More on the Dnepr

 

The person I bought it from was the 2nd owner; he had it for about
5 years; in a garage I believe. When he got it the sidecar was still
brand new in a packing crate. The bike was built circa 1985 and
the original owner put only about 750 km on it. He kept it stored
in a barn for approx 20 years. I don't know what, if any, storage
maintenance he did.

There's now 3600 km on the clock, mostly from the 2nd owner, who
doesn't believe there could be anything seriously wrong on a machine
so new... except in a way it's both old and new at the same time.

There were some quality control problems on Dneprs built for
the civilian market, but he told me this one was built
to Red Army specs.

My mechanic friend has heard the jangling sound and says it can't
be piston slap, wrist pin or bearing problems, all of which have
deeper sounds. However he said check the torque on the cylinder
bolts if the bike is so recently broken in (jangle or no jangle).
I don't know when they were last checked so I suppose it's
a good time to get a torque wrench.

The electrical generation seems a bit weak. With the motor
not running the battery voltage read 11.85; when I revved it up
the voltage rose to 12.8. When the rain lets up I'll take some
more tools to the thing.

I just saw a documentary on the History Channel about the Battle
of Kursk. Both sides had sidecar rigs looking a lot like mine
(and Marshal Zhukov had more to worry about than jangling noises
on someone's boxer engine).

SQ

 

Ps. I removed two of the mounting screws on the floor of the sidecar
so that rainwater could drain. Even with a cover some water gets in.

SQ

 



The battery is probably old and sulfated.

You're not thinking about touring in the USA on that Diaper, are you?

It would be too slow for American highways, you'd always have a line
of impatient drivers behind you.

 

Mount one of these on the front of the sidecar and no one will
complain about hoe slow you're running.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PK_machine_gun

 


If you cannot drive 10~15 mph over the speed limit in California,
you'll have a line of cars furiously riding your ass, even on 2-lane
roads where the speed limit is only 55 mph.

Those Russian sidecar rigs will only go about 65 mph top speed and
that's too damned slow for California drivers.

I could have picked up a nearly new Ural rig for only $5000 two years
ago, but I know how people drive around here.