Look every vehicle has its place.  A quad would be ok as a utility vehicle but as a bug out vehicle... nah.  It is a little slow unless you have a race quad....smoking fast but not much on carring a load.  A side by side would be better but you are still pretty slow.  You want speed get a Razr....

Now A KLR can be a mule... I have seen them loaded down.  You just have to decide what you want to use it for.  When I first got mine I was looking at doing the touring thing with it but decided to go the other way.  More dirtbikeish....  If you are going to carry a load you could get a stiffer rear spring.  Moose Racing just came out with a new rack system that I really like but its almost 400 bucks.  Now the bag I have on mine now was 400 bucks but it is used more for a minimalist apporach.   I have been thinking about getting a rack system as an alternative to carry more.  I really want to find a way to carry an AR type rifle.

As a bug out vehicle a M/C is a good idea if you are alone.  With a family not soo much.  Now My plan is..... I have a rear rack I can put on my truck.  Load the truck with stuff.. put the bike on the rear and use it if the truck goes down or runs out of gas.  I will take the truck as far as I can.  I can make it about 300 miles on a full tank as long as I am rolling without dealing with traffic.  My intent is to avoid the interstate system....  I can go a little over 300 miles on my KLR if its full.......and I can get past alot of traffic backups..... but again I hope I don't have to worry about that......

You are just going to have to plan on what you want to take.......

Guns Primary/Secondary
Ammo
Food.... Carry or hunt?
Water.. Filter system
Shelter.... I have my stuff set up with a backpacking tent so I can run light.

I am on my own so right now being in TN and haveing my home in NC I plan to make the trip back east....  

I know this is kind of a ramble but just my thoughts.......

WP

oh, that looks familiar for some reason...

 

Sure was nice to pull out my trusty KLR650 today and use it for backup transportation when my wheel studs snapped on my vehicle. The 20 degree weather when I got off work wasn't so hot, but the bike started up and other than a longer warm up it ran as good as ever-probably better when on the throttle but I could tell the carburetion was off on the idle jet as it would stumble a bit decelerating at low speeds.

Sometimes having your only winter capable vehicle go down is a SHTF..

Pelican 1700 and Roc Straps.

the Pelican case is 36" wide, mount it sideways on top of the rack and it's as wide as the bars. will fit a M4gery or other carbine in one piece.

of course, it's not exactly quick access, but it would protect the rifle and carry it securely. and not scream "gun" so you could haul it on your daily commute, if you wanted.

well, the KLR has a magneto, and can be retrofitted for a kicker if you can find the parts from a 600.

it also has front and rear disk brakes, older dual sports may have drums.

the KLR also has been in production for freaking ever, so, there are plenty of aftermarket upgrades for it, and parts are available cheap. some of the vintage bikes can be hard to find parts for, especially if they were only produced for a few years, and suspension upgrades are not going to be as easy to find. same goes for things like oversized plastic tanks.

while the KLR has CDI, it's pretty dang robust and ignition problems are not terribly common, even with people who take the thing "swimming". i've heard of a few wiring harness problems, but again, those are rare.

the 650 was producced from '87 to '07 virtually unchanged and most parts for those 20 years interchange.some of the parts from the 600, and some parts from the '08+ versions work on the 650.

the Versys and V-Strom are nice, but not as affordable as the KLR, and their cast wheels limit their DS ability somewhat, however, fixing a flat on a tubeless tie will often be much simpler.

if you want more power, you can get a big bore kit. and the bike can be setup to make it more street or more dirt oriented

Familiar with the area?

Good to see another Ural Rider:
here's mine,


here it is packed for an overnighter.
hmm, seems this was taken only half packed. I had 2 backpacks on the back spare tire, 3 sleeping bags behind the driver, and 3 fishing poles tucked in the hack. the trunk was full of food/gear also. (under the spare tire).


not the prime BOV, but just another choice. If I'm on this, it means the wife is in the Jeep someplace, and  we'll meet at a predetermined location.
I've posted these pics before,

i guess it would be best to use as a recon, scouting, patrol, gathering, escape, and evasion tool...  i've got a bunch of neat stuff picked out...

I just posted a thread about my new  to me Jeep Wrangler not being a very viable BOv because of its small size.    The bikes take smallness to a new level while at the same time leaving a person completely exposed to the weather.

