Click the "Flying-D" to see a really cool "Flying-D"
| Bike | Rider | Description (click any thumbnail for bigger pic) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 Buell Ulysses XB12X | Dr. Greg |
See, it all started when I was following Chick (of Chick's
H-D/Buell) on NM 152 on the first day of the 2005 Buell Rally.
He was on the new Buell Ulysses XB12X (Erik Buell's new
"Adventure Sport" bike...I couldn't keep up with the guy! Then
I sat on it; wow, what a luxo-barge! I had to have one! I'm
tired of visiting my chiropractor every month because of
sportbike
riding positions! Well, Chick made me a deal I couldn't refuse,
and this Ulysses is absolutely the best motorcycle I have
ever ridden! This is the only bike I've ever owned on
which I intend to change absolutely nothing...except the
handgrips. As of 1/30/08: 42,000 miles and still bulletproof!
Even on the odd dual sport ride... UPDATE: Totaled
the Uly on a deer at 55,400 miles!! Replaced him with another '06 Uly, this
time it's ORANGE! (also Dr. Greg's beard)
|
| 2003 Buell Firebolt XB9R | Dr. Greg |
Even before the Aprilia Mille caught my eye, I saw a "preview"
of the Buell Firebolt. WOW!! But...it has a Harley
engine; that'll never last when used like a sportbike! Then
---after buying (and loving) the Aprilia---my local Buell dealer
(Chick's H-D/Buell) gave me a test ride (back-to-back with
the Mille). I felt more confident and was faster on the
Firebolt...so I bought one! THIS is the bike that was built for
Dr. Greg! A perfect fit! And so what if it's underpowered...
this bike was built for the corners! And (so far) it has been
absolutely BULLETPROOF...way to go Erik (Buell)!
|
| 2000 Aprilia RSV Mille | Dr. Greg |
While I was washing the Ducati, I got to thinking...
"I am too familiar with this bike." Even though
I'd never sell it, I wanted something new... Hmmm, I recalled
the gorgeous Aprilia Mille I saw at the Aprilia display at
Laguna Seca in '99. Aha, the local dealer had an '00 Mille
on the floor, and now it's mine. The smoothest, strongest
998cc V-twin in the business. Fuel-injected, smooth (two
counter-rotating balance shafts), 68HC11 ECM (same CPU
used in my microcomputer course), great handling, and
waaay more
comfortable than its chief rival, the Ducati 996/998. My son
Paul now rides the Ducati. For a view of an absolute
killer engine, click the thumbnail image!
|
| 2000 Aprilia RS50 | Mark Starr (19-year old son) |
Well, it was taking longer than we thought to get the
'84 Yamaha RZ350 fixed up for Mark, so I broke down and
got him a super-cool Aprilia RS50 race replica. It's a full-size
bike (17-inch wheels and all) but with a Minarelli 50cc engine.
Didn't take us long to put on a KRD 70cc cylinder and 13:1 piston,
Keihin 24mm flatslide carb, and trick carbon fiber Arrow pipe.
Now it sounds like an honest racebike, and it'll do about 75 mph.
|
| 1992 DUCATI 900SS | Paul Starr (25-year old son) |
The 1992 900SS is the prettiest bike around...
and you can see
the engine! Perfect for a mechanical engineer!
Best sounding, best looking, best handling late-model
sportbike on the road...and you can quote me! If you
want to see a closeup of a 2-valve Ducati desmo head,
just click the thumbnail image...I pull the heads off
every year or so to when I check belts, check valves,
etc. Not a bad lookin' head for 25,000 miles!
If you want to take a more detailed look at the
Great Annual Ducati Teardown
feel free...there's about 129K worth of images, so maybe
you should think twice! NEWSFLASH!! The 900SS is
down with a disintegrated left main bearing. No worries,
it'll rise again! NEW NEWSFLASH!!! The Ducati has
risen...whoom-bah, whooom-baaah!!
|
| 2000 KAWASAKI KLX300R | Dr. Greg |
This DOHC 4-stroke playbike is the perfect dirt bike for me...just
enough power, great handling, and LIGHT (231 lb). And with the Big
Gun exhaust it sounds pretty good, too! This is the first dirt bike I
ever bought new; after all the wrenching on the used bikes it's a
nice change. P.S. This thumbnail image really looks bad after I
compressed it; I'll redo it, I promise.
|
| 1986 HONDA VFR750 Interceptor | Nobody, but Mark is eyeing it |
This bike is the best-sounding (I've got this thing about sound!)
V-4 on the street, with that
180-degree crank. AMA Superbike champ 1988-89, ridden by
Bubba Shobert (before his career-ending injury at Laguna Seca:-(
Late Braking News: Keith let a low-life friend of his ride it, and
you guessed it...it's down for a while. Unfortunately the friend
was OK.
|
| 1993 KAWASAKI KX80 | Mark Starr |
We bought this KX for Mark, and the darn guy is fast enough
to break his arm on it! But at 15 you heal fast.
When it gets on the pipe, look
out! The highest power/weight ratio of all the KX series...
I won't come near it ;-)
|
| 1985 YAMAHA RZ350 | Dr. Greg and Mark (when they get it running!) |
Last street-legal 2-stroke road bike sold in the U.S., the RZ is
a classic. This one was wrecked, but we're gonna fix it up, and
it's gonna look great! And it's gonna be fast, and noisy,
and I've almost got all the parts, and...WAIT!! Update as of
June 22, 1997...I've started working on the RZ! YES!!
|
| 1998 YAMAHA RT-100 | Jeff Starr (13-year old son) | Jeff got a new bike! He outgrew the XR50, so we got him a Yamaha TTR-90E (electric start). Sometimes in the woods I envy his "magic button." No picture yet. UPDATE: Jeff now owns a 1998 Yamaha RT-100...a 2-stroke...I like 2-strokes... |
To talk about Motorcycles,
send me some mail at
starr@unm.edu
If you like this cool Ducati belt buckle, click the image to
find out how to
get one of your very own!
