Oleg (2005 Patrol) is cold blooded. Some would say, watchyerpoint, you live on an island in Canada, but I know this is not necessary. My first bike (Crazy Ivan), a 2003 Northern Cruiser arrived with the Old Vintage Crank modifications already made. These included a re-worked breather, stiffened two wheel drive engagement rod, and re-jetted carbs. All are great mods. Thanks Ken! The only problem I have had with this bike in the first 5,000 KM was a toasted alternator. I half-expected that, and with Ken’s usual amazing service, the recommended alternator arrived and was installed without difficulty.
Oleg arrived in a snow storm - ridden by our Nova Scotia Ural dealer who was kind enough to deliver. Lutz Kottwitz of Kottwitz Werke with his wife Terry arrived at my home in a heavy snow storm. (Yes, Lutz was driving the bike, and Terry was following in the car.
The bike and Lutz’s service have been amazing. Good advice and friendship - along with a love for these quirky Russian machines. Life is good.
I quickly noticed that this was a cold blooded beast - as Lutz said, “start it up, and go get dressed - when you return, it will be ready to go.” He was right. However, I knew that re-jetting would improve this, so Lutz was kind enough to send over the required jets. (He has already changed one set, but there was another that needed to be done.)
I drove the sidecar wheel up on a ramp to give me just a little more room under the hack side and started removing the carb bowls. There was no problem in removing the bowls (gas running down your arm is good, right) and I made careful reference to this article, along with the e-mail that Lutz sent me. It has been many years since I worked inside a carb, so my pal Tom stopped by to give moral support and some good advice.
As one jet had already been changed on each carb, all I had to change was the pilot jet on each. Finding a screw driver small enough to go into the recessed jet hole was a bit of a reach, but found one in my computer tool kit bag. The size 38 came out and replaced with 45. Everything back in place - switched to prime to fill the bowls and then started. Sweet. Immediate start and no burping or sputtering with cold engine. Down the road with a smile.
Short ride to warm the beast up and back to the garage to check to see if the carbs are in balance. I use a $4 carb balancer that was made from these plans. Happily, the throttle cables were perfect, but the idle was just a bit out of balance and a little low, since jets changed. With Tom holding the tubes, and me at the idle adjustment, it was back in balance quickly.
A pot of coffee, a couple of hours of enjoyment and a better bike. Hard to argue with that.
Thanks to Ken for putting me on this path and for his always helpful advice, to Lutz for the same and for the updated jets and to Dwight Rahl for his helpful web page.