    I have a couple of Yamaha YZ's and love to hit the track on open practice days and occasional races,  but the thought of riding something like that as a BOV makes me shudder.

However,  if everything else was out of gas and i needed to make a quick getaway from something............ it might be cool

I want a Gear Up, but God, are they expensive.

I bought my KLR with 14k on it and have 20k now. The great majority of those 6k miles were on pavement, and of the pavement miles, probably 70% have been freeway miles. Yes, it gets taken off road quite a bit, but the penalty you pay for it on the freeway is pretty heavy. While the motor doesn't have a problem with freeway speeds, the rest of the bike suffers for it. For starters, the wind blast is BAD and getting a taller screen just raises the buffeting from under your helmet to the sides where it beats your head from side to side-taking the windscreen off fixes this. Vibration is a killer if you don't have a throttle lock. The shape of the seat limits movement and you get really sore knees and ass. Stability at freeway speeds is not too good, and almost dangerous with DOT legal knobbies-the bars are so wide that the leverage they provide will make the bars shake from the wind hitting your arms. Before I went back to the stock tires there were 5 or 6 times where I wasn't sure I was going to get control of the bike again.

Mind you, I'm no pussy on a bike.. I'm on my 14th and have no problems hussling a 160hp superbike on a race track-bikes that flex and wiggle don't bother me if I know I can ride thru it. As far as the comfort goes, I have ridden from Detroit to Seattle and been less sore than after 6 hours on my KLR. I took a trip to Oshkosh for the airshow in '07 and COULD NOT WAIT to get off of the bike. It hurt so bad....

The KLR suits my needs most of the time and I am happy to have it for general purpose riding. I got it for a good price from a guy I trust and it has served me well. If I had to do it over again I would definitely be looking at something else after having an enduro for a "do it all" bike, but my KLR would be the last of my 3 bikes to go if I had to sell them right now.

[,[/quote]
I want a Gear Up, but God, are they expensive.
[/quote]

I could never  get another Ural today, the price jumped 4 grand on mine in 2 years.

I think they have priced themselves out of the market, I wont be surprised if we see them start going under.
The economy is in the shitter now too..
$14K is INSANE for a ural IMO.
I bought my 06 gear up used, it was a demo/promo bike and the engine was rebuilt so it got me a few more of the upgrades that came in 07, not that I bothered to tear it open and look.. it has been a lot of fun, I have wanted to take it on a camping trip but it just never seems to work out for us, I am either too busy or penny pinching.(that and there is nowhere near me in TX that I would camp, its all hours away or in other states)
It would not be my primary BOV, unless the situation warranted.. and I dont know what that would be, but its good to have options.
I think it would be good for rural or ranch property, going out to gather things offroad etc.. I have wanted to use it for hog hunting.. again.. never get around to it...
while its not as agile or quick as just a motorcycle, the sidecar has its advantages. I bought the thing with a lot of skepticism and I have been surprised at the lack of trouble with the thing. rotate the tires, change the oil.
Probably not too many other bikes out there in the snowy Minnesota winters.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Hiya guys.

Short, Condensed Post:   Urals suck.


Long, Detailed Post:  I have some comments and observations regarding Urals.  While many motorcyclists have friends who ride, its often the case that Harley riders end up with Harley friends, crotch rocket riders end up with other sporties, etc.  This isn't absolute, but you get the picture. My riding group is unusual.  As a MSF Rider Coach I end up riding with two dozen other Rider Coaches.  We tend to ride together because we share experiences as coaches, not because we have brand X bikes.  We have virtually everything in the group:  Big Harleys, Honda VFR's, Super Sport Tourers (Kawa Concours C14), 40 year old Triumphs, Mid '80's metric standards and cafe racers, BMW R, F series bikes, KTM enduros, Gold Wings, you name it we ride it.   Most of us have several bikes. Throw in the three dozen bikes we use for the classes and we likely own and operate very close to 100 motorcycles.  We also have a couple million miles and several hundred years experience on motorcycles.  Despite the differences in these machines (and some good natured and friendly rivalry)  we are in agreement:  There really are very very few "bad" bikes.

