Motorcycles Books

Not as detailed as the factory manual but more than good enough for DIY. Compare the price to the factory manual, It's definite a good buy.

detailed description of the parts and the method to dismantel and reassemble the motorcycle.

A very good manual. Not as detailed as the rare and much more expensive Honda factory service manual. Very easy to understand and covers all the basics as well as some of the more advanced repairs. A must have if you own one of these vintage Honda motorcycles.

The Clymer Honda Service Manual for Honda VT500 Motorcycles is a great guide for the novice/beginning motorcycler. Great diagrams, and easy to follow instructions makes this a must for those who are new around motorcycles.

This is an outstanding manual. Clear photos show every step for every maintenance and repair task the home mechanic is likely to undertake. Tells you in a few instances when you are better off taking your bike to the shop for repairs. Has helpful hints on how to accomplish difficult or tricky tasks.

It really makes working on my old Shadow fun.

How to Restore Your Motorcycle (Motorbooks Workshop)
Anybody from the complete novice (as i was) to the seasoned veteran would do well to consider purchasing this book prior to commencing a motorcycle restoration. It is filled with easy to read direction and photos to help out along the way. I have no mechanical aptitude, but a keen interest in doing it myself, with this book i now also have the necessary guidance to help me learn "how to" do it and do it right the first time. What impressed me most is the way the book was written so that any "idiot" or novice can with a bit of brain power,understand the basics with just a hint of humour thrown in. I can not recommend enough how useful this title is for anyone with, or interested in maintaining or breaking into the growing hobby of motorcyle restoration. Great reading even without a bike!

As someone in the middle of my first bike restoration, I can only say I wished I had read it before I puchased my two wheeled train wreck. Very good book, I recommend it for beginners or people like me who find themselves in water a bit over their heads. I would rate it a 5 star, but the subject matter of bike motorcycle restoration is very broad, and sometimes the book left me wanting deeper information.

If you're in the market to restore a motorcycle this book is a good companion to the the shop manual of the motorcycle you are planning to restore.

Very good and helpful information. Although the book has some great information and tips it is not designed for the complete novice (and the author will tell you as well).
Personally, I am more interested in restoring Japanese bikes where as this book tends to focus a little on British bikes, however it contained a ton of valuable tips and made my projects easier and more enjoyable.

Oh, one last point ... I liked the authors style and it was ease to read and I enjoyed going back to it as I needed more ideas.

This is an excellent publication, well written and well illustrated. An absolute MUST for any restorer.

This is essentially a specifications manual. It is a very important book if you plan on purchasing a Bonneville and you want to verify serial numbers, color, options, etc. With this book you will be able to tell whether someone painted the bike a different color or if they are trying to sell you something other than what they say; e.g., a 100% stock original bike.

This work is essential in restoring any Bonneville. It contains charts of part number changes over each year of the models life. Tim Yeatma

Good book overall, many pictures of Trimph legends, pictures of most 650 twin-carb models for every year, very detailled specs. Only drawbacks are black-and-white photos only and no index, but things are easy to find; also, the two-page major part number appendix is a picture of a hand-drawn chart and is difficult to read in spots. You need this book if you have to tell the difference between the U.S. east coast and west coast 1964 T120C 'TT' models, for instance. (West coast had 17T gearbox sprocket and a black seat with white piping.) Or, you need this book if you like Bonnies...

Only book with detailed parts and specification numbers for all Bonnevilles. Great listing by year displaying differences and colors. Needs index and narrative past 1976.

The photos & in-depth descriptions were far beyond what I expected. I'm hoping for a sequel.

The damage to the book was worse than the description

Wow.

I own hundreds of automotive books, but "Class Racing Engines" is the one that I read over and over. It combines deep technical information, fantastic photos, rare blueprints, and most important of all, Ludvigsen's unique ability to place things within a historical context.

What I like most about this book is how it puts you right in the shoes of the engine designer. What should the valve angle be? Hemispherical combustion chamber? Materials? Number of bearings? You get the picture... this book gets you deep into motor design and then wallows around in it. It's almost a sinful delight to read.

I'm a Kansas Rancher who works with technology based at best in the 1970's. Bailing wire and duct tape can fix most of my problems. Ludvigsen writes for my understanding level; no high math or esoteric physics, just how the engine was designed; what new, different, or improved insights were polished to make a winner out of the raw product. From the individual product of the designer of the Kuchen 2-liter of 1952 to products of cubic money and scores of engineering departments of major manufactures like the Honda V-12 of 1992, Ludvigsen explains the reasons the design worked, why problems happened, and how the engine contributed to the evolution of mechanical knowledge. I enjoyed reading and using it as a frame of reference.

