RichMaund Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 Folks I know it's off topic, but I know many of you are curious as to the old Ural I ride. I just got it back together after all the custom work I did to it this winter. That 7.5 gallon tank took 30 hours alone to "Frankenstein" together from a new Chinese made Police tank! It's now a mix of my own parts, Chinese Chaing Yaing parts, Dnepr stuff and of course Ural and Sputnik! If you like ethnic diversity, you'll love this bike. I still need to build the canvas tonneau and reupholster the seat in gray, but that'll come as I have time. So, what do you all think of my handiwork on my "work bike"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichMaund Posted June 4, 2003 Author Share Posted June 4, 2003 Here's one of the tank itself. It's the centerpiece of the bike and is beautiful as it is practical! I do "true" custom work! Custom ain't supposed to come from a catalog! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_roethlisberger Posted June 4, 2003 Share Posted June 4, 2003 ..that's really cool. I want one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest russ Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 Rich, Very cool! I'll forward a pic to Sam and let him drool about what his Ural could be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jaap Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 So that's what a Russian SUV looks like! Love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al_roethlisberger Posted June 5, 2003 Share Posted June 5, 2003 ...indeed, again great work Rich We should get Rich to build "custom" 7 Gallon steel tanks for the V11. I think it'd sell like "hotcakes"... but you'd probably have to remove the airbox to get the extra volume... and/or expand front of the tank up into the fairing where it's currently more "pointy". That'd be the only way to keep the stock shape and get much more volume. al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX REDNECK (R.I.P.) Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 Now Rich can we get you to make a half bra for the v11 tank. As a Tx Redneck you know that I always wear my big cowboy belt buckle and it's always scratching my tank,besides I always tell anybody that will listen to me how famous you are. Did ya'll know that Rich once made a custom wheel chair seat for Raymond Burr. You know that ironsides fellar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jaap Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 Even I remember Ironside. He always drank Dutch beer (Grolsch, brewed in my part of Holland) at the end of an episode. Rich, so we can say that you rebuild/make seats for everything that has wheels? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichMaund Posted June 6, 2003 Author Share Posted June 6, 2003 Hold it guys! Slow down now! Tank bras? No good way to attach them under the tank. Even my best industrial self stick Velcro will soften and pull free with engine heat to soften it. Not buildable with the materials available to me. Raymond Burr? Before my time. MANY projects aren't buildable. That is reality. I once had a customer here who told he wanted his seat thicker, but lower. I started to laugh thinking he was joking. He wasn't! I asked him what part of the bike he wanted cut off with a torch to make it happen. Eventually we parted on poor terms, but it was an interesting conversation. Another customer had a Yamaha 535 cruiser. He was a huge man. Built like a very tall bear. He pointed to the passenger seat and said he wanted me to move him back there. So I took the keys out of the bike and handed them to his lady friend and told her "Here, you're driving now." That solution didn't go over very well either. The customer doesn't always know best and isn't always right. Often, they are ignorant and shallow. They are paying me for my experience and knowledge of what can and can't be done for a seat. I had a guy pick up a K bike seat here last night. As he sat down to ride off he yelled out as though he had a orgasm! That was kind of embarrassing as my son was there in the shop as well. After he rode off, my son dryly commented "So, do you think he liked it?". My kid is as facetious as his old man! THAT project was buildable and apparently exceeded customer expectations! As a rule, I only tackle the jobs that I know I can nail the first time up. You have to meet or exceed expectations to stay in business. That calls for good materials, design and craftsmanship on my part as well as customers with good ideas and specific specs that I can meet. (That's why I weed out the squirrely customers.) You can't build them all. You CAN build the good projects that come along. Save the experiments for yourself and close friends who don't get mad at you if they fail! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrt Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 As a Tx Redneck you know that I always wear my big cowboy belt buckle and it's always scratching my tank, Hey Tex, Why not get one of those sticky tank/crotch protectors? Or,even better, if you put a tank bag on, it'll protect the back of the tank, plus you can carry a six-pack. Cheers, Jason (displaced Texan, but I feel your pain ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TX REDNECK (R.I.P.) Posted June 6, 2003 Share Posted June 6, 2003 Jason are you married to Miss Cleo? ... cause I was just thinking about where I was gonna put my cup holders and my 8 track player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichMaund Posted June 6, 2003 Author Share Posted June 6, 2003 Jason's right about the tank protectors. That's what I use. Mine is from Lockhart. Looks like a slice off a Pirrelli tire! Attached with double sided foam tape. Does a fine job and still looks new 2 years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrt Posted June 7, 2003 Share Posted June 7, 2003 Jason are you married to Miss Cleo? ... cause I was just thinking about where I was gonna put my cup holders and my 8 track player. Cash only, please. IRS wants too much from the checks. Cheers, Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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