However, with that said, there are two classes of bikes ALL of us aviod like the plague:  

1) The cheap asian off-brand import.  There isn't any anti-import feeling.  Most of us own at least one metric bike.  However, our experiences with various cheap asian imports on the training range have shown that while these bikes may look good, the handling is usually far inferior and they are damned fragile machines.  There simply isn't the attention to design and manufacture.  The rgade of metal used in manufacture of parts is ultra-low. They seem to be largely made of poured pot metal (and exaggeration but you get the picture).  These bikes end up broken or damaged three or four times more frequently than a similar metric Kawayamasuzihonda.

2) The ural:  Rolling piece of shit.   This opinion is based on actual ownership experience from within the riding group (not me!).  The russians basically copied an ancient BMW design. Fair enough.  One would think that using a basic decades-old design would give a manufacturer the time and experience to perfect the design.  The owner of this bike had something of a John Wesley rawles line of thinking:  If I buy a very basic decades old design with old-school parts it should be reliable and easy to maintain.  

Not so.  There was basically a long laundry list of ongoing problems, mostly related to poor manufacturing practices.  For example, there were transmission issues from day one:  It was eventually revealed to be incorrect an incorrect gear.  Some idiot in the plant installed the wrong part.  When completing other repairs on the bike it was noted that some parts on this new bike showed evidence of considerable 'age'. I am not talking wear, but rather age.  Evidence of age checking, corrosion, etc was abundant.  It looked very much as if they grabbed various parts from pins that had been warehoused for years, decades, or longer.   Regardless of the reasons for such manufacturing problems, the simple fact is that this bike was very poorly constructed.  The owner of this bike noted one dismal statistic:  He NEVER, ever completed a full day of riding without some form of mechanical breakdown.  A day of riding for this gentleman usually consists of about roughly 200 miles of two-lane twisties in the adirondacks.  For what its worth this rider is now very nearly 80, has owned and operated bikes nearly continuously for some 66 years, and own this particular (recent manufacture) Ural some half dozen years ago.

The only other brand that causes me concern is the current recent manufacture indian-made enfields. I desperately want one but have spoken at length with other riders who do own em.  They appear to be more suited to people who like fixing bikes more than people who like riding bikes.  In all honesty I cannot offer a particularly valid comment on these as I have no personal experience nor do I have reliable first hand reports from reliable individuals.

For what its worth I would be VERY reluctant to own a Ural.  One bike does not necessarily indicate product quality for an entire line, but its not a good sign.  I see little value in a shtf prep that breaks down, does not work properly and is otherwise unreliable.  The Ural offers a nice concept but very very poor execution.

Buyer beware.

Fro

Regarding off road only...

You must be used to utility quads.  No way, no how is a KLR going to hang even remotely close to a sport quad let alone a dirt bike.  (I have 450 machines pictured in my mind). I'm not talking mud bogs.  But running typical Midwestern trails, or crossing cornfields, etc.  

(equal riders, IMHO, ymmv, etc, etc)

short and condensed? what a long drawn out post lacking details. what was the point of it?
what year was this ural?
The problem is probably in the answer, it was an old one wasnt it? or was it even a ural?
If you want a bike/sidecar thats a lot of trouble buy an older ural, a dnepr or a chang jiang.
If you want the same type of bike without the constant hassles buy a late model Ural (2005 or later)
Ural (the motorcycles) was bought by some American/American investors and to make it commercially viable it has gone through a lot of upgrades
History of yearly upgrades here
I don't know who you think you are educating or warning with your post about a guy who once owned one that sucked (without details to the year) and your being VERY reluctant to buy one, you post does not amount to much more than that and a thread shitting derailment.
the two of us in here so far that actually own one have not expressed any complaints, other than the current price being too high for what it is.
Most people do not buy a ural to be a modern sport or touring bike, Similar to people not buying an AK to be a precision long range rifle.





As far as a SHTF prep, people will roll with what they have and there is no one size fits all BOV, SHTF scenarios are a series of what ifs.


Id ride my bicycle if I had to, it beats walking. However a simpler machine is easier to repair, provided you have the parts, etc.. that being said I would not be betting much on an older Ural or any dnepr or chang jiang. If it ran I guess Id just look at it like it beats walking for however far it gets me. I would rather take my Toyota, but then what if...what if..





