Moved post

Let me see if I can remedy that. So, after washing it I ran the bike for
several minutes and it ran nice and smooth. Since the wife was working and
I was home with the kids, all I could do was let it idle for a bit then ride
it into the garage.

That was yesterday, this morning I tried to start it and nothing, wouldn't
fire up. I could get it to sputter on one cylinder for a couple beats but
nothing more. I drained the left carb and the gas in the bowl looked fine,
then I drained the right one (the bike was on our slanted driveway with the
right side facing downhill) and found a little water in there, seen here as
the blob at the bottom.

So with the carbs drained I primed them and tried to fire up the bike, still
no luck. It would sputter for a bit at idle then cut out, or cut out
immediately if I tried to give it gas. Next I checked inside the air hoses
coming from the airbox, didn't look too bad, so I gave it a little wipe and
put the hoses back on. Finally I checked for spark, turns out the right was
getting spark but not the left.

With one side not getting spark the next obvious step was to pull the timing
cover off and take a look inside. I pulled it off and noticed water at the
bottom, which I was hoping the Hylomar I put on last time I was in there
would keep out the water. I wiped the obvious water out of the bottom and
tried to fire it out, no luck but I heard a crackling sound, so I looked
down into the timing area and hit the starter and saw a big spark arching
from the connector for the right side plug. Ah Ha! I wiped down the area
where the sparking was taking place and the bike fired right up with no more
arching. Here's a crude photo that's been doctored to show where the
arching was occuring.

I didn't think about it until now, but if this happens again or if it
happens because of heavy rain, I may wrap some electrical tape around those
metal bits.

I also posted this to the Russian Iron forum and got some good responses,
the most comprehensive would be this one from a gentleman named Bill, who
has 85,000 KMs on his Ural Patrol.

Those "posts" on the right and left of the coil are air gaps. There purpose
in life is to dissipate a spark that can't make it down stream (or one that
comes back) to the plug. DO NOT F*CK WITH IT. If you are using an electronic
ignition you could fry it...so "they" say. Folks will tell you the tabs
"might have got bent...make sure you have XX mm of gap". BS. Unless you
wailed away in there with a hammer or dropped the coil while it was
out...this ain't you problem.

What that "arcing" is telling you is you have some resistance between the
coil and plug. The spark can't complete the path so it jumps the air gap and
dissipates instead of potentially going to the microprocessor of your
ignition and taking it out. Same thing can happen if you remove a plug wire
while the engine is running...spark has no where to go but back up, this can
fry the ignition. For what it's worth, I've done this many, many times and
never fried a puck yet. Check coil mounting for good ground to engine, plug
wire connections at coil and cap, plug wires, cap condition and plug. Make
sure all connections are clean, dry and tight. Your problem lies in one of
those places. Yes water could be the instigator of the resistance. Once dry,
no more troubles.

Some arcing is normal as the Ural uses a wasted spark ignition and
occasionally an arc on the non firing cylinder will occur. If it looks like
a Frankenstein laboratory under the cover...it's not normal.

Mine was looking like a Frankenstein laboratory. One of the suggestions a
lot of Ural owners make is to replace the stock plug wires, assuming they're
the carbon core wires, and replace with steel or copper core plug wires.
This may be my next purchase for the bike. If you're still with me, feel

You haven't scared me off yet :-). Thanks for posting and for the links to

No problem. It's in no way all doom and gloom. This morning I had to get
to work early, so I backed the bike out of the garage at about 6:00am. The
sun was still down and there was a full moon and 2 inches of fresh powder on
the ground. No snow plows had been down my street yet and none of the
neighbors had left for work. It's a calming experience to put down a snow
covered road with no tracks in front of you. Unfortunately my street is all
too short and once I turned onto one of the busier streets there were plenty
of tracks. No snow plows had been by so the raods were completely cleared.
I putted along, keeping my pusher in the clearest path and had a great ride
in.

the pictures.

free to grab another drink.

Why not just make them, it would be much less expensive and of high
quality material I would think

Well to be honest, I've never made or disassembled a spark plug wire, so I'm
not sure what's involved. I can't image it's hard, it's just not something
I've tried before. I guess there's a first time for everything.

Piece of cake, you can use a crimp connector right.

They make a nice one specifically for doing plug wires at any decent
auto parts store I bet your Canadian tire has every you will need even
high end insulated wires and boots

(which reminds me of my tent!! I may want another so I will have to
ride to Nova Scotia to get one)
Do you know that tent manufacture only makes that style tent for
Canadian tire!!

AH #103 BS#80 FHBE#8 FLF SENS
58 FLH - 02 K1200LT - 07 GS-A
MC insurance info at www.bikershut.net

Nothing to it. Like Tom said, if you can use a crimper you can make a
spark plug wire. If you go to an auto parts store you can buy a
universal plug wire set that'll have one end already made and all you
need to do is to measure the length, cut 'em, slide the boot on, and
crimp the other end on. And you'll have four spare sets, unless you
need new wires for the Triumph.

Actually now that you say that, I do need wires for the Daytona! Looks like
I'll be hitting the auto parts store in the near future.

or it used to be!

AH #103 BS#80 FHBE#8 FLF SENS
58 FLH - 02 K1200LT - 07 GS-A
MC insurance info at www.bikershut.net

Tud,
I have been reading your posts on the moisture,mechanical and
electrical issues with this bike,particularly through the winter
months.I gotta respect your tenacity,dealing with a myriad of problems
that will probably end up being the result of a couple core problems.I
wonder if other owners are experiencing such issues from a bike that
is manufactured in a country known for its cold winters and consequent
moisture problems(?). Anyway good luck sorting it out.

Could be, there are some basics that people suggest right off the bat. A
lot of people suggest to replace the stock plug wires. Another suggestion
is lots of dielectric grease, which I've been doing. Other's still say that
the airbox design simply isn't as good as it used to be. The airbox was
part of the transmission case, which would have heated the air up before
entering the intake hoses. I'm also not sure that a lot of people around
here are using their Ural as a daily driver, some of them may sit during the
really wet days. Conditions have to be fairly specific for me to run into
what I am assuming are carb icing problems, as well as a fair amount water
required to create the arching problem I saw this weekend. I believe I've
experienced the arching problem twice while the bike was sitting in the
parking lot at work getting hammered with heavy winds and rain, and also
twice after soaking it pretty heavily while washing it.

It's not tenacity, it's fear of telling the missus she was right and that we
have to go car shopping. ;-)

HAHAHAHAHAHA Yea I understand your fear!

Good luck with that should that time arise, Please let us know where
to send flowers in advance

Tell ML we say Hello!~

AH #103 BS#80 FHBE#8 FLF SENS
58 FLH - 02 K1200LT - 07 GS-A
MC insurance info at www.bikershut.net

Maybe you're getting close to that wet weather gremlin that's been
haunting you. Plug wires are cheap and easy to build, I used to make
them for my shovel whenever I was having spark issues. No special
tools required and you can experiment with the various core types,
carbon, copper, etc., while you're at it. Good luck and please keep us
posted.