Motorcycles Books

As a non-mechanic, I found this book to be easy to follow. The great illustrations and photos makes motorcycle repair and maintenance to be a breeze!

This book is packed with information but light on the insight I need as a first-time motorcycle owner. So far, I'm not able to find as many answers in this book that I thought I would. Since I don't have the original owner's manual, it is a great reference tool and I'm sure it'll come in handy as I become more familiar with the book and the bike.

I was hoping for more tips, hints, short-cuts and recommended upgrades. If your looking for a dry textbook manual on the early GS500's and you're experienced with motorcycles, this is a must have as a replacement for the owner's manual.

Un manual de reparación muy completo que te lleva paso a paso en cada capítulo. Explica ampliamente los procedimientos y reparación de la motocicleta.

It's a simple really good tool made for people that does not know to much about mechanics and that's the best thing it has!!!, ofcourse for mechanics like me it's a complete guide to explore this incredible machine!!!

I objectively +/- agree the the positive comments posted here, but warn owners of newer models that this manual does not provide the correct information for newer bikes. I own a 2002 GS500 manufactured in August of 2001, and this manual does not give the proper diagrams or procedures for a number of areas such as proper removal of the bodywork, carburetor overhaul, and some aspects of the electrics (the things that require a bit of detail to do properly). Again, it's a good manual if you own a bike that it covers, but my bike is evidence that its claim to support GS500's through the 2002 model year is not quite correct.

For someone who brings nothing more than enthusiasm to the art of motorcycle riding (in other words, you don't know the first thing about motorcycle parts and you have no idea what "countersteering" means), this book is a fairly good introduction. The author takes you through all aspects of motorcycle ownership, from deciding whether riding is right for you to the mechanics behind the combustible engine to making high speed turns. The information is reasonably detailed and well written, and all topics are covered.

My only complaints are: 1) many introductory books to motorcycles, such as The Idiot's Guide, give a more detailed breakdown of all bikes currently on the market... this book only covers a handful of bikes available (although it does have a section on used bikes), 2) there could have been more illustrations to accompany the explanations of motorcycle parts and functionality, and 3) certain sections use terms that the author never takes the time to define (at one point he makes numerous references to the "gasket" without telling the uninitiated where a gasket is, what it looks like, what it's function is, etc.).

But in the long run, my complaints are minor. This book is relatively comprehensive, and covers some issues that other books don't (such as the section on female riders). The author is well informed, clearly cares a great deal about the subject matter, and stresses safety. Anyone who is considering buying their first motorcycle would do well to buy this book (and maybe one or two others as well).

I'm taking a motorcycle safety test and purchasing my first bike this spring. I browsed through a few books at the bookstore and do believe that this was the best choice of the books available on the shelf that day. As a female total beginner who has only ridden on the bakc of bikes, I found the general information on the types of bikes, and general structure and components, motorcycle maintenance most useful. I'm quite sure the information on riding techniques will help me in training and during the skills test. The only information that I pretty much skipped was the beginning where the author discusses a son's choice in buying a bike and talking him out of it. Also, the detailed information on classic bikes, and used bikes, (bikes that a beginner is not likely to buy) perhaps would have been better as an Appendix. But I remember a section like that in a lot of the beginner books I browsed and would suspect that the experienced motorcycle enthusiasts just can't help themselves and want to share the joy (I'm sure I'll reach that point when I become that knowledgeable about these beautiful machines). All in all, I thought this was a great written introduction to read while waiting for spring to arrive.

A great book for anyone who is curious about becoming a rider. The author was very informative and answers almost all questions that a beginner/entry-level person would have. I highly recommend this book to any beginner, like me. : )

A really good book for beginners and a not to bad book for experienced riders. I recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about buying a bike or whose love one is about to buy a bike. This book is chock full of information, starting out with trying to answer the question ride or not ride and then going on to explain how to pick the right bike; how to buy a used or new bike; basic motorcycle maintenance; and safety tips.

