Re: Regarding Titanium Rob Knobs (my usual inanity)

["Rob Levinson" <always_coca-cola@xxxxxxx>]

>From: "jporath@domain.elided" <Jporath@domain.elided>
>Subject: Regarding Titanium Rob Knobs (my usual inanity)
>
>Having purchased more than my fair share of titanium accoutrements (bikes,
>ski accessories, windsurfing gear, automotive parts, wet suits, etc, et al,
>ad nauseum, take tums) the thing that struck me most was just how
>stupendously light they all were.
...
>Then my world is turned upside down by Rob Levinson and UUC Motorwerks
>coming along and offering us the Rob Knob and the following:
>
>> What we discovered after using the prototypes for a few weeks is that
>>they seemed to improve shift feel.  These knobs are *heavy*, solid
aluminum
>>or titanium, and they seem to do something to make shifting smoother and
>>lower-effort.
>
>Wow! Heavy Titanium.  This, my friends, has instantly pegged the needle on
>the Lust-O-Meter.
...
>Now, lest anybody think that I am criticizing UUC Motorwerks, the efforts
>of Ben or Rob or www.shortshifter.com or any other such malarkey, I  assure
>you that I am not. I was, is, and remain an adoring fan. I am sincerely,
>truly and adamantly in lust of the entire concept of the Heavy Titanium Rob
>Knob.
>Heavy Titanium.
>Sheer marketing genius. Bow your heads, brethren, for we are in the
>presence of the truly gifted.




    LOL!!!  Okay, you got me - the Ti Rob Knobs are a by-product of an "Area
51" project.  We start with a Titanium "containment shell" and fill the
interior with a substance the aliens call "ReallyVeryHeavyium".  The
ReallyVeryHeavyium is sort of unstable (do not bang the shifter too hard, do
not laugh at it, do not taunt it or tell it that lead is smarter) so we use
the Titanium to keep it from exploding too forcefully.

    But seriously, the RK is so heavy because it is solid metal.  Either in
Aluminum or Titanium, it's a big chunk of metal.  Just in volume, the RK has
more material than a stock shift knob... even though it is the same height,
it tapers more gradually than a regular knob.  A regular knob is made of
plastic, leather, (sometimes wood) and is really kind of light.  A metal Rob
Knob is big hunkachunkamunka metal... and the Ti version has about 60% more
mass than the aluminum.

- - Rob Levinson
UUC Motorwerks

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