1998 Ural Deco Classic

The Dnepr/R90 aside for a moment, I've located a 1998 Ural Deco Classic. The seller states is only has 8,500 miles on it and from the images I've seen it's probably correct. It is not equipped with the leading link front forks, but the price is right; $4,500. It's also 17 years old...

Can anyone offer any insight into this old machine, weaknesses in particular?

Stock photo, not the machine I'm looking at

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I think you can find all the info on that at Soviet Steeds.

Thanks Bob. I'm already there. Ya never know whose where so I posted here too.

Turns out that 1998 was the first year Ural offered an electric starter. Trouble with it is that the starter and the alternator are the same unit. And not very good at doing either job. They're referred to as the "grenade alternator".
The most common "fix" is to replace it with a Nippon Denso alternator and use the kick starter. An alternator set up is a big ol' deep discharge marine battery in the chair and total loss electrics...

This model was equipped with a 650cc engine and not exactly what I had in mind for two-up touring. We have a 1,500 foot elevation change here in San Luis Obispo and chugging up the Cuesta Grade in the truck lane on a 650 isn't too appealing.

Late to the party, but you've already found out most of the 650's ills. Don't also forget their crankshafts were notorious for snapping. Some at Soviet Steeds swear by their 650s, but most swear at them.

Ended up buying a '63 Dnepr fitted with '06 Ural engine, gearbox, driveshaft, and final drive.

'06 Urals had an airbox upgrade that made them far easier to service than my '04. I can't remember if the Herzog tranny gears started in '06 or later.

I have no way of knowing, for sure, other than what the seller told me, but he said he bought a Herzog trans from IMWA. It shifts up and down well, but I'm having trouble getting it out of reverse. Sometimes it won't even go into reverse unless I shut the engine down and bump the machine back and forth a bit. Not too comforting at this point. While the speedo (replaced) indicate 11000 K, he told me the transmission only has about 500 klics on it. Could be it njsut needs to be beaten... ahh... broken in.

Doesn't seem to be too much feedback on my post from the Tovarishchi over at Soviet Steeds...

I'll post some pics shortly.

If the tranny only has 50 klicks or so on it, the finicky reverse could just be a break-in issue. I don't remember any adjustments to the reverse lever. Mine has balked once in a great while about going into reverse, but like you said moving the bike around a bit solves the problem.

I've logged about two hundred miles so far. Some issues to sort out. The first one was almost two inches of toe-OUT; that remedied most of the wobble and pull to the right.

The sticky wicket right now is a noise that sounds like tire-rubbing-on-fender in right turns.

The "clocking" of the toe/heel shifter is problematic. I'm tall and have to perch on the back of the saddle so using my heel is difficult. I may have it rotated too far down (the toe end).