This is a very well written, easy to follow manual with color wiring diagrams. A must for the person that wants to save $$$ by doing "AT HOME" maintenance and repairs on their SKOOTS. Everything from General Information, Troubleshooting, Electrical System, Wheels Tires and Hubs to Body. Very informative.

This is a pretty good book. It covers the basics and is easy to understand.

Over the years I've used a lot of manuals both for work and for my hobbies. The Clymer is best so far!

A 923 page detailed maintenance manual for the 1984 - 1998 HD FLH/FLT/FXR; including chapters on General Information, Troubleshooting, Maintenance and Tune-up, Engine, Clutch & Primary Drive, 4 & 5 speed Trans, Fuel & Exhaust Sys, Electrical (including colored wiring diagrams), Wheels & Tires, Front & Rear Suspension & Steering, Brakes, Cruise Control, and Body. So far this is an excellent manual.

I recently purchased a Suzuki Quad and found this book to be my benefit. I have started tackling my own projects without paying the high priced dealers for repairs. My quad did not start when purchased and from this book I rebuilt the carb and it fired up immediately. I will probably use this book in the future for a complete engine rebuild. I wish the pictures were a bit more detailed, but this book is still an excellent buy and will save you major money without using the dealer for normal servies.

All important specification information is simple to find. Detailed illustrations and text make easy work of apparently difficult tasks. Overall an Excellant Reference Book.
CBC

This book is a wonderfull manual for the home mechanic. It is easy to read and understand. I had a serius problem with my Lt 250 and had no idea how to fix anything on it. With this manual I was able to fix the problem without paying a mechanic high dollars. I would highly recommend this manual to anyone who owns a Suzuki Lt230 or Lt250,

I have a 16-year-old lt230 that has been sitting outside my house for 10 years or so. This book is my sole guide to rebuilding a large part of the engine (rebuilding top end.. disassmbling transmission/clutch.. hoping that's all she'll need) as well as all the other maintenance an old beat-up machine needs (bearing changes, minor frame repairs, etc.) I do not have too much mechanical experience myself other than doing some minor work on a Jeep and working on a go-kart. The job is turning out a lot easier than it probably should, thanks to this book. The only complaint I have is that the pictures are all black and white, making some illustrations hard to interpret. I recommend the Clymer manuals to anyone who owns.. well.. anything they write about :-)

I'm not very mechanically inclined. Yet when I went to do some major overhauling of my bike, this manual became an invaluable source.

From simple routine maintenance to step-by-step, detailed instructions on complex services such as engine or transmission assembly, I found this book to be extremely complete, with hundreds of photographs, drawings and diagrams that illustrate every procedure. Dozens of tables are included listing information such as torque specifications, maintenance schedule and tune-up specifications for all models of Yamaha Viragos. Basic systems are explained and trouble-shooting guides list every possible problem and appropriate corrective measures.

Warning and caution notes recommend correct procedures to ensure no damage results to you or your motorcycle. Basic tools and necessary supplies are listed, tips on safety and service hints help you do the job correctly. When faced with complicated services requiring special tools, such as final drive or crankshaft overhaul, you are advised to refer to a dealer or qualified specialist.

While for amateur mechanics such as myself this is a perfect guide which will allow me to take proper care of my Virago, it will probably be extremely helpful to the professional mechanic as well.

I got this book thinking that it would help me with my virago. Only with great pain did I find what I was looking for. The index doesn't match the contents of the book ie look up starter clutch and the pages take you to connecting rods. All over the book it says to refer to chapter ten on how to properly bleed the breaks, only it's not in the book!!! I will use this book till I get one from someone else and then use it for starting the fireplace.

Most of the the time the book was easy to use, but at times was a little confusing. I am an experieced mechanic and I feel that someone with little mechanical experience might get lost in the technical descriptions. The index and table of contents could be better laid out as well. Occasionally the pictures were of very little help when actually looking for certain parts, they need to be clearer. But otherwise the book does what it is supposed to do. It is good help when getting into an unfamiliar engine.

