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Submitted by Cam Kenny Trailered my Patrol up to Sault Ste. Marie on a family trip with Wilma to visit cousins. It was a difficult start as I accidentally drove the rig off the front of the trailer onto tongue. With the help of a friend and his two strong sons we got it back onto the trailer with no damage to rig but unseen damage to the hitch. We stopped in Mattawa for lunch and found the hitch sagging almost to point of dragging. A temporary fix got us to the Sault. My cousin, Brian Wilson (a BMW rider) knew a skilled welder named Casey who repaired the hitch. He also welded up an excellent rail with a front stop, which makes loading and unloading a snap to do without help. The hitch worked flawlessly on trip home. While in the Sault, Bri showed me some great roads. He went in the sidecar with me to visit Bruno Sax, north of the town of Iron Bridge. Bruno is an excellent machinist who is well known in the BMW world for his transmission and driveshaft repairs. (see http://www.brunos.us ) I had brought with me two BMW trannies, swing arm plus rear drive and driveshaft for Bruno to rebuild over the winter. He loved the purposeful look of the Ural and the simplicity of design. I am sure he would be a good resource for rebuilds/improvements similar to the BMW work he does. |
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These pictures show Brian and myself setting out for Bruno's. The vodka carton seemed a suitable carrier on a Russian bike for some of the Beemer parts. The rest are in the tub with Bri. Total weight including people that the rig was hauling was about 560lbs. Bike ran like a top at 90-100kph for the 1 1/2 hr trip each way. | ||
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Another first was the day Wilma came on a ride. Motorcycles are not her thing and in over 20 years of my riding BMWs she has never showed any interest in them. This time, however, she joined me on a 2hr trip north of the Sault up to and around the Searchmount area, including some maintenance roads up steep hills into the bush. Brian led the way on his 1100R. Ural wins again. Despite considerable initial reservations she found the trip very enjoyable, warm and comfortable despite the weather being quite cool and occasionally damp. She probably won't be a regular passenger, but it was nice to share this with her and who knows what will happen now that the ice has been broken. |
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