One of my favorite aircraft of all time is the P-38 lightning, but I have a special affinity for many WW2 aircraft.  Not just the fact that they are often beautiful, but they’re flying bundles of engineering, with a task (often a deadly task, to be sure) but the aircraft often started out as a response to a specification.   For example, the Spitfire a response to British Gov’t Specification: 

So many of the more complex types in WW2 didn't really burst out of the gate as mature, fully-sorted, reliable aircraft.  You know, the fantasy-land that so many modern politicians imagine.   On both sides, the planes were built for an intended purpose and performance level, but new technology and innovation often resulted in massive teething problems.  But, the designers and builders persevered, testing, sorting, squashing bugs and continuing until the end product was hammered into a usable, hopefully reliable craft.   

The F4U Corsair, one of the US’s best combat aircraft of WW2, faced numerous teething issues.  In today’s environment, the Corsair would likely have faced the axe early on, branded as a flying deathtrap.  Instead, continuous modification, refinement, and upgrades turned the cantankerous bird into a fearsome aircraft.   The P-38 as well was a radical design, a completely new aircraft from Lickheed, and faced many challenges - which were methodically tackled and managed by the engineers and testers behind the plane.  

The parallel, of course… think back to the days of 500GP, when early season testing so often showed a new design to be worse than the well-seasoned bike it was supposed to replace.  Yet, with perseverance, testing, and development, often the new design could be made to fulfill its promise.  I freekin love this challenge: the Big Idea, the jump in technology,  and then the process of making it happen. 

Not sure why it’s so enjoyable, or satisfying, but the process of sorting out mods is one of the most fun things about this bike.  I have other bikes that I just expect to run when I get on them. The Delta does have its goals, and I work towards them, but in this case, the journey is a big part of the reward.