Vulture

The Vulture Hover Cycle is a Terran land unit. It is essentially an armed, hovering motorcycle and is used primarily for scouting and patrol. The Vulture can reach speeds of 235 miles per hour. It is armed with a built in grenade launcher and can deploy spider mines that burrow into the ground. Jim Raynor often uses a Vulture.

History
The Vulture is normally used for scouting in the fringe worlds of the Terran Confederacy. Their hoverjets allow them to travel over any terrain without loss of speed or traction. They are not meant for combat, but are armed with grenade launchers for small, lightly armored targets.

Game Unit
In the game, Vultures are very fast moving, even more so when they get an upgrade. Their weapon deals concussive damage, so is very weak against buildings but absolutely annihilates many Zerg and Terran ground units. They can gain up to three spiders mines, which are great for guarding unclaimed expansion bases.

Most Vulture pilots appear to hold the rank of Sergeant.

The Vulture in StarCraft: Ghost
The Vulture unit in StarCraft: Ghost is still a lightly-armored fast-moving vehicle. It is armed with either an AGP-2 "Thumper" grenade launcher or a laser weapon (according to information from BlizzCon and Blizzard Entertainment's website).

Civilian Version
It's worth noting that civilian hoverbikes exist which use the same technology as the vulture. The 458 Hoverbike is an example.

Spider Mines
With the appropriate upgrade, Vultures can create three "free" Spider Mines. (The Vulture cannot create any more; to create Spider Mines, create new Vultures.)
 * Cost: 100\100
 * Researched at: Machine Shop

Spider Mines burrow themselves, in a manner similar to the Zerg. When an enemy unit approaches, the mine erupts from the ground and "runs" towards the enemy on multiple legs, breaking its cloak as it unburrows. If the Spider Mine survives to approach the enemy, it explodes, doing 125 points of damage. The amount of damage cannot be upgraded. Ground units that "float" will not trigger mines - SCVs, Drones, Probes, Archons, Dark Archons, and (surprisingly) Vultures themselves.

Upgrades

 * Vehicle Weapons
 * Vehicle Plating

Ion Thrusters
Increases Vulture speed.
 * Cost: 100\100
 * Upgraded at: Machine Shop

Quotes
"I don't have time to f**k around!"

"You keep pushing it boy, and I'll scrap you along with the aliens!"

"Whadda you want?!"

"I read ya, sir."

References/External Links

 * Underwood, Peter, Bill Roper, Chris Metzen and Jeffrey Vaughn. StarCraft (Manual). Irvine, Calif.: Blizzard Entertainment, 1998.