Redeeming a Wasted Motor through Photoshop

My wife had an '09 V-Star 950 for about two years. She got rid of it because it turned about as quickly as a battleship, and the handling was just...weird. But over the weekend we were talking about how much we'd liked the motor — smooth, silky clutch, spot-on EFI mapping, not a ton of power but very fun. She said she wished Yamaha put that motor in a frame more like her current W650.

Well, I mashed up a quickie slapchop of a V-Star 950 and an XS11 to see what an "XStar 950" might look like. Useless, but entertaining, so I figured I'd share it here. Don't look too closely, though. There are a few little of problems with the details...such the fact that the rider has nowhere to put his feet!

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Yamaha had some real classy looking bikes back in the day and IMO they and the other big 4 are missing the retro theme by copying others bikes/designs and not their own.

Why they don't have a RD/RZ400 Daytona Special themed 300-500cc, a XV(was that the euro styled V twin sporty bike?)920 and a early DT250/400 style enduro is a mystery to me.

Nice work! Swap the air cleaner cover out for something more conventional, and that's a way-cool standard. Or better yet, develop the bike, leave the airbox cover as-is, and then sell a ridiculously overpriced normal-looking one as an option.

Shh....


You're letting all of Harley's secrets out.

...but desperately in need of an 18" rear wheel.

Ever seen a Carberry Enfield?

Yes, a very neat bike, but not exactly the sort of low hassle, low maintenance ownership experience as a V-Star 950.

Looks like the Yamaha XV920RH from the early '80s...only better.
I almost bought a new one ...enclosed chain...BTW
Ended uo getting a new 1983 Honda CX 650E instead.

I rode a Honda 1800? V-twin once and really enjoyed the engine. But the handling and seating position were wonky. A good running V-twin in a standard chassis with good suspension would be great fun to ride. Kinda like my 1K VStrom, but better looking.

Yamaha brought out the BT1100 Bulldog about 10 years ago.

Vstar 1100 motor, shaft drive, 17" wheels, 20lt tank.

I thought it seemed like a pretty decent allrounder, a Yamaha rep. here in Oz told me they were going to bring it in, didn't happen though. I liked the look of it too, but it didn't sell.

Better ?

Entirely subjective. But I'm prejudiced toward the XV920.

Another lack of follow through for Harley. They sure did build some cool prototypes back in the day.

They did follow through...development continued and it eventually morphed into the V-Rod.

Um...no.
That Sporty concept was made in 1975. The V Rod didn't hit the street until 26 years later AND was the result of the VR1000 race bike program and Prosche engineering (in a nutshell.)

Did some digging: you're 100% correct, and I'm dead wrong.
I seen that photo before and always assumed that was another of the early Porsche motor designs.
That's what I get for not checking my facts first.

No problem that OHC motor was well ahead of the curve for 1975. Kinda makes you wonder don't it?

I did have an XLCR Cafe Sportster made in '77 which was pretty radical for Harley at the time. So radical in fact that it was a total sales flop. To the point that Harley eventually removed the unsold ones from the sales floors and put them back together as stock Sportsters.

I liked it, for a Harley. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...WHCUPixFYO-8ATnioHgAQ&ved=0CDAQ9QEwAA&dur=638