Who bought their bike for SHTF anyway? I didnt.
 
 
 
 


 

isenhelm:

Sorry.  I don't have the year.  If memory serves correctly, it would be roughly 2000-2001 vintage.  Quality has improved since then?  Wonderful!  I'm happy for all those post 2005 Ural buyers.  I'm still not going to place a stack of greenbacks on the counter and ride out with one of these bikes.........

Not enough detail?  Again.  Sorry.  My bad.  I do not have his maintenance records.  However, I am one of those individuals who does not have unlimited funds.  I cannot afford to spend really good money on a product (be it a rifle, handgun, scope or motorcycle) only to learn that it is not as reliable as I would like. Therefore, I look for and evaluate reports from other riders.  I also take time to evaluate the reliability of the source.  Some internet schmuck I never met?  Reliability is likely low.  (Feel free to put me into that category! ).  Someone I know by reputation (example, TJ, Feral, Fordguy et al)?  I look for their opinions and weight them far more heavily.  Someone I know personally, (like my former Ural-owning friend)?  I trust them to a VERY great degree.

I don't have all the minute details.  Quite frankly, I don't need them.  These are/were opinions from the aforementioned group (whose credentials I have already tried to establish) which I do not have to examine under a microscope.  When one of these quarter-million-mile motorcyclists (who has owned literally dozens of various bikes over 60 plus years) indicates he's had a continual stream of problems, well, I wieght that heavily.  

This is the Survival Forum.  One benefit of this forum (and others like it) is that we can share information. We often share our personal experiences in an attempt to inform others.  I have attempted to do so.  Some information is both useful and valid.  Other information is not.    You obviously think my information is of the latter group.  Feel free to print a hardcopy, roll it up and place it on the toilet paper dispenser in the bathroom.  Trust me.  This won't hurt my feelings a bit

I really don't much care if Ural is/is not the uber-shtf-bug out bike.  Of the many many bikes the aforementioned group has owned, this one ural garnered an earned reputation as the biggest lemon of the bunch.   If Urals were the equivalent of $1.99 batteries, I would not worry about it.  However, these bikes are not $1.99.  They are consideraby more money.  I usually attempt to create replies and threads that inform, educate and are of some use.  You can disagree.  However, the sharing of information is pretty much THE reason for a forum.  If we did not share experiences, good and bad, there would be little point in a forum.  It would simply be a fanclub......  However, I will continue to search tehse threads, looking for information from owners and users of other products, all in the hopes of gathering valid information on which I can make more educated purchase decisions.  

My post was and is intended as a warning:  If someone is intending on spending considerable money on one of these, my post might cause them to conduct further research.  If it helps, great.  If it doesn't, it really does not matter. As for the length of my post, tough.  Anyone here who has seen my posts generally knows I'm longwinded.  For that matter, I generally make light of it.   I've posted information.  I've provided some limited detail.  Instead of bullshit I've posted the origin of that information, and attempted to establish that persons 'credentials'.  That takes some time and a few words.  If you aren't happy with it, try the shortened condensed version.  I posted it too.    However, I'm in a bind:  Apparentl;y my short form post does not offer enough information and detail.  Yet, somehow my longer posts are too long .  I apparently don't know how to write with sufficient brevity yet  also incorporate specific details .    I'm an educator.  I talk too much (and cannot type for shit!).  Maybe I oughta become a minister.  They always talk too much..................

Sorry if my post got your shorts in a bind.  Your opinion and experiences are different.   I'm happy for you.  Good luck with that.  However, the opinions of the first hand owner I know were thus:  it sucked. He had continual gearbox issues and NEVER completed a full day ride without some mechanical issue.   I don't need a whole lot of specific details beyond that.   That first hand report from him was condeming enough for me.   I know I don't need to spend thosuands to run my own test of that observation.  Likewise, if TJ, Feral, Fordguy or one of a limited few others tells me that product XXX sucks, I don't need to micro analyse it. I just find an alternative.  

Apologies to the OP.  No hijack intended.  The Bug out bike thread has sorta morphed into the 'I want a Ural side car bike" thread, and I thought I'd offer an observation.  Sorry once again.

Fro

I had just woke up when I read the post, so I might have overdone it with poor morning groggy communication skills.





It probably would have sufficed for me to say that it was probably and older Ural and they have changed since then with different ownership and upgrades.


They also have a two year parts and labor warranty with no mileage limit.





I have no doubt that the 2000 Ural your friend had sucked.


The old reputation is what made me a skeptic when I got mine, I looked into them for about two years and I knew I could get rid of it back then if I did not like it.





They are a niche market, and they are the only viable option for that niche and they are apples and oranges comparisons to other machines.





Its always buyer beware, but to anyone looking for a sidecar machine who wants any form of reliability I would say do not buy any Dnepr or Chang Jiang and older Urals.


(if its a kit bike or costs 3K new and was made 30 or more years ago by commies...expect trouble, the Chang Jiangs are Chinese and some people have had trouble getting them registered)





Since I have had my 06 I have only had to replace a flasher/turn signal unit, rotate tires and change oil.





On with the thread
 

fork scabbard....

This might be a pipe dream, but I would like a diesel dual sport/touring.  Knowing the weight will be worse for the diesel, I understand they will not be rock hopping mad men.  One of my goals in the next 5-10years is to have mostly, if not all, diesel vehicles.  A 250/2500 or bigger 4x4, the SO's sedan a diesel, and a diesel bike.  I would like to try to get into the biodiesel route.   I may just be dreaming though.

When loaded with bags and boxes, what kind of MPGs do you get?  And what interstate speeds?

I read on another thread that KLRs aren't that great at 70 mph and fuel economy drops fast then.  Currently, lots of my travel is in a 70mph zone.

The BMWs have always called out to me.  It started when I got to look over a '98 model former highway patrol bike.  I seriously considered bidding, but lack of a tow vehicle and storage and other bills stopped me cold.

Enjoying the thread,

thanks

nct

Do Want! But I am just dreaming too...



The M1030 (Based on the Kawasaki KLR 650)


http://www.hdtusa.com/
 

[/quote]
Do Want! But I am just dreaming too...

The M1030 (Based on the Kawasaki KLR 650)
http://www.hdtusa.com/

 [/quote]

That is sweet.  Wonder what that sucker costs?  Add a sidecar and the dog can go for a ride too.

thanks,

nct

To me, this would seem ideal. Not necessarily with the side cart but with the trailer. I guess I'm thinking that a bike with a trailer like this would be great to try to get out of a large city if the traffic is crazy or there are stalled cars all over the place.

Do Want! But I am just dreaming too...



The M1030 (Based on the Kawasaki KLR 650)

http://www.hdtusa.com/



 [/quote]



That is sweet.  Wonder what that sucker costs?  Add a sidecar and the dog can go for a ride too.



thanks,



nct[/quote]

I thought I had heard something like 18K... There was also a thread about these a while back, maybe sometimes this last year.

For that price though... not gonna happen for me.

I am not sure if they are even available to the civi market yet, because of production for the mil.

They will reach there contract number at some point though and want to keep making money, so who knows what will happen.





 

You forgot:

STAY AWAY FROM ITALIAN MOTORCYCLES if you are buying a SHTF ride. Parts are slow to come even in the good times-and that's if the company isn't bankrupt. Again.

I've been there, it sucks having to wait a month for a throttle cable. It sucks worse when the company closes it's doors. ALL of the Italian companies have gone under at least once, and the same cast of assholes comes back in and robs the place blind for a few more years.

Japanese  bike makers are a rock of stability in comparison...

That's probably true, but who said SHTF is going to be a race? If you find yourself getting chased on a KLR650 thru a field by gun toting biker zombies, you are a bigger liability to yourself than your mode of transportation.

Why are threads in SF degenerating into pissing matches these days? We need to tighten this up, folks, or quality info and fellowship simply wont happen here anymore. Just sayin.

I think the "pitch" of stress ("urgency?") has slid a note or two up the scale.
Add to it the wintertime.
I've noticed agitation on message boards in the winter, whether they are gun, vehicle, or whatever subject.
A symptom of cabin fever?
If so -this may be an early lesson of things to be wary of as things continue this direction.

You ARE right.
We should strive for better.

Interesting.  

