What is it about bikes that leaves so many of us powerless to resist? This entertaining guide charts the history of the bike from its origin as a cheap means of transport to its modern incarnations: a symbol of rebellion, a high-tech racing machine and the rich kid's plaything. Richard Hammond, passionate biker and collector of bikes, looks at the machines that have propelled people across the world to work, to school - and occasionally to their doom. With his trademark expertise and wit, Hammond examines bikers of every type, from the happy farmer trundling through fields on his Honda Cub to the Hells Angel terrorising towns on their hog.
In 1947, 4,000 motorcycle hobbyists converged on Hollister, California. As images of dissolute bikers graced the pages of newspapers and magazines, the three-day gathering sparked the growth of a new subculture while also touching off national alarm. In the years that followed, the stereotypical leather-clad biker emerged in the American consciousness as a menace to law-abiding motorists and small towns. Yet a few short decades later, the motorcyclist, once menacing, became mainstream. To understand this shift, Randy D. McBee narrates the evolution of motorcycle culture since World War II. Along the way he examines the rebelliousness of early riders of the 1940s and 1950s, riders' increasing connection to violence and the counterculture in the 1960s and 1970s, the rich urban bikers of the 1990s and 2000s, and the factors that gave rise to a motorcycle rights movement. McBee's fascinating narrative of motorcycling's past and present reveals the biker as a crucial character in twentieth-century American life.
Harley-Davidson: words that evoke the open American road and the 'Made in America' tradition like no others. The sweeping chopper handlebars, the distinctive throaty 'potato potato' roar of the engine and the unmistakable logo are all emblems recognized the world over. This book expertly ties together the mechanical evolution of the Harley's engines – from the earliest motorized pