Maine ride report

[keithmaine]

So went out for a bit on Sat. met up with a couple Ural buddies and decided for a little off road adventure. It was about 1:30pm a 10 mile trek thru some well used but muddy fire roads should take us about a 45 minutes to ride until, yes that right there is always that guy that says he knows where is going, and those who just go along with him because of the "oh what the hell" attitude. Well 39 miles and 4 hours later we found our way to a labeled road. No GPS I left my new TomTom Rider home as I had not setup the mount yet. Of course no cell signal no maps on my phone had not downloaded any. So the ride had all the good features river crossing, mud holes, loose rock inclines and logging slag. The result I went down twice in thigh deep (28" or so just under airbox) water (very muddy cold water) not all the way down as luck would have it. Lost my sheep skin in the puddle so once I got out I waded back in to get it. The next puddle two Urals went in only one came out. Water up to air cleaner, I found a way around this one. So wade into puddle push, pull, you name it and the Ural was out. Full of water she was, remove spark plugs, drain water from carbs, pump water out of cylinders dry plugs. And she (the Ural) is back to life, on we ride. An hour later I am down again just cannot see those rocks under water. No damage by the way very slow soft downs they were. Later after many more mud holes, sand, and streams, we start up a long rocky hill some 1500 feet later we are on top. It is now getting dark, but wait I now have cell signal, I find a marked road only 2000 ft away. After a not too terrible 1000 ft. ride we hit a logging site, skidd'ah tracks and slag deep and muddy we only have 1000 feet to the road but we cannot see it. Off the bikes we go to scout out a way through it does not look good at all. We now have 2 choices try to get through this or turn around the way we came however that was. In my mind there was only one choice straight ahead to the finish line. I went for it and fought for every foot and made it through time for the Urals one made it through no problem the other stalled out in the mud. More lifting, pushing, pulling and he was out. Did not realize how long it can take to get just 2000 ft. It is now 5:30 pm and I am still 30 minutes from home on the road soaking wet and sweaty. It was a hell of an adventure and testament to what this little Rx3 can do (I still have the stock tires on her). Here are some photos wish I had taken more but was trying to save battery life did not take my charging cords either.