New shock options for the ural

Hello all,
I am in the midst of designing rebuildable shocks for the URAL. My suspension company, Monster Performance, is out of New York, USA. We specialize in snowmobile and atv shock service & repair. We are a leading service center in the U.S. and Canada for servicing shocks on sleds, atv and some dirtbikes. We are a FOX, ELKA, and ZBROZ dealer as well! Please feel free to look us up on the various sled and atv forums!

We have some shock prototypes built already but have limited access to URAL's here in the northeast. I have a friend with one nearby but there are variances that I cannot assertain without the feedback from customers.

The units will all be rebuildable and valved to the riders needs. The shocks will be serviceable by the owner with basic tools and our step by step procedures. Of course we want you to send them to us here in New York but people overseas may not be able to do so, we understand.

FEATURES
*1/2" shafts with possibility of 5/8" on sidecar shock
*wide range of spring preload adjustability on a threaded body
*optional remote resevoir compression adjustability on sidecar and rear of bike
*possibility of dual stage springs for rear of bike and side car. this stacked spring combo is very popular on snowmobiles and atv's
*LIFETIME WARRANTY on shock against defect
*lightweight bodies, reuse stock springs in some cases to reduce cost
*IFP design versus emuslion design. seperating nitrogen charge VS mixing them is a great benefit for the owner

WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
*your year, model, CC size and trim info?
*any pertinent shock info, sizing, etc you have found
*specific measurements as follows
**shock eye width, top or bottom fork, eyelet ID, thru mole in MM and bolt diameter
*fork ID in MM preferably
*physical shaft coming out of body w/o bump stop and with bump stop, do not include eyelet profile heigth
*eyelet total heigth, spherical end. top to where the shaft and eyelet meet
*spring freelength if you happen to have it off the machine, ID of both ends too

We appreciate any info certain people can provide and will reward them with deep discounts on our shocks or parts needed. We want to compare your specs to ours so far to assure fitment and options available.

Thank you!

Ian Monster Performance

please also let me know what you think would improve your ride! I have found thus far that more rebound dampening in the fronts and a more progressively stiff compression dampening in the rear works well.

we all "feel" our machines differently, hence rider specific valving in all of our setups. I'll admit, I am well versed on atv-sled setups but learning a bit on the urals. My experience with shocks however will naturally cross over into the URAL and the finished product will be worth it!

Ian

Are you looking for people in the North east to test your shocks?

I am in Maine and ride a 1995 Ural Sportsman. I commute to work and back everyday on my rig , and plan to all winter long, as its my only vehicle!

I'm not afraid to abuse my rig , I do ride off road a bit , quite a bit of dirt road riding.

So if you are looking for a test rig up here please let me know.

Before you go spending a lot of time and money developing shocks for Urals (and Dneprs) be aware that Ural owners are "frugal" (tight as a fish's arsehole). Read this post on SS http://www.sovietsteeds.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=25638
Unless your shocks come in at $150 each, you won't find much of a market.

Perhaps some riders are more demanding of their suspension. My BRO's GU-11 seem to be fine for us. But not saying there is no room for improvement, but at this time we just are not displeased w/ our Russian equipment.

guys,
I appreciate your feedback. I realize that some people will not upgrad etheir suspension, they choose to ride it as is which on smooth surfaces is OK. I have many sled and atv guys in a similar boat who choose to invest in a better ride and few are regretfull they did. To eah their own, thats OK!


gr8lite,
I have a few newer ural tesy guys, your 95 though is appealing, we should talk more when the time comes. I have many sled customers in maine, sponsor team maine adventure sled racing too for years now, we probably have freinds in common somewhere! I'll be in touch over the winter, maybe january sometime

ian

While that's true, I do think much of the resistance comes from ignorance. When you haven't actually tried good shocks it's very easy to accept what you have as quite ok.

Few people who have tried good shocks would go back but they are an 'unseen' improvement which don't score points for bling value.

Ian:

I'm in Owego and you've worked on my sled shocks in the past. My 07 Gear Up is available to you if you need it.

BTW...Ian knows his stuff, guys....he can get it done.

Yep, that describes me to a T. But I'm not frugal, I'm just flat out broke most of the time.

Making stuff for the Ural is making something for a fringe market. A market, like what you said, that generally doesn't come across as being open to dropping thousands of dollars for motorcycle stuff.