i had high hopes for this one. good table of contents and the few pages i skimmed at the store were decent. in fact the first half of the book was fine but after about page 200 it seemed the author's editor must have given up.
   i found it oddly funny that the first chapter discusses how to dissuade your son from getting a bike, then later Jim Bennett attempts some kind of stance to ostensibly include women in his survey of motorcycling by attempting to note special issues women may have when deciding to ride. these few paragraphs seemed clunky, contrived and a bit condescending.
   the book had some pictures and some advice and i might even be an iota or two smarter than i was before i picked up the book, but i came away disappointed. it's a quick survey for the complete beginner, but once read you know it could've been done a lot better and that there must be better survey-type books for beginners out there. maybe the "idiot's guide to motorcycles" referenced before would've been a better purchase for me.
   if you are a woman i might recommend The Perfect Vehicle by an actual woman Melissa Holbrook Pierson. not a survey of motorcycles, but a story about her experience as a beginning motorcyclist.

Although the book is written in the spirit of awe of the "old timers" and focuses a bit too much on deifying them it gives the reader an insight as to what the good life was back then. The book takes to back to a time when people could live a robust filled life without ending up in the federal pen back before lawyers and lawsuits ruined things for everyone. Comaradarie triumphs over greed and materialism and people didn't sweat the little things in life. It is written about an age where people were real and not made out of plastic like almost everything else these days. In those days when you had a nice custom bike it was because you and your buddies built it yourselves and not out of store bought parts. You built your bike to ride and not to impress people and trailer it around in your truck. The book is a good read about real people and the life they lived.

This book made me want to be there during the simpler times,when ya did something that wasn't completely within the boundaries of the law and and you weren't crucified for screwing up. My favorite part was the ride from southern cali to daytona and the money they made along the way. This book was a really good reading book.

Good book if you're a Booze Fighter interested in the history of the club. Really the stories aren't that Wild.

I loved the book. Overall a fun ride through the history of the so called biker culture and how it started; just a bunch of good friends with a common bond and loyalty to each other.

I think that the book sheds light on the misconceptions about the notorious Hollister incident, something that was handed to my generation as a "legend". Mind you, I'm an Athenian born in 1965 , when films like "The Wild One" werw considered as sf from the then conservative Greek society. I have to point out that BMW bikes played the role of HDs in Greece (same scenario: abandoned bikes by the German troops ), and probably that's the reason that I have not seen many Harley on the street, all my life !! You see, the "dream" bike is a BMW! (Swastikas not obligatory!)
Do I ride ? Yes, I still backride with some friends that got old and drive CAREFULLY ! Did I like the book ??
Well, it's like a n article from Easyriders, an extended one mind you, but it's pretty good, it shows that someone got in A LOT OF TROUBLE to fullproof his research, and, hell, it was a lot of fun!Glory days when nobody told you how and when you were supposed to enjoy your poor self!

I so love this author ever since reading "Winter Dance".
He's absurdly funny like...say...a Canadian sense of humor.
This book was a good read. Quick. Hated to hit that last page.

It surprises me that there aren't more reviews of this nice little book - I know Gary Paulsen is a writer for youth, but this is a book for adults (careful of some of the language if you're easily offended). As a rider myself, I found many things Paulsen wrote about to be spot on, how a person can become attached to his machine. His "side trips" (ruminations) about previous life experiences were well written and interesting. Maybe I was just in the mood for an easy read about one of my favorite hobbies (motorcycling), but I liked this book a lot and have loaned it to a couple of my friends who have enjoyed it as well.
I hope Paulsen reads this review so I can tell him how much I liked this book.

I had hoped for more from this book, which failed to hold my interest, despite being less than 200 pages. It's not a dud, however, but if you want an exciting read check out "Mi Moto Fidel: Motorcycling Through Castro's Cuba." I read this in one sitting, finishing about 4 a.m.! It's a fascinating and sometimes hilarious, sometimes hair-raising story of a 7,000-mile journey and justifiably won both the 2002 Lowell Thomas Award "Travel Book of the Year" and the North American Travel Journalist Association's Awards of Excellence "Grand Prize."

If you want to read 224 pages of someone telling you how tough they are and how bad they've had it in life, with very little about motorcycling, then this books for you!This book is written on about a 4th grade level with dirty words thrown in as if to show off that he's a "man". Save your hard earned money!!

