| Author | Message | ||
     Maximum |
Hey Everyone. It had been over a year since my last Uly ride due to a deployment to Afghanistan...and it felt longer than that. I was looking through the "Big, Bad & Dirty" threads the other day and was happy to see many "old" names still hear. I haven't always been the best at contributing to this site...I generally would read a lot...but only post when I have something of value to post. I tend to get bored and distracted often with my interests...although have managed to have the same wife for over 25 years! So about three years ago I switched gears a bought I car that I was attracted to...oddly enough...in 2007 while riding my Uly on the Dragon with a couple Badweb members. So on Black Friday 2011...a few months after returning from Iraq...I bought a 2005 Chyrsler Crossfire SRT6.  It is a fun little car with a supercharged AMG motor in it...but the German engineering is expensive to fix when something breaks. This deployment I started getting back into guitars. I am happy to report that as a Medevac pilot...on this deployment business was very slow. So I had lots of time to practice on my electric travel guitar...and do research on other guitar stuff. I ended up developing a strong interest in Reverend guitars. They have a Buell type story where a guy with a vision starts a company building a product in a garage...and becomes an American success story. I became a collector of Detroit built Reverend guitars! This collection covers at least one guitar for every USA production year (1997-2006).  Now this brings me to the Buell stuff. I bought my first Uly in January 2007...a 2006 leftover model...following my first Iraq deployment. Again, I had decided to get back into motorcycles after a dozen year hiatus...and did massive amounts of research. In the end my wife told me to get the Buell because of how passionately I spoke about it as compared to other bikes I was considering. That is a keeper...the woman I'm talking about! Some of you probably remember my Metamorphous posts back in the day. The 2006 Uly is still racing red...but I have since undone and redone a couple of the mods.  I purchased a new 2009 1125r during the fire sale. Way more power than I need...can't ride it near as long...but fun. I still have it...but would be the first bike I would sell. I had Vern do some ghost flames on it...which are hard to see in this picture...but it does look sweet in person!  Then in 2010 I bought a used 2008 X...which I thought my son could ride. Would have been great if he would have stopped dropping it! In 2011 I sold that bike to my brother in NJ for a $1 in order for him to enjoy some time with his kids...with the caveat that if they lost interest he would sell it back to me for a $1...he hasn't lost interest!  Just prior to selling the 2008 Uly to my brother I purchased a 2009 XT...thinking that would be a better height for my son. It was red when I bought it...but I couldn't have two red bikes...so I gave it a make over to the translucent Hero Blue. It is the "purdiest" bike I have! I think I did a full write up of this one a couple years ago.  So...a few weeks ago I took my first ride in over a year...and my point of this whole (way too long) post is this...with 8 years of ownership...and all my other toys, interests, and distractions...every time I ride my 2006 XB12X I fall in love with her all over again! To sum things up...BEST BIKE EVER! I'm happy to be home...and happy to see many "old" friends still here on BadWeb...God Bless you guys! | ||
| Tootal |
Well I can see we both have something in common, expensive hobby's!!  For those that don't know, Maximum is the reason for the production of the throttle body shafts. So all of those that have one, you can thank Maximum for starting the process of a better mouse trap. Well, him and the awesome guy from Kansas City that sent me Maximum's broken throttle body after giving his own to "help a brother out!" Enjoy your time off! | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
So where is your next ULY trip destination going to be? Or is it back to Afghanistan? Maybe another impromptu East Troy homecoming is in your future. My wife, son and I really miss those events. | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
By the way, I've always thought those Crossfires will be a collector's car. They look great. I'd probably of gotten one but it isn't a hybrid. | ||
| Maximum |
Tootal wrote: "For those that don't know, Maximum is the reason for the production of the throttle body shafts. So all of those that have one, you can thank Maximum for starting the process of a better mouse trap. Well, him and the awesome guy from Kansas City that sent me Maximum's broken throttle body after giving his own to "help a brother out!" " That was Shawn Hickey...awesome person and Buell guy! That was one of my favorite stories I ever wrote here...great example of the Buell community. I still keep an extra improved throttle body shaft on hand just in case I ever need to return the favor! Electraglider wrote: "So where is your next ULY trip destination going to be? Or is it back to Afghanistan? Maybe another impromptu East Troy homecoming is in your future. My wife, son and I really miss those events." I miss those events too...I would love to do that ride again! I might have to head west for my next trip. My friend Troy did an Arizona trip and said he traveled some amazing roads between here and there (no interstates). | ||
| Electraglider_1997 |
My older brother and I rode our bikes down to Arizona this past spring. Cold ride both ways but Phoenix had pleasant weather. | ||
| Dynasport |
Thank you for your service. Glad you are back safe and sound. Nice collection of bikes and guitars. I always wanted to learn to play the guitar and gave it a shot twice. I was terrible. My son is pretty good though and I enjoy listening to him play. So, since I can't play a guitar I enjoy cameras. Unfortunately, the budget doesn't allow me to buy them like I'd like and my wife doesn't really understand why I 'need' another camera. Oh, and guns too. Anyway, I agree, that Hero Blue XT is gorgeous. Mine is boring black, but I still LOVE it. | ||
| Court |
You should be ashamed . . . . spending so much of your attention and energy on motorcycles and guitars. Hey . . . .er, wait a minute. Never mind. Seriously . . . thank you for your service to our country. You're a hero in our eyes and I'm damn glad to have you back in the USA . . . now, bet to riding and playing guitar. Court | ||
| Gp81 |
Maximum - As a fellow vet it is great to hear that your trip was fairly uneventful. Welcome home !!!  You didn't happen to be around D2 back in the spring/summer 2011 did ya??? | ||
| Maximum |
Hey Geoff...thanks! I was based out of Al Kut, Iraq until June 2011. Flew mostly to Bahgdad and Balad. | ||
| Court |
Steve: I'm a little fuzzy on this . . . when you returned did you get to bring the helicopter or did they keep it? I'm just thinking that a Buell party, featuring a strafing run, could draw a big crowd. Court | ||
| Maximum |
We did bring Blackhawks back...although they were there for three years...so a little beat up. They will be sent to get reset (refurbished) over the next few months. But don't worry we have other hawks here that I can fly! I'm not sure if policies have changed since I left...but Flyovers were banned during that whole sequester fiasco. They used to be a lot of fun!  | ||
| Zac4mac |
Steve - welcome home!! Heard a loud rumble yesterday, so I poked my head out the back door to see a pair of Hawks fly over. Been seeing a bunch of them and big Chinooks flying around here lately. If you're around here ever, there's a field next to the shop... you're welcome to "drop in".  Z (Message edited by zac4mac on October 30, 2014) | ||
| Advoutlander |
I just got back from KAF. Where was you at? | ||
| Buelet |
Great update and enjoyed the read and photos!  Glad to hear all is well! | ||
| Maximum |
Advoutlander...I flew into KAF a couple times...but I was mostly in RC West...in Shindand. All I can say is I'm glad I'm not there now with all the bases closing...the transitions are not fun! | ||
| Ourdee |
The collector cars will be the SRT versions. The production numbers were low on them. |
