Umug

[cheesy]

Or Upper Midwest Ural Gathering.

Riding up to N. Wisconsin later this morning. If I have an internet connection, I will post pics and commentary. If not, it will be Monday.

[JerryHawk250]

Have a safe trip.

[Sport Rider]

enjoy the ride!

[cheesy]

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.”

[Sport Rider]

"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.”"

[cheesy]

Saturday.
Reds’ friend arrived in the morning with a trailer to haul his rig to the Ural dealer in New Richmond, WI. Reds’ dog, Annie, supervised the tying down of her ride.


Annie protected the camp from marauding hoards and chipmunks. Annie also thinks she is a lap dog.



There were six rigs at the campground and a few more that stayed in hotels.

Lees’ Mad Max inspired Zombie Response Vehicle.


Altheas’ and Jeffs’ Russian Made’n.


This one has seen some miles.


The main plan for today is a 30 mile ride to New Richmond, WI where we will meet up at St. Croix Harley for their rally. The Harley dealer also carries Urals.

Lining up. I figured out that organizing Ural riders is like herding cats. Took almost an hour to do this.


You may have noticed this in the line up. Belongs to one of local United Side Car Association members we invited along.


We arrived at St.Croix Harley as a group, which the owner called the Russian Invasion. Mine is the one in front. It was also the oldest rig in the group.


There were a few Harley jerks but most everyone was welcoming and curious. My Illannoy plate got some raised eyebrows. This Harley/Ural dealer is a hell of a lot more helpful than my local dealer when it comes to replacement parts. I stopped at my dealer on the way up for new compliance fittings for my carbs but I was told he couldn’t get parts for older than 2010 and he wouldn’t try. I asked the parts guy at the Harley dealer and he said, “Let’s see.” Neither of us thought there was any difference between the 07 and 10 engines so he pulled one from stock and we compared. A match right down to the manufacturers embossed part number.

I had family doings in Eau Claire, so I left the rally early. Gassed up in New Richmond and headed east on US12 into a heavy headwind. Got to my Dads’ cousins 99th Birthday party a bit late but I made it.

I decided to take a more direct route back to Ellsworth. I wasn’t familiar with the route but it looked good on the map. As I’m riding along, I’m thinking that the tailwind has really helped my gas mileage. Then I think, shit, I didn’t take the petcock off of reserve when I gassed up last. Turns out there are no gas stations on this route and my jerry cans are both empty. I found out that I can get 129.4 miles to a full tank on my Ural. Too bad that was 4 miles short of the closest gas station, which was in Ellsworth.
Forlornly sitting on top of a hill, empty.


All faith in fellow bikers has been lost as at least 100 passed me without stopping. I texted Lee that I was out of gas but I wasn’t sure he was back from the rally, so I grabbed a Jerry can and started hoofing. I hadn’t walked more than a quarter mile when an old Tahoe with a young couple and three little kids pulled over. Dad hopped in the back with my can and they drove me to the gas station and back to the bike. On the way to the gas station, I spotted Lee heading out to my bike. The young couple brought me back and waited to make sure the bike started. First kick, like 99% of the time. Lee calls me a show off. I offered twenty bucks to them for their trouble and to get ice cream for the kids but they wouldn’t take. Some faith in humanity restored.
Ending mileage for the day. 176 miles.

[cheesy]

Sunday.
Although I slept like a log, I woke up with a pounding headache. No alcohol was involved. Well, some was, but not enough for a hangover. I have a mild allergy to onions and the backpackers stew I had for dinner was loaded with them. Normally I’d pop a couple of Advil before going to bed when onions are involved but didn’t that night. Popped a couple when I got up, though.

Turns out Lee and I have the same routine when camping. First ones up. Start the coffee brewing in the hope that it will be ready by the time we get back from the morning trek to the outhouse. By the time coffee was ready today, though, it started raining. I packed up all my gear, sat in my tent on my chair and watched the world go by while sipping coffee and waiting for the rain to end. It was a light rain and ended soon. Took down the tent, shook it out, packed it up, and left.
I decided to take a different route home. US63 to US61 in Red Wing, MN to US14 in La Crosse, to WI140 to WI67, bypassing I-43, to US14 to home.
Five minutes after leaving Ellsworth, it started to rain. It wasn’t bad at first, but the farther south I got, the worse it got.
I didn’t feel like breakfast before I left but was getting peckish about Wabasha. I stopped at a familiar cafe but there was a Little League tournament in town and the place was packed and understaffed. After only getting a coffee and my order taken in forty five minutes, I cancelled my order, paid for the coffee and ended up with a McDonalds sandwich in Winona.
By the time I got to Cross Plains, WI, west of Madison, the rain finally ended. I was wet in places I didn’t know I had. With the rain ending, it became a sauna and I was wearing my Aussie drover coat. I was dying.
I stopped in Evansville, WI for lunch and a cold pop. Made one more gas/pee stop in Clinton, WI then finished up at home. Where it started raining again.
Only one pic taken because of the rain. Ending mileage. 345 for the day. 848 round trip.


Next years plan is to hold the event in Appleton, WI. A lot closer to me .

[Weldangrind]

What are compliance fittings?

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

What are compliance fittings?

We’d call them carb mounts.

[Sport Rider]

the best memories are always the ones with a little adversity to them. good trip!!!

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Sport Rider

the best memories are always the ones with a little adversity to them. good trip!!!

True. You rarely remember a trip that went perfect.

[dpl096]

Nice adventure! Thanx for sharing.

[Sport Rider]

Originally Posted by cheesy

True. You rarely remember a trip that went perfect.

5 years from now, around the next road-trip campfire, it'll be "I remember that trip in 2019 when I ran outta gas in the rain?"

[Weldangrind]

Originally Posted by cheesy

True. You rarely remember a trip that went perfect.

Like Mark Twain said, the definition of humour is tragedy plus time.