5 Artists On Ural Sidecars Make a Ural Walk on Water

In 2014, a two year journey on a bitch of old Ural 650 motorcycles with sidecars was started by a group of artists stitched together from all over the world. After 25,000 km of riding through Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, Siberia and Mongolia, the international artists group of five and their “bitch of Urals” have made it to Canada… and they’re going amphibian.

The team spent seven months working on their AMPHIBIOUS URAL: An old time Ural sidecar on pontoons, powered by its own motor and propeller. Before returning to Russia the team set out on a 1,600 km expedition on the Kolyma River, in Delta, British Columbia.

The coolest part isn’t necessarily that it floats, but more so that it propels itself forward. Yes, a Ural with a propeller. From Suzy:

“The Ural is shaft driven. We disconnected the final drive with the drive shaft and replaced the hardy plate (which normally sits on the gearbox) with a sprocket. From there the motion of the gearbox is directed via chain to the side of the motorcycle leading to the rear end of bike. From there using another chain and sprockets the motion is lead down to the propeller.”

At this point I just had to ask how it steers.

“The steering system is fairly simple: There is an wooden rudder behind the propeller (as usual) which is connected to the steering of the bike with two separate metal wires. the wires runs around the bike and the pontoons on pulleys and the ends are attached to the rudder and to an extending metal construction attached on the front wheel.”

Thanks again for the pics, Suzy. You can visit www.leavinghomefunktion.com and www.cominghomefunktion.com to see more, or check out our last few stories:

• 5 Artists on Ural Sidecars Riding 30,000 KM
• 5 Artists On Ural Sidecars Crossing The Road of Bones

The artists have recently launched a 2nd crowd-funding campaign on PATREON. They live under the stars, sun or rain, and their whole financial objective is to keep the engines running, and to help them to manufacture their innovative Amphibious Ural and to get through their expedition using only the bare necessities. Please consider making a donation.

*LEAVINGHOMEFUNKTION* Check out all of our posts on LEAVINGHOMEFUNKTION right here.

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