I love many of Gary Paulsen's books. I've heard Gary discuss his books at a bookstore appearance; Gary appears to be a very genuine, intelligent, and caring man and author.
BUT, this book seems to have been cobbled together to meet a contractual obligation. Not only is the book just 179 pages, but the print line spacing is expanded to "fluff" the text. Typical books have 28 to 32 lines of text per page; this book has 24. The title, on second thought, tries to play the life of Gary Paulsen in terms of a motorcycle ride: "zero to sixty" refers to Gary's current age, and "the journey of a lifetime" refers to Gary's life, not the motorcycle journey.
There's some glorification of how a Harley, different from any other motorcycle, "brought me out of myself, out ahead of myself, into myself, into the core of what I was, what I needed to live," but no thought about WHY the Harley brand does this for Gary -- or why other motorcyclists feel that other brands fit THEIR soul. (See _The Perfect Vehicle: What It is about Motorcycles_ for Melissa Holbrook Pierson's take on her relationship with her Moto Guzzi.)
_Zero to Sixty_ contains some interesting insights into Gary Paulsen's life, and has some beautifully written passages: but that's what you might expect in a long magazine interview.
The profanity is inappropriate and very stilted. Further, the profanity suddenly and almost totally stops halfway through the book at the start of chapter five -- almost as if an editor said, "Gary, you've got to throw some profanity into the first half of the book. After all, it is a 'Harley book.'" Who knows -- maybe the same editor later said, "hey, let's put out the same book under a different title and not tell anyone."
Borrow this book if you must read it -- it's a very quick read.
As the Librarian in Michigan pointed out, you can probably find this book in the library under its original title _Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride: A Memoir About Men and Motorcycles_.
But DON'T give up on Gary Paulsen if this is your first book of his -- he's an excellent writer -- just not here -- and perhaps not in his other directly autobiographical books.

The book is too vague. All the tasks fail to go into any kind of detail. Unless you have access to a Harley mechanic I would leave this one alone.

My husband absolutely loves this book, says it is the perfect addition to his other Harley repair books. Loves the layout of the 'projects' and the suggestions of how to do what. Again, this item was exactly as ordered, shipped as stated and arrived quickly.

Good usable "How-To" data for the home bound mechanic who either cannot afford to pay the shop rate, or (like myself), would simply rather do it yourself. Good methods of approach with suggestions regarding additional side jobs that could be best completed at the same time and in the same stroke. It fills in the gaps that the factory manuals normally do not cover and applies a good deal of simple common sense.

I purchased a 2002 Harley FXD Dyna two months ago and wanted a resource for maintenance tips and upgrade performance options. This book fully satisfied all those needs. It has clear descriptions regarding bike care and starts from basics topics (how to change fluids) to medium (re-jetting a CV carb) to advanced (engine balancing). All projects are rated in terms of difficulty.

This book will advance your knowledge of how your bike operates so even if you never intend to take a wrench to your bike, you'll learn which performance upgrades are appropriate for your bike, riding style and wallet. Highly recommended!

I bought this thinking it might have more detail, both in description and photos, on how to perform the simpler repair and maintenance tasks on a Harley. Instead, one gets only the broadest sense of how such tasks might be done, and you get the feeling you're still better off leaving the work to a Harley mechanic. Not much help.

I would have given this book 3 stars if it weren't for all the grammar mistakes. I am a stickler for such things...

Anyway, the story is very interesting and gives a detailed peak into the world of junkyards. However, the "evidence" is circumstantial at best and clearly Junkyard Jonny has issues with Ben and Eric Bostrom, though the book never fully explains why. The stories detailed between the pages do little to offer an explanation for the author's disdain of the racing brothers. It's easy to understand what Junkyard Jonny may have against the patriarch of the Bostrom family, but why he continues to attack the kids is unclear. Afterall, they were small children when the author's story first begins. Junkyard Jonny obviously feels that Ben and Eric sould suffer the sins of their father.

