Dorsland
Bachelor Dog
- Joined
- Apr 15, 2012
- Messages
- 11,191
- Reaction score
- 1,680
- Location
- Van Daar
- Bike
- Honda CRF-1000L Africa Twin
Apropos this thread https://wilddog.net.za/forum/index.php?topic=225011.40 and Renrew's comment as per the title of this thread.....
I admit to being a bit of a techno junkie (iMac, iPad, Note 5, MacBook Air, Mavic drone, Montana 650 GPS, Wi-Fi cameras on my farm, warrawarrawarra), all with a purpose in my life. Technology must work for me, not vice versa. To tie this back to bikes: I've had 2 x 800GSs (a standard and an Adventure), not hugely hi tech but enough to keep 'n button pushing, flashing light fool like me occupied for a while. And (yes, yes, I know, never start a sentence with "and") nowhere near as hi tech as the large new bikes out there. While I enjoyed the Adventure, I soon tired of having to stop to switch on or off the ABS each time I changed from tar to gravel, or of having to change riding modes or having 3 modes of heated grips. Rider pre-flight became a pain in the butt. I was fiddling rather than getting that visceral enjoyment from riding a bike.
So after about 18 months with no bike, I bought a 660 Teneré with far less gizmos and doodads, yet with the useful tech that makes life easier, not more complicated: fuel injection, electronic instruments, effective brakes, electronic ignition, effective screen, reliable electrics, LED lighting in indicators and tail/brake light, durable and modern materials. And damn, I am enjoying this bike. I am back to riding a bike rather than piloting a computer game.
I look at the new mega bikes and their switchgear that looks like a computer keyboard, their lights like the Starship Enterprise, dash reminds me of a MIG 35 sans ejection seat and afterburner. Then I look at modern cars and compare them to my Cruiser bakkie with rubber mat, vinyl seats and lever operated heater/aircon/vent system. They have a cornucopia of acronyms: HDC, ABS, PS, EW, CC, HS, HM, 4WD, HH, A/C, ES, GPS, SatNav, Bluetooth, headrest or roof mounted DVD players, 24 Harman Kardon speakers, Apple Carplay etc.
Technology and doodads have replaced driving/riding with fiddling.
I get that the cell phone generation enjoys technology for technology's sake but I think we have lost the plot.
Now get off my lawn damn hipsters
:biggrin:
eepwall:
I admit to being a bit of a techno junkie (iMac, iPad, Note 5, MacBook Air, Mavic drone, Montana 650 GPS, Wi-Fi cameras on my farm, warrawarrawarra), all with a purpose in my life. Technology must work for me, not vice versa. To tie this back to bikes: I've had 2 x 800GSs (a standard and an Adventure), not hugely hi tech but enough to keep 'n button pushing, flashing light fool like me occupied for a while. And (yes, yes, I know, never start a sentence with "and") nowhere near as hi tech as the large new bikes out there. While I enjoyed the Adventure, I soon tired of having to stop to switch on or off the ABS each time I changed from tar to gravel, or of having to change riding modes or having 3 modes of heated grips. Rider pre-flight became a pain in the butt. I was fiddling rather than getting that visceral enjoyment from riding a bike.
So after about 18 months with no bike, I bought a 660 Teneré with far less gizmos and doodads, yet with the useful tech that makes life easier, not more complicated: fuel injection, electronic instruments, effective brakes, electronic ignition, effective screen, reliable electrics, LED lighting in indicators and tail/brake light, durable and modern materials. And damn, I am enjoying this bike. I am back to riding a bike rather than piloting a computer game.
I look at the new mega bikes and their switchgear that looks like a computer keyboard, their lights like the Starship Enterprise, dash reminds me of a MIG 35 sans ejection seat and afterburner. Then I look at modern cars and compare them to my Cruiser bakkie with rubber mat, vinyl seats and lever operated heater/aircon/vent system. They have a cornucopia of acronyms: HDC, ABS, PS, EW, CC, HS, HM, 4WD, HH, A/C, ES, GPS, SatNav, Bluetooth, headrest or roof mounted DVD players, 24 Harman Kardon speakers, Apple Carplay etc.
Technology and doodads have replaced driving/riding with fiddling.
I get that the cell phone generation enjoys technology for technology's sake but I think we have lost the plot.
Now get off my lawn damn hipsters
:biggrin:
eepwall:
