When last we checked in on Ural, the brand was moving from Russia to Kazakhstan in a bid to avoid the Russo-Ukranian War; now, after a good decade of slow-and-steady tweaking, their updated engine is ready to wow our industry.
According to the report from MCN, Ural’s beloved horizontally-opposed, 745cc air-cooled flat-twin now shows off a new camshaft, roller tappet and rocker arm mechanism – all displaying improved alloying, casting, and tighter component tolerances.
Gone is Ural’s cork-based gaskets; now, a reusable rubberized unit makes longevity of installation a breeze, with extra hours spent addressing “every possible source of oil leakage,” including the rear bearing housing “which now features a machined groove and rubber seal.”
New tooling also renders a better-fitting rear cam bearing – a big change, considering production streamlining can be a tad tricky when working with a product line as intimate as Ural’s.
“With previous engines, the tolerances were so inconsistent between production runs that only parts engineered specifically for that batch would fit,” agrees MCN.
“An example… the timing gear center-to-center distances could be slightly off, resulting in different numbered timing gear sets specific to that engine’s tolerances.”
“Now, Ural produce[s] just one set, saving time, money, and frustration, should you ever need to replace it.”
Joining the new flat-twin is a new 2WD constant velocity sidecar joint that will purportedly take less time in maintenance and provide more punch than her predecessor.
Bottom line, Ural’s knocked their new heart out of the park, and we’re excited to see what the brand gets up to in the coming seasons.
What do you think of Ural’s new flat twin?