I'll use myself as an example - I'm generally broke and don't have a lot of expendable income. I'm coming into some money and that's how I'm going to be able to get my Ural. But after that, while I'll be able to keep up with what needs to be done to the bike (maintenance, etc.), I'm not going to have the cash to drop on high end shocks or other high end mods (that recent pop top thing that someone made that's around $1000 comes to mind as well).

I think the other thing along with the frugal angle is that the Urals are DIY bikes. Most of the people that I've been following over the years with their bikes tend to make their own stuff or modify stuff to fit. Most people don't seem to be concerned with the outward appearance of the bikes, they want them practical (hence the word "wash" being a bad word on Soviet Steeds). I plan on being the same way - I'm going to make do with the stock set up and when I can, I'm going to do my own mods to it.

I'm not knocking the company or anyone else who wants to make stuff for the Ural, it's a good thing. It's just that many of the things that I see that are somewhat interesting also tend to be fairly expensive and out of my reach (and probably several others).

Just me mind you

I ride a Ural and I'd LOVE a better suspension setup! Especially for off-road riding. I'm not in the NE, but I'll be watching closely for when you get something to market.

Hi, I think that what would be most useful would be a system where the sidecar spring was easily adjustable in all 3 normal ways so that the rider could set up the rig to deal with the current sidecar load. With nothing in the hack the sidecar bounces too much and unsettles the whole rig. This is just a fact of life with rigs, but if they could be adjusted easily or precisely to bounce less then I think more people would be interested.

So long as you give Ural riders something else to fiddle with endlessly then they'll probably embrace it wholeheartedly, especially when the more vocal members of the community start talking about how great their hack rides now that they have new suspension

Ian I am up her einthe the "Great White North" Near Toronto Now. I would definatly consider some upgrades tot eh suspension. I took min eot the Arctic fully loaded two years ago and half the trip on Gravel. Damm some better control may have been a blessing. Let me know what you need and how we can go about it?

I will certainly help to get aq better ride. Cheers

Have you set a price yet?

Would it be possible to do a video comparing the stock shocked ural to the modified Ural running over the same terrain? Maybe an overall shot and then one of the suspension working up close? Good sales tool maybe?

Claude,

With all the digital video cameras around today that should be easy for someone to do. Just find a spot to use a suction cup mount on the side of the body with a good view of the suspension and hit you local bumpy road. Also maybe a shot of say a bowl of water sitting on the floor of the sidecar.

I know the difference in the ride of the old Friendship II and the Hannigan was very obvious the first pot hole I hit with the Hannigan. Wife turned and looked at me with a smile and thumbs up. Not saying what the response
would have been with the Friendship II

Here is JackP525's rig soaking up the NJ Pine Barrens trails on the NJ Turkey Leftovers run.

His stock 2006 GearUp front end with original shocks seems to be handling things just fine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qhP6YYsHQI&feature=player_detailpage#t=89s

have said it before, but I'm not sure exactly what a "better" shock will do for a Ural.
On a 2 wheeler, where compression and rebound are much more critical to the tracking and handling of the bike, I can see spending the loot.
But on Ural, which is heavy, cumbersome and the suspension movement doesn't change the bike's lean/direction of travel, I'm very skeptical.

Also the original poster should be posting over at Soviet Steeds and Russian Iron if he wants maximum participation and feedback.

Monster if you can come up with a better shock let me know. When I rode mine loaded to the Artic it was Ok as was expected. But while it is a serviceable ride , it is not great.. Going on the gravel over the bigger bumps she develops a wild front end wobble at times. A bit disconcerting . But hey It a Ural.

Want to come to Canada let me know. Eh! Cheers

Your logic just destroyed the entire car shock absorber market. Best you don't tell them they're wasting their time...

That video shows well what the front wheel is doing, but it doesn't give the slightest hint what the bike is doing.

Ian

How are you making out with the shocks?
Mine are all shot and need replacing..


thanks

I have a 2016 Ural Gear Up . I've been researching and looking for shocks the past few weeks the only thing I come up with is a brand called Hagon road. They're sold somewhere in England, they sell all five for a total of about $650. I haven't heard many reviews on them, some people said they were pretty good but they never said what kind of riding they're doing with their new shocks. Me, I'm mostly off-road, camping exploring Arizona and other areas around my state. I'm looking for more of a soft softer shock a little more forgiving something with better rebound. Anyone have any ideas?