"Everything New Sucks"

[Roger Hicks]

The R90 was only "hogged out" rendition of the R75 which came out (mine) in 1970, putting the R90 in the "after 1972 march of technology toward descent". 😀

Oh, it was a great motorcycle.... I moved up to the extra cc's as well.

The K bike ("brick" motor) was the turning point of BMW in the wrong direction. Liquid cooled.... Who needs that?

And the R100RS was the first bike with a properly wind-tunnel designed fairing -- a real advance. At one point I owned both R90S and R100RS but now have only the R100RS.

The Brick overheated the petrol (gas) tank) and the centre of gravity was too high. Quick, though: the only bike I've ridden at 140 mph.

Cheers,

R.

 

[BTMarcais]

I have a theory that everything really important had been invented by 1972 and the advance of technology could have stopped then. Our lives would certainly be more relaxed now.

My wife was born in '72.

Me, I didn't come along for another 5 years though... I guess that means she's the important one then...?
That's what I'll tell her anyway... 🙂

-Brian

 

[splitimageview]

Everything new sucks, except for Ken's product of the decade, Velvia 50. 🙂

"It seems crazy, but as I'll explain, I tried, and I can't think of anything else as significant and as revolutionary as the reissue of Fuji Velvia 50. Remember, Fuji Velvia was discontinued in 2005, with no replacement.

So thank you, Fuji, for creating Velvia 50 as the most innovative and important photo product of the first decade of 2000."

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Everything new sucks, except for Ken's product of the decade, Velvia 50. 🙂

"It seems crazy, but as I'll explain, I tried, and I can't think of anything else as significant and as revolutionary as the reissue of Fuji Velvia 50. Remember, Fuji Velvia was discontinued in 2005, with no replacement.

So thank you, Fuji, for creating Velvia 50 as the most innovative and important photo product of the first decade of 2000."

That one was amazing! 😀

We know the 2010-2020 best product...

 

[wgerrard]

I remain bemused at the kneejerk hostile reaction Rockwell provokes. Just don't get it. It's one guy with one blog who says what he thinks, just like everyone who posts here.

 

[kshapero]

VW Beetles (real ones) needed the compression adjusted every 3000 miles, they sucked. Saab 93's required oil in the gas tank or you seriously scored the rings, they sucked. But I would drive them today if I had one of them.

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Bill, I guess some (lots?) of us appreciate Ken both for his photo ideas and reviews as for the humor he knows his site needs constantly...

But as he's in general neutral and right, he's constantly exaggerating too, and a few times, wrong.

All of us can be wrong, but he's unique... And he's not a role: he's a bit weird really... All those things make him unforgettable in one or other way.

For one person here or there hating him, there are 10,000 all around loving him.

I've visited his site for years and yet I do: I enjoy with his character more than with his reviews.

 

[Thardy]

I had a '72 Mustang Mach 1. I sure did like that car.

 

[splitimageview]

I hadn't really thought about it before, but I'm sorta revolting against newness myself. My car is 12 years old. My cameras are about the same age, some of the lenses are older than I am. "They don't make things like they used to" is a cliché but it's really true. In many cases however, newer is better. I'll take fuel injection over carbs any day. 🙂

 

[Pickett Wilson]

I have fond memories in the 1960's of laying under a VW adjusting the valves. And replacing the belts. And only having heat when the car was actually moving (all though it inspired closeness when parking on some backroad with the girlfriend. 🙂

 

[Chris101]

And you only got AC when the car was moving as well - and the windows were open!

ps, yes I too have excellent backseat memories of early girlfriends. Back when I was skinny and limber enough to get in the back seat! 😱

 

[Rayt]

And you only got AC when the car was moving as well - and the windows were open!

ps, yes I too have excellent backseat memories of early girlfriends. Back when I was skinny and limber enough to get in the back seat! 😱

I had reclining bucket seats but that huge stick shift in the middle restricted movements somewhat.

 

[back alley]

i don't really remember much before '72...

 

[splitimageview]

Adjusting valves? What fun. Hydraulic lifters, that's a good new thing. They didn't exist on Porsche 911's til '95. And fuel injection really isn't new, the Corvette had that in the late fifties.

 

[bmattock]

I remain bemused at the kneejerk hostile reaction Rockwell provokes. Just don't get it. It's one guy with one blog who says what he thinks, just like everyone who posts here.

Most people *don't* say what they think. Most people feel that you should put aside your own personal beliefs and go along with the crowd. Most people lurk in the threads and never post anything. What I am always bemused by is why people find it so difficult to say what they really think?

OK, so I've never suffered from that problem, but apparently many do.

 

[bmattock]

Adjusting valves? What fun. Hydraulic lifters, that's a good new thing. They didn't exist on Porsche 911's til '95. And fuel injection really isn't new, the Corvette had that in the late fifties.

Anti-lock brakes may not be sexy, but they sure are nice to have.

 

[antiquark]

Most people feel that you should put aside your own personal beliefs and go along with the crowd.

To quote Mark Twain: It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt.

What I am always bemused by is why people find it so difficult to say what they really think? OK, so I've never suffered from that problem, but apparently many do.

I assume you're not married. 🙂

 

[amateriat]

I have a theory that everything really important had been invented by 1972 and the advance of technology could have stopped then. Our lives would certainly be more relaxed now.

Sometime late in 1999 (appropriately timed, I suppose), I posited that we were really close to the point where the average citizen in the industrialized world had access to more technology than she or he could sensibly deal with. This was a different rant from "they don't make (fill in the blank) like they used to."

Everything new sucks? Hidebound as I can be at times, even I think that's a bit much. I happen to like the latest version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro (I've set up a bunch of 'em for new clients in the last two months), the iPhone, Droid, and a few other smartphones. (I prefer my "old" Palm Centro for specific reasons, however.) Most of the film types I use now are recent revisions (Kodak Portra family) or newly developed (Ektar). Oh, and I like my iPod classic, too. 🙂

Other (truly) Random Stuff:

- I do believe road-bicycle technology (and aesthetics) peaked somewhere between 1985 and 1995 (certain trendy paint jobs excepted).

- The evolution of the mechanical wristwatch peaked around 1969, roughly about the same time the first quartz-movement-based watches began to appear. (Two exceptions to this are the recent Omega Co-Axial movement, and TAG-Heuer's even more recent V4 movement.)

- IMO, the last two significant cameras of the 20th Century were the Konica Hexar RF (of which I own two), and the Hasselblad XPan (which I briefly thought about, but passed over for the Hexar). Both were produced quite some time after 1972.

- Since some of you had to drag motorcycles into this, my all-time favorite is this. Also made way the hell after 1972, but based on something from back then, then revised up the yin/yang.

- Thinking too hard about this stuff too late at night really sucks. 😉


- Barrett

 

[antiquark]

Here's a funny counterargument to Ken's article:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8r1CZTLk-Gk

Everythings Amazing & Nobodys Happy!

 

[amateriat]

Anti-lock brakes may not be sexy, but they sure are nice to have.

When you look behind you at the near-train-wreck you just avoided on account of them, ABS is damned sexy. 🙂


- Barrett