A very thorough and detailed history of Ducati with a model by model, year by year breakdown. Great to get a general history of Ducati or if you are considering buying one of their bikes. The model specifications at the rear are handy though need to be read in conjunction with the book to get every detail on a particular model in a particular year. Focuses more on the last 20 yrs of Ducati, but could still be considered the definative book on Ducati. A few more pictures would be nice.

The book is for you if you're interested in the history and development of Ducati's from one model to the next. It also has a fair amount of technical information about how each model varies from the next. What I didn't like was that it had only a few color photos and very little information on more recent models (1995 and up)....

Great book to have to show friends and to enjoy browsing on a lazy, rainy afternoon when you should be out riding, but can't. Good pics and fair perspective about the bikes and the people who created them.

I bought this book out of curiosity, and because I am interested in Ducati motorcycles. And I would say that this book fulfills any need for information about Ducati and the story about the bikes and the men behind it. Great book ! Recommended!

This review for both the Encycleopedia 1999 and 2001, Guide to Alternatives in Cycling. These are basically interesting product shopping brochures bound into books with a few extras, lists and articles in the back. They show a generous sampling of bike alternatives outside the standard diamond frame upright designs. It's like browsing a years worth of many different biking magazines to read brief articles about the oddities in pedal powered transportation available. It includes information on bikes, trikes, quads, stokers, kid and cargo trailers, family transport, cargo bikes, recumbents, folders, a few interesting components and accessories. These books are entertaining to browse and informative to read about the growing and receding alternatives available. It's far from a comprehensive worldwide catalog considering what actually is available worldwide, but offers a good dose of some current and not so current products that stand out in the rather thin crowd of alternative cycling options. I paid a dollar each for the 1999 and 2001 issues from a book liquidator plus shipping. Money well spent for a few evenings of reading and browsing through this visual mind candy.
I plan to order the latest Encyclopedia 8 since I enjoyed these well enough and wish to see more. One final comment for the publisher if they read these reviews: Some of the text is quite small and is not so dark or black as printed, which is difficult to read as a result. I don't consider it a micro-font nor expect large print text, but at least a reasonable choice of font size for publication. The page layout may look good, but it does not always read well.

Bought this book for ideas on building recumbent bikes. Its a great book with plenty of interesting bikes pictured. I only wish they would publish an 2008 version. this one came out in 2001 but still reads very current.

Too bad they're having difficulty publishing these days. This particular volume has many interesting bikes and trikes and accessories and so forth, though it all reads more like a collection of sale brochures. Also, they'd included a photo of the Shuttle Bike Kit which allows your bike to float and tread water (!!) but they didn't have an article on the novelty item itself (!!!)....

Otherwise, a great read. Yes, it's very entertaining, all the same. I especially love their green cycle-as-lifestyle ethos. Maybe this is all still quite ahead of the times...many products covered are apparently no longer available, the companies having folded.

I bought this book because I ride a recumbent and there is very little in the way of books on the subject. It is a British publication which is dedicated to bikes but with considerable emphasis on recumbents. If you are interested in recumbent bikes, trikes and others, this is a fascinating exploration of the topic. It has large, full color pictures on almost every page and it is something which will serve as a reference and enlighten readers with its comprehensive treatment 'cycling alternatives'. Definite European flavor. Highly recommended. I very much enjoyed reading and rereading this book.

I expected a book with insightful narrative and intriguing photographs about what goes on behind the motorcycle racing scene. Instead this work offers virtually no narrative and really mediocre photographs. It's a big, expensive photo album that illustrates the motorcycle racing pit scene without explaining what you're seeing. The captions for all the photos are at the end of the book, which is cumbersome, and the editor left out narrative for some photos and mislabeled others.

If you're looking for the scoop on the grunge behind the glitz of motorcycle racing, this will not satisfy you at all. If you're looking for outstanding photography, you'll be disappointed as well. Save your money; there are better books in this genre out there.

A wonderfully put together book. A must for all enthusiasts. Beautilful photogrphy!

This amazing b&w photo book takes you into the pits and brings you so close to the action, you can taste the pre-mix and feel the vibration of the motors rumble thru your bones. Every single page cries for a frame and a wall. It brings you to the top of triumph and to the low of horrific crashes. A perfect gift or keep for yourself and collect your favorite racer autographs!

For all race fans, a must. This coffee table picture book re-creates the tension, excitement and thrills,and victory of the "behind the sceans" at the race track. The pictures are beautiful. The black and white photos bring out the true feeling of the race life. Thank you for this exceptional book.