As promised. 878 miles over three days, most of the last 345 in the rain. The Ural never missed a beat, a few shifts maybe, but never a beat.
I left around ten Friday morning, planning to run US14 to Wisconsin, then pick up US12 in Madison to US10 and then west to Ellsworth, WI. Only problem with the plan was construction and a detour on US14 just north of Darien, WI. The detour routed me onto I-43 for 9 miles, which is no place for a Ural, but I was able to maintain 68 mph for the duration. Exited at WI140 and more civil riding. WI140 got me back to US14 and on towards Madison.
Starting mileage.
About 90 minutes north of Madison, I pulled off at the Wisconsin Veterans Memorial for a lunch break.
Several hours on US12, wresting with a strong crosswind from the east, finally got me to US10. After a pee break at the wayside by the US 53 turn off west of Osseo, WI, I was in uncharted territory. At least I hadn’t been out this way since I was about ten years old, so 53 years ago. Strum was the last place I recall being back then, so I gassed up there for the final slog, with a tailwind.
A whole slew of small towns later, I was finally in Ellsworth. Ellsworth is the home of the Cheese Curd Festival. My kind of place. And, apparently, everyone else’s. Getting through town took some time but I made it. On the west side of town, I spotted three Urals on the shoulder. I stopped and asked if this was the group I was looking for. It was, but they were stopped because one broke down. Reds’ 2013 Ural gave up its final drive, four miles from the campground.
Ouch. That bolt shouldn’t be sticking out there.
Red got a tow to the campground. More on that later.
Made it to the campground, met folks, got set up and relaxed for the rest of the day.
Camp Sore Butt.
Red is the fastest color for a Ural.
Ending mileage for the day. 357.
About the tow. Red and his rig arrived on a flatbed about dusk. A bunch of us, including a Harley rider camped near us, helped unload it. The Harley rider asked the driver if he’d ever towed a Ural before. The driver said no, but he hauled a lot of Harleys. Harley rider said “Ouch.”