On that note, it should be mentioned again that, while some actions detailed in the book are definitely unethical, it's near-impossible to prove the validity of the author's statements. Whether or not Dave Bostrom was involved in "stealing" Rainey's GP Yamaha can never really be proven. I find it unlikely, but loved the story nonetheless - as a work of fiction.

This book was relatively quick to read and is probably worth the time for most die-hard motorcycle enthusiasts (no pictures though). However, one must take everything he/she reads with a heaping boulder of salt...

I've been following the Bostrom brothers ever since I got into racing as a kid. JY Johnny really opened my eyes to the history of my childhood heroes and the darker side of the motorcycle business. I recommend this book to all racing fans young and old.

I heard buzz on this book through a street bike forum and got curious. Everyone said this book was a public bashing of the BozBros, and pretty much personally attacked the author but never mentioned what they even thought of the book. They all sounded like they didn't even read it. Being a racing fan and particularly a fan of Ben (cause he's just so hot) I read it myself. Ulridge was wrong in his "review"; everything that you need to know is not in just the semi paragraph that mentions his name (vain much?). I like many others I first thought that Johnny was a pissed off fan who never made it big or a disgruntled employee, but this is more a book about a kid working for his loser step dad that ran into the Bostrom's dirty laundry through family connections. Johnny throws in some pretty funny stories about these crazy characters that remind me why I love to ride. People question its believability? Why? Is this the first time you found out that famous rich people are big fat criminals? The BozBros would be stupid to sue. Johnny is causing so much free publicity. To all of you people on the forums and blogs that have been judging the book without reading it, read it for yourself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's a insightful view into the world, or underworld, of the motorcycle business. As a racing fan, and insider in the business, I found this book to be very accurate to the experiences I have had working within the motorcycle racket. This book touches little ground in respect to Ben and Eric's rise to the top of the American racing scene and does not, in my opinion, slander these guys in any way. Instead, this book exposes the workings of the darker side of the motorcycle dealership and salvage business, and how these boys rose from the shadows to achieve their own successes. A very good read for any enthusiast.

From the title, I did expect this to be 90% Bostrom bros lives, but it's more in line with what the back cover says about the true life of JY Johnny. This might disappoint some, but I grew up with a lot of weekends in and out of part shops (mostly cars), and for those of us that hung out with mechanics and spent our time tinkering, this is a very easy read to get into. It's pretty easy to see your old racing and stoner friends from high school here. Skirting around the lives of the Bostroms and their wonderful father is pretty interesting. There's decent meat in here about a stolen race bike of Wayne Rainey's, the Bostrom kids sitting in on secret meetings and some mafia type stuff about vehicle and title laundering to help the Bostrom's dad's dealerships with the Insurance Co's and IRS. After working in car dealerships for a long time, it's nice to see that the motorcycle dealerships were full of just as many screwed up and shady characters. Suggest it for any old 'homegrown mechanics'.

I'm an experienced home mechanic and found some things useful in this book but not much. He dwells on old Sportsters with magnetos which these days are nearly extinct and more work than they are worth. He dismisses Evos which is what I have and gives only a passing glance at CV carbs. He also does not give much info on cams and how to pick one. It was published last year but is outdated already. He is an old school wrench and it shows. You could get more info by surfing the Web and joining a chat room or talking to the manufacturers and it's free. Too bad.

Book appears to have been written with the author fully knowing that he has filled the pages with useless information. Very little useful information. Many large pictures of common things, and large 1/2 page pictures of himself from childhood up and 1/2 page blow ups of spark plugs. How to change oil! What oil he likes! Basic wasted information like that. Will not buy anything from this author or publisher again. This was not a mistake by the author, you can clearly tell that it was intentional by how much wasted garbage is in the book, and how little useful information is in there. I guess he was able to sell it to people like myself.

If you like hot rodding your bike or just want to read about it get this book. A very good premmer on how to make you bike fast and street worthy at the same time. How to do it with out wasting money and time in the process. Something for every Harley rider.

I bought this book for my husband who has ridden and built Harleys for 30 years....he is very satisfied and happy with the book because it does teach him new things.....

