gloves to work on it.