[Ariel Red Hunter]

I mentioned before sweet running, tireless engines. For may years, motorcycles were compared to horses, which is probably where that phrase comes from. A sweet motor cycle is one where the parts all seem to work in harmony. You don't have to think about what to do, it virtually seems to read your mind, and responds to your every thought. Maybe the modern phrase for this is fly-by-wire. Now I, and many others who grew up in the west, were born to the saddle. At least of my generation. I'd probably ridden four or five different horses before I rode one where I had that eureka moment of understanding how wonderful that experience could be. And once you have experienced it, you look for horses that you can develop that feeling of oneness with. Makes it easy to ride. And you can maintain higher average speeds with such a mount. Suprisingley, motor cycles are much the same. I'd ridden other motorcycles that I had never had that feeling of oneness with until I got my Red Hunter. I never had that feeling on a Harley-Davidson, but now that I'm thinking about this, that may explain the mystique of the Indian, it was that kind of bike. Japanese bikes I have owned were marvelous mechically, but never had that kind of soul. If you had ridden a Speed Twin, you were never all that impressed with to 450cc Honda twin. There was nothing really wrong with the 450, it was just not as sweet as the Triumph. As wonderful as the Yamaha 650 twin was, it was never in the class of a Triumph Thunderbird, or a BSA Super Rocket. They just lacked that fly-by-wire feel. The Hawk is a bike that approaches that hallowed ground. You have to manipulate a few things, but you can get there, if you want. So don't just drive it, ride it.