I would say ANY vehicle you are going to rely on you should know how to work on, have the tools and plenty of spares.
Supply lines from Wisconsin, Japan, Itally, wherever can and will get disrupted.

As an example:  I've got a couple of the same exact model bikes -and a third with many common parts.
If one blows up -I've got a parts donor bike.
They are carburated.  I have a spare set of carbs and I know how to do alcohol fuel conversions (I done it before...) in case dino-juce gets scarce.
I have all the tools (and experience) to dissasemble the entire engine.
A closet full of speedo cables, throttle cables, cases of oil, filters, a rack of tires, spare chains, sprockets, master cylinders, etc., etc...

Oh, and just to poke fun, they are  Italian.
(and very reliable -I ride 365days/year)

If I wear out ALL the bikes and parts I've got I will have to live to be 150 years old.

this has gone further then i expected...

Here it is with its smaller bug-out trailer.

My first DT

I like that bug out trailer...

on freeway or off, the bike will benefit from suspension upgrades. specifically Ricor Intiminators or Gold Valves. the Gold Vlalves need the forks taken apart and modified, so the Intiminators are a much simpler solution. they just use a lighter weight oil. and a new rear shock, from riror or Cogent Dynamics will also help.

for freeway speeds, i've got a Britannic Composites fairing. it includes new headlights. i don't have mine fully wired up yet, but it looks better and should offer better wind protection. the screen is adjustable.

for vibration, alloy bars, Ricor Vibranators and upgraded doohickey and if you want to drop the extra coin a 685 or 705 big bore upgrade has a lighter piston that vibrate less. the 705 is the lightest and vibrates least. nark busters also seem to help the bar vibes.

i've never had any stability problems on mine at freeway speeds and 50/50 tires.

removing the factory hand guards will usually make the m tug one the bars less. some say that a more modern fender also helps.

and that looks exactly like what it is, a rifle on a motorcycle. you're NOT gonna get away with leaving that on the bike in a parking lot... not for long. i've also seen some rifle cases mounted on the side, opposite the fender, again, it looks like a rifle.

the diesel version is not available at any price. not new, not surplus.

they WERE going to bring them out and the MSRP was well over twice the cost of a new KLR, or something between $15,000 and $19,000.

for that, you get a diesel bike that has an aftermarket shock, but can't take a kicker and you can only get the diesel specific stuff from the company that does the retrofits (HDT) they dropped the plans for bring it to market last i heard.

so, a bird in the hand (used gas KLR, with upgrades) beats two in the bust (unobtanium diesel version)

and there are none of the diesels available thru DRMO, as they get returned to HDT.

I found it telling that the guy who started it happened to have a URAL for sale in the EE.....

A few years ago I was an active poster on KLR650.net before I had the bad wreck. I remember that Hayes guy trying to peddle his smoke-bikes there, and he was pretty much run out of town by everyone there. Those diesel KLRs are definitely not worth 3x the MSRP of a gas KLR.

would this help the front end?
http://www.happy-trail.com/KLR650A/K-9-Fork-Brace-KLR650A.aspx?LineItemId=0e72a7db-a8c4-440b-9baa-380883da30d4

a buddy of mine who is a seasoned rider says i shouldn't leave home without it...

According to Max Brooks it is.  You bought the right bike for it either way.

I am not a huge fan of motorcycles as a BOV, especially in my neck of the woods. The weather is just too much of an issue.

But, YMMV.

I simply love to ride my KLR 650, agree it is not the best bike for the interstate, but it gets me there. Great for the forest roads around here, and short 30-45 minute rides into the city. Nice to have a bike that has a long production run, like my Jeep Cherokee. Also have an older Honda dirt bike tucked away that I start up now and then, but my oldest son has me beat, last time I checked he had six motorcycles in his garage.

I don't worry too much about the KLR as a BOV, that is what the Cherokee does, plus where I live, I am planning on buggin' in anyway, hopefully I won't be caught in the city away from home when some SHTF happens, if it does, I will deal with it one way or another.

I have seen pictures of the Kolpin cases mounted on the sides of KLR 650s, that would work for hunting. Yes, it is obvious, about the only way to be discrete IMHO is with a handgun, so have your concealed permit in hand. You don't have to worry about someone rippin' it off the side of your bike when you go to take a leak or buy some munchies.