Author Topic: Your favorite Motorcycle book? (Read 5103 times)

john fish · « **on:** January 30, 2020, 09:42:30 AM »

I've a bit of a motoring books collection. Luckily, I found some of Ed Hertfelder's old books and those are probably my current favorites. At least, they're neck to neck with Ixion.

With winter here, thought I'd ask and see if other people have favorites. So, what are your favorite motorcycle related books?

harry h · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2020, 09:54:44 AM »

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance.

theoneandonlymin · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2020, 09:55:55 AM »

The Perfect Vehicle by Melissa Holbrook Pierson was a good read.

Cheers
Min

cliffrod · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:13:56 AM »

My absolute favorite bike-related book is The Bicycle Wheel by Jobst Brandt. It is only about the spoked wheel. If you're into such things on any machine, it is a must-have.

Wildguzzi.com · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:13:56 AM »

oldbike54 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:41:01 AM »

One Man Caravan , or Jupiter's Travels .

Dusty

Shorty · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:42:31 AM »

Guzziology.

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:46:27 AM »

Nick Adams' series of books, of course!

nick949 · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:58:34 AM »

Quote from: Antietam Classic Cycle on January 30, 2020, 10:46:27 AM

Nick Adams' series of books, of course!

If I ever meet you I'll give you a big, fat kiss Charlie - many thanks.

Nick

PS. The audible versions are fabulous too. Narrated by some old ex-Brit with a plummy accent

wrbix · « **Reply #8 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:59:47 AM »

Second Guzziology

kingoffleece · « **Reply #9 on:** January 30, 2020, 11:05:38 AM »

Zen for the philosophy-it's really not much of a motorcycle book per say, and Sport Bike Riding Techniques by Nick I.

nick949 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2020, 11:10:09 AM »

Des Molloy's books about riding his old Panther 'Penelope' from NZ to the UK, and from Louisiana through South America. Mad stuff. Real adventure, with the appropriate number of breakdowns and privation.

"The Last Hurrah" and

"No One Said it Would be Easy"

you won't regret it!

Nick

oldbike54 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2020, 11:10:46 AM »

Quote from: nick949 on January 30, 2020, 10:58:34 AM

If I ever meet you I'll give you a big, fat kiss Charlie - many thanks.

Nick

PS. The audible versions are fabulous too. Narrated by some old ex-Brit with a plummy accent

Maybe we just accept that everyone knows you do brilliant work

Dusty

Moto · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2020, 11:17:13 AM »

I've read a lot of them, being old and all.

I have come to realize that the one that most influenced me was:

Roger Lovin. The Complete Motorcycle Nomad : A Guide To Machines, Equipment, People, And Places. 1974.

I found out later that Mr. Lovin wasn't an outstanding moral exemplar. He died young, to the satisfaction of some.

I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have liked him, but his book got me out the door for long trips with no particular money in my pockets, and I thank him for that! (And I found about Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance only when I got back, thankfully.)

Moto

P.S. Honorable Mention goes to A Perfect Vehicle.

hauto · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2020, 11:19:43 AM »

Monkey Butt,how Dirt Bike magazine was born is interesting. As for Ed Hurfeltter,he was in our enduro club(meteor MC). Many of the people he wrote about I knew.I even made one of his Cycle magazine monthly's.

cookiemech · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2020, 02:36:51 PM »

John, I had to go out and look through the bookcases in my garage to see what I really liked. Danny Lyon's "The Bikeriders" has a lot of evocative photography and accompanying text about the biker scene in Chicago in the 60s. I like Larry Grodsky's "Stayin' Safe" compendium of his articles from Rider Magazine (published posthumously). Ed Culberson's "Obsessions Die Hard" is a good one; I listened to his presentation years ago at one of the BMWMOA national rallies and bought an autographed copy. The book I'm working through now is L.J.K. Setright's "Bahnstormer", a history of BMW motorcycles.

Do you have a copy of Ed Hertfelder's "80.3 Gas Available"? I have a personally signed copy and have tried several times to get through it. Can't do it. Maybe because I've never ridden enduros . . .

bodine99 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2020, 03:14:34 PM »

Quote from: john fish on January 30, 2020, 09:42:30 AM

I've a bit of a motoring books collection. Luckily, I found some of Ed Hertfelder's old books and those are probably my current favorites. At least, they're neck to neck with Ixion.

With winter here, thought I'd ask and see if other people have favorites. So, what are your favorite motorcycle related books?

Old Ed was a trip!! great stories some tales maybe the result of banging his melon in the woods!!!!
I am a fan of Egan's 3 "Leanings" books

frozengoose · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2020, 03:16:42 PM »

Jupiter's Travels by Ted Simon, subtitled Four years around the world on a Triumph.
He get's a little maudlin at times when he's missing his girlfriend(s), but it sure can stoke your interest in taking a long trip.

