Aye and amen.
Not too long ago a friend of mine bought an "antique" Saab (his passion) and brought it over for me to test-drive.
It was so awesome to drive a completely mechanical car again.
I'd almost forgotten.
There really is something about the purr of a 60-70's era car. The riding-on-air feeling of old Caddies and Lincolns. The front end lift when you mash the throttle big block Dodge. The growl when the secondaries kick open on the old 4 barrel carbs...
There is no replacement for displacement .......
I will definitely send you some sauce.......and that machine that has traveled around the world to you....and then came back to me.
It is here...with your name on it......I just need to get my shit together and send it.
I go out for a ride on a Ducati 900SL once in a while, a 93 model but still a dinosaur mechanically. Air cooled, two valves per cylinder (or in Dicatispeak, Desmodue) and carburetors. It has a dry clutch under a vented cover that sounds like something badly broken, unless you know what a dry clutch sounds like, in which case it sounds like magic. It's simple and tidy. I can park that bike and have the crankshaft in my hand in 45 minutes, and an hour and a half later have it all back together again (with no "extra" parts). No black box.
The noises and pulses of the riding experience are so different from most "modern" mechanical conveyances. It works quite perfectly when operated properly and rewards a skilled hand. You can tell from a mile away if the person riding it knows how to ride or not. I love it.
Thanks for your comment. I know the desire for swords and the fascination with their manufacture well. Yataiki was a most special and uniquely talented person. He would have enjoyed your enthusiasm a great deal, as he did mine.
