Chang Jiang? Chang Yiang? whatever!

While searching on the Internet under this historic brand ... you will come across very little about the OHVs. The sites of Ben van Helden and ours stand out the most. And that is strange for such a big brand. On the other hand, the entire production - which was a lot of units - was intended for the home market, for the government and the civil service. We will look further via Google Translate. Quite fun to walk off the beaten track. Even if a reader responds with 'No Chinese please'. Because we can no longer ignore China. Benelli is now a Chinese brand, BMW gets engine blocks from it and a Harley is also more Chinese than many people think. And that all started once.

Some people flit from one relationship to another

Some people buy up to a new motorcycle every two years. Well… if they like it. I myself have little or nothing to do with young girls and new bikes. And I blocked the publicity messages from Harley-Davidson because of that brand only the name remains as 'Unique Selling Point'.

Ben van Helden from Zeist is not only the boss of a goldsmith training course

He also has a thing for marginal motorcycles. Ben had had a Chang like that too. And he writes about that on his site. So Ben was also contacted. Then an email comes from Genemuiden. Richard Busweiler has been working with Urals and Dneprs for 22 years. From 'behind his house' via first one, then two containers and now in a neat hall. Recently, Richard even became the Only Genuine Ural dealer in the Netherlands. New Urals are in accordance with Euro 5 and cost much more than the approx. € 2.500-3.500 for a neat OHV tricycle. But they come with working brakes and a two-year warranty. And apparently it is very easy to find customers for it. Richard emailed me a picture of two wheels and a buddy. He once had such a Chang OHV as a shop daughter. Standing for a very long time. The thing, put together lovingly in China, had the nickname 'Ugly' within the company. Richard had successfully repressed what had eventually happened to it.

Just as good acquaintances among themselves

But as a loyal customer and longtime friend, I was allowed to have the Chinese wheels and the buddy. And a set of correct carburettors whose flanges only need to be flattened. A hardy disk and some other small items came from the bins with used Russian stuff. And that all fits together perfectly. An excursion to Genemuiden was still on the agenda and friend and photographer Jan Eggink went along. Because when the publicity bomb about the new Urals soon breaks out, having a good photographer on hand who does not charge € 100 per hour is very nice for a small entrepreneur. The shopping list for the Ural was completed and Richard was surprised to find a whole new Chang Jiang wire harness.

Sidecar excursions in Arnhem

In the meantime, someone else came in who, in Arnhem (I live nearby), is the operator of Arnhem Sidecar Tours. The owner is also all staff and he organizes excursions where the tourist can have a cup of coffee. And of course Bart drives Russian. A perfectly restored side valve is just as usable as an old Mercedes diesel.

With some intermediate run-up, time passed very quickly

The booty was loaded. It was too late and too wet to eat another fish in Kampen. But that will come again next time. In the meantime I now have 3 Chang buddies and four wheels ...

Chang Jiang will be fine. Now first prepare the wiring of the Ural. But whether that will work? The weather is nice. And then like-minded people usually come along. That's the plague on productivity. But cozy. After all, it is not an accepted work.

Let's go back to the former Soviet Union

Nice to read: Mit Hammer und Schlussel, Nothing is true and everything is possible, From Baku to Batumi and Vals flat in the Urals.

Also read:
- Margin Life: A Chang OHV column
- BMW vs Chang Jiang: Almost everything fits
- More about classic engines