Dharma Bum · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2020, 03:51:13 PM »

Another vote for The Perfect Vehicle.

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2020, 03:52:49 PM »

Quote from: nick949 on January 30, 2020, 10:58:34 AM

If I ever meet you I'll give you a big, fat kiss Charlie - many thanks.

Nick

PS. The audible versions are fabulous too. Narrated by some old ex-Brit with a plummy accent

john fish · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2020, 07:36:51 PM »

Quote from: cookiemech on January 30, 2020, 02:36:51 PM

Do you have a copy of Ed Hertfelder's "80.3 Gas Available"? I have a personally signed copy and have tried several times to get through it. Can't do it. Maybe because I've never ridden enduros . . .

I'm not sure if I have that one but I'll be happy to buy it from you, George.

travelingbyguzzi · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2020, 09:16:35 PM »

‘Hell’s Angels’ by Hunter Thompson is very entertaining. I miss Hunter.

randy yocum · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2020, 09:21:46 PM »

Burt Munro Indian legend of speed by George Begg

Lannis · « **Reply #22 on:** January 30, 2020, 09:32:16 PM »

This one, by Mario Columbo.

My grandfather bought it for me when I was 15 years old. It was a coffee-table book that had nice pictures and descriptions (in transliterated-from-Italian non-idiomatic English, which added to its charm) of all the 1970 motorcycles sold in Europe.

I'd look at it and read it for hours. I've now owned about a dozen of the motorcycles featured in the book! I still enjoy taking it down and looking at it, and saying "Yep, I've had one of those" and "I've still got to get one of THESE one of these days".

Obviously it had a disparate impact on my young and impressionable mind ... !!

Lannis

LowRyter · « **Reply #23 on:** January 30, 2020, 09:50:03 PM »

Stealing Speed: The Biggest Spy Scandal in Motorsport History by Mat Oxley

The remarkable true story of how one of Japan’s biggest motorcycle manufacturers stole a Nazi rocket scientist’s engine secrets from behind the Iron Curtain to win the motorcycle power race and conquer the world.

In 1961, with the Cold War at its height, East and West were battling for supremacy on the racetracks of Europe. Using technology from the Nazis’ notorious V-1 flying bomb, East German factory MZ built the world’s most powerful race bikes. But when MZ rider Ernst Degner was poised to win the world championship he defected and sold MZ’s secrets to Suzuki, while his wife and children were drugged and smuggled through the Berlin Wall. Within months Japan was on its way to ruling the world of motorcycling. Branded a traitor by the Communists, Degner suffered horrific injuries in a fiery racing accident and died in mysterious circumstances. Stealing Speed is a breathtaking story of racetrack heroics and Cold War skulduggery.

Moto · « **Reply #24 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:28:36 PM »

Quote from: travelingbyguzzi on January 30, 2020, 09:16:35 PM

‘Hell’s Angels’ by Hunter Thompson is very entertaining. I miss Hunter.

I find "Freewheelin Frank" more vivid, memorable, entertaining and authentic, concerning that period of the Angels. Just my opinion.

Moto

BRG-BIRD · « **Reply #25 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:28:50 PM »

Peter Egan “Leanings” volume 1,2 & 3

GeorgiaGuzzi · « **Reply #26 on:** January 30, 2020, 10:30:50 PM »

Rand-McNally road atlas. Looking for “squiggly” routes!

LowRyter · « **Reply #27 on:** January 30, 2020, 11:39:06 PM »

Quote from: BRG-BIRD on January 30, 2020, 10:28:50 PM

Peter Egan “Leanings” volume 1,2 & 3

Got the "Best of" for Xmas. Gonna have to read it now.

DesertPilot · « **Reply #28 on:** January 31, 2020, 01:31:30 AM »

Ad my vote for Melissa Holbrook Pierson's 'The Perfect Vehicle' and Nick Adams' books.

Those are followed in a distant but not-unrespectable third by Mick Gardner's 'Riding Man', because that eliminated any need I might have ever had to fantasize about getting good enough to do the Isle of Man to find out what it was like

travelingbyguzzi · « **Reply #29 on:** January 31, 2020, 08:21:29 AM »

Quote from: GeorgiaGuzzi on January 30, 2020, 10:30:50 PM

Rand-McNally road atlas. Looking for “squiggly” routes!

Bamm!! Nailed it! That is the one beside my recliner right now.

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Author Topic: Your favorite Motorcycle book? (Read 5103 times)

Wildguzzi.com

oldbike54

oldbike54

Moto

Moto

GeorgiaGuzzi