Technology - has it taken over?

[98tls]

The house I grew up in was 101D... long short short. The neighbour was 101S... short short short. The only bits of Morse code I know by heart.

Imagine up to 26 homes sharing the same phone and only one house be able to use it at a time. Imagine if they all had teenage daughters!

(Mmmmm teenage daughters.... )

Sounds like a place down the line,Palmerston its called from memory though i think theres 34 houses down there.

[dipshit]

And look at us now... connected constantly on broadband chatting up teenage daughters around the world in a flash.

Ain't technology grand!

[98tls]

And look at us now... connected constantly on broadband chatting up teenage daughters around the world in a flash.

Ain't technology grand!

Indeed.I am particularly fond of the emails from Nigeria offering not only wealth but a housekeeper to boot.

[toycollector10]

I'm no Luddite. Got my son an iPhone for his birthday the other week, and recently got my daughter an iPod for hers, was dead chuffed when the family clubbed together and bought me an iPad for father’s day. Got my wife an iRon for her birthday, it was around then the fight started …

[toycollector10]

But seriously ffolks, I'm a member of the Classic Japanese Motorcycle Group. We source, restore and ride pre 1980's bikes. It's very rewarding to bring life back to a bike that has been given up on. It kind of bonds you to the bike in a zen like way that I don't think you can get by rocking on up to your local dealer with a wad of cash.

That's not to say I've never bought a new bike, that's a very cool experience too. but who's going to be restoring the wiring harness out of a 2008 Hayabusa in 30 years time? Or able to do it without specialist knowledge, tools and spares?

Each to their own.

[Voltaire]

Technology......
reminds me of when I used to get:
" points ignition...rubbish...you get a better spark with a magneto"
" Manual advance is what sports bikes have...only tourers have auto advance"
" Electric start...thats for girls"
" Mono shock....Vincent invented that in the 30's"
" 4 valves per cylinder...Rudge did that in the 30's"
....and so on. ( sounds like Ixion...)
I do like the hydraulic clutch on my 900ss...the gearbox that can actually find neutral..and the light that comes on when you have bugger all fuel left......

[AllanB]

Funny thing - after earlier posting about the wonders of my modern motor I've just been reading about the possibility of the new 2011 ZX10Rrrrr thingy having a true big-bang crank and requiring a fancy hi-tech electric motor on the crank to spin it during the big gap in spark firing so the engine does not self stall at lower speeds.

All very super-tech but sheezzz an electric motor to keep your mega-tech petrol engine from stalling.

It appears I do have an acceptance level on technology.

[Voltaire]

the Holy Grail of parallel twin design...the vibration free motor....

...... the BMW 800 twin with three conrods....

[bogan]

Funny thing - after earlier posting about the wonders of my modern motor I've just been reading about the possibility of the new 2011 ZX10Rrrrr thingy having a true big-bang crank and requiring a fancy hi-tech electric motor on the crank to spin it during the big gap in spark firing so the engine does not self stall at lower speeds.

All very super-tech but sheezzz an electric motor to keep your mega-tech petrol engine from stalling.

It appears I do have an acceptance level on technology.

so they stick a motor next to the stator or something? if they use the stator as a motor breifly i can go along with that, but an extra motor seems excessive.

the Holy Grail of parallel twin design...the vibration free motor....

...... the BMW 800 twin with three conrods....

hmmm, how the fuck do they manage that? can see how they would do it with a flat twin, but parallel is inline init?

[miloking]

I was surfing through a thread on big Hondas and loving the trip down memory lane. Bikes from the eighties are just so cool.

I have spent too much time on TradeMe looking at bikes I'll never buy, but one thing struck me. Have we been overtaken by the technology?

My personal bike is a 1999 model, and part of the attraction is that I can work on it myself easily, it's fairly simple. There is a world of information and lots of blogs about things I can do to it.

Thing is, if I owned a brand new 1000cc fire breathing rocket ship of pretty much any brand, I wouldn't know where to find the spark plugs, let alone change them. Holy cow, the hi-tech thing has just gone mad on bikes. I'd be having to take it back to the dealer just to do basic things.

I'm getting old chaps (and chapettes), as I long for the days of simplicity, not increasing technology.

Am I alone in this?

My 2006 CBR is the newest bike i've ever had and its pretty simple to work on....but not sure about realy new bikes but i reckon with workshop manual at hand, right tools and some basic skills you can work on any bike.

[Big Dave]

My personal taste says that motorcycles are enhanced by what you take off them.

[Swoop]

... you had to wind a crank on the side to get the exchange to answer, then get them to connect your call for you.

Attachment 214402

That appears to be the precursor to the Tell-lie-con XT network.



No! Hang on. The crank system was FAR more reliable!

[george formby]

I must admit to marveling at the world we live in, technology is giving us a lot of hassle free pleasure. I can remember my dad spending his evenings in a freezing cold shed trying to keep his bikes & the family car on the road, skinned knuckles & permanently dirty hands. My bike gets basic maintenance & just goes, no fiddling out of necessity.
Apart from the main stream technotractionwizzbangery which is now selling bikes a lot of niche bike builders are using the latest technology to build some stunning & simple bikes.
The new norton looks the dogs danglies, I would love a shot on a new triumph scrambler & I really hope that Mac motorcycles in the UK can move forward with their range of singles now that Buell is defunct. They were going to use the Buell blast motor...... (see avatar)
Just below the main stream is a lot of innovation based on old values of simplicty & good engineering + modern reliability & safety. This is a good time to ride bikes, never have their been so many bikes to choose from ( by so few riders...) Until tomorrow of course.

[gatch]

http://www.depot4motorcycles.co.nz

CV carbs are about as complicated an item as I desire in a bike.

If I can't fix it or make a better bit myself I don't want to know. (For now of course, in future I may decide riding a computer sounds like fun.)

[rok-the-boat]

I have little time for new technology. My mate bought a Z1100 with electronic ignition when it first came out and I said he was stupid. I was right, it bust a few months later - luckily the warranty paid, but I wouldn't go near such secondhand, not a chance. Give me a carb to rebuild anyday, and even then, for an oldie ... a normal type - non-diaphram - is far superior, like, have you checked out the price of a new diaphram!!!

Keep it simple, stupid.