Bill Rooks's book is a great resource for anyone who works on Harley Davidsons or would like to. As an amature mechanic, I learned a lot from this book. Top end and head work are covered extensively, as well as carburetor selection and tuning. Rook stresses the importance of designing a total package for achieving specific performance goals rather than simply bolting on expensive parts. Rook's careful, simple, yet detailed descriptive writing style makes sense, and will allow anyone with a basic understanding of internal combustion engines to grow in their knowledge and tackle the project or modifying a stock Harley Davidson for performance gains. I highly reccomend this book.

I have this story on DVD and thoroughly enjoyed it so I decided to buy the book. It closely mirrors the DVD's, and had lots of pictures. Needless to say, I would highly recommend both. I've just started reading, "Long Way Down", and within a few pages have become as captivated as before. These adventures are the type of thing I would have loved to do 20 years ago, I can kinda get a feeling of what it must be like through Ewan and Charlie's travels. Thanks, Guys, for a really good time!!

The photos are great and compliment the journey and the text. A must have for any touring motorcyclist.

Long Way Round chronicles the around-the-world motorcycle adventure of Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor. It's unlikely I'll ever do anything like that in my life, but the book gave me an idea of what it's like. Both of them are entertaining writers and it was a really inspiring book. A great tale of taking an adventure and making it a dream come true; of friendship; and of overcoming obstacles. A great companion to the dvd set.

What an awesome book, recording an awesome experience. As a biker myself, I was attracted to the book just to read about a trip that is beyond my means and abilities, but the book ended up meaning much more than that to me. It showed me, yet again, that wherever you go in the world (And I've travelled a fair bit of it myself in my work as a seafarer !) people everywhere are just people like you and I, when you get past the religious, political and economic differences that can so often divide us. It also highlights the fact that people who make a living in the film industry are not necessarily unapproachable, self centred and addicted to adulation. They can be warm, human and prone to the same joys, fears and desires as the rest of us. In short, they are human beings who just happen to have a good job. This is not just a good read about a motor bike trip of a lifetime, it is a book that rekindles hope that the world, and its varied people, is a beautiful place after all, and not half as dangerous as some would have us believe. Whether you're a biker, an armchair traveller or just someone looking for an exciting and inspiring read, then this book is for you. I can't praise it highly enough.

I couldn't wait to get this book. It sounded like a great story of adventure across several continents. After the first chapter I deeply regreted my purchase. What had great potential turned out to be two guys boasting about their popularity and how it was going to be difficult being celebrities. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't know them at all, despite their numerous references to the movies they've been in. I thought I was getting a book about the challenges of travel abroad and pictures of these places. What I got was a book with too many pictures of the authors, weak stories of the places they stayed in and the food they ate.

This book is simply an overview of different systems, with no detailed information on the design and setup of actual installation. While it may be a good primer for someone who knows nothing about nitrous or forced induction, if your serious about learning how the systems work there are many better books on the market. Out of all the books I own this is one of the few I would gladly get rid of- It hasnt been opened in years.
-Jack

this is a good book to have an idea how the SCs work,also it has some ideas and formulas to tune your car in general!

this book has all you need to know about turbochargers, superchargers, and nos. I also suggest giant spoiler, loud exhaust, and fast driving. this has all you need to give your car the extra little horsepower you need to push minivans into the road to be run over, or to get a few more mpg. good buy

A great book, the author(s) did a wonderful job of describing information and kept it from being too complex. Examples given for real world understanding... very recommended

Yes, at one time a cover for this book was incorrectly displayed on this site, however, the one showing is what you will get. At any rate, there is an old saying that you "don't judge a book by its cover" and any serious performance enthusiast will understand that. The contents of any book are what count. If you are looking for information to help you differentiate between superchargers and turbochargers and the various types of nitrous oxide applications, along with other information on systems to help you make a knowledgable choice, this book will be of great value to you. It has a large amount of in-depth information for those already familiar with these applications, but was also written to aid newcomers to the field. In addition, any good mechanic also understands that information is not "make and model" specific when it comes to theory, production of boost and horsepower, staving off detonation, and gaining the most from your vehicle for what your budget and ability can handle. This is a great reference book for learning about these particular applications, and no matter whether you are a Chevy, Ford or Toyota enthuisiast, principles of producing horsepower remain the same!

Tom Swift is an above average teenager living in 1910; he is an inventor, and the son of an inventor. Tom's excitement begins when he gets the chance to trade his bicycle for a motorcycle, but really takes off when a group of scoundrels set their sights on stealing Barton Swift's (Tom's father) newest invention. Using his mechanical acumen, Tom helps anyone at the mercy of a malfunctioning machine, and foils the plans of those who would steal his father's newest invention.

This book is a wonderful window on the United States of 1910. When reading this book, one is struck by the mechanics of Tom's motorcycle, the quality of roads, the organization of the police, and so much more. The story is fascinating, and yet easy to read.

And now for the bad news: this book contains an African-American character that is routinely referred to as a "darky". He is ill-educated, and speaks in an irritating Amos and Andy patter, "He was a tramp, an' he had de nerve to ask me fer money--me, a hard-wukin' coon."

So, while this is a generally a very good book, its racism is a bit much to take. Overall, I would recommend that you consider before purchasing it for younger readers, but that it is still a book worth reading.

The Tom Swift books are fun and simple reading. It's easy to see why these became so popular with the youth of the era. While I don't quite rank their plotting and general literary qualities as high as The Hardy Boy series, they are certainly well worth a look-see, even today.

This particular book interested me as a motorcycle enthusiast. It was fascinating to read about how the technology and terminology have changed in ninety-some years. The motor's rumble was called "explosions." Easing off the throttle was called "turning off some power." And the differences in speed were eye-opening. Tom was thrilled to be able to travel thirty miles in half a day. But the hilarious part was the full conversations he could have or overhear while careening toward imminent collision at such break-neck speeds. The one thing that hasn't changed a bit in all this time is the thrill and love of two-wheels in the wind. Appleton explains it in 1910 as well as anyone since.

The book is also worthwhile in that, without trying, it captures a snapshot of Americana at the turn of the century. Then-current views toward work ethic, criminals, and even minorities are revealed. Perhaps the most surprising is how the freedom, trust, and self-reliance of kids has changed. Today is certainly a different world. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of Wake Up Dead.

Famed childrens' book author and newspaper reporter Howard Garis wrote this classic volume. It captures life in rural New York state during the 1910's. The story is simple and fast paced, and contrary to popular opinion, it does not contain "tom swifties" (bad puns). In fact, it is quite well written. Also, it is not marred by the supposed antisemitism that crept into later volumes. Anyway, the later volumes that depict Jewish gangsters are no more antisemetic than The Godfather is anti-Italian. The character of "Rad" has been criticised as being racist, but, in spite of his Uncle Remus/Mark Twain type dialogue, "Rad" is loyal, hardworking, and clearly one of the good guys. In fact, he provides Tom with an important clue, without which Tom would not have been able to solve the problem. One weakness is that Tom, who is clearly middleclass, is suspicious of those with less money - but he also does not trust the wealthy and powerful. The basic theme of the story could be summarized in the letters PMA - Positive Mental Attitude. While positive thinking does not always "work" in the story, it certainly does not hurt! Tom may get discouraged, but he refuses to give up hope. This is a good lesson for all ages.

Tom Swift is one of my favorite books by Victor Appleton. Tom Swift has lots of adventures in it. So, if you like adventures then get one of the Tom Swift adventure books to have some fun! (I give it five stars, but for some reason my review shows only two.)

dictated by Edward (8 y/o)

I read this book to my 8 1/2 year old son and he could hardly stand it when we ended the chapter at night, begging me to read to him the next night. We both loved it. The vernacular lent a perfect discussion to the meaning of words and expressions and how our language has changed. Others have referenced the character "Eradicate" who is a "Darky" as being a negative. I found it just the opposite with a wonderful teaching platform as to how our world has changed. My son understands that Blacks weren't always viewed with respect and he's thankful that has changed. He also loved thinking that his grandfather who died before he was born also read these books. I highly recommend it for some good old fashioned fun. Editor reccommends 4-8 years old. I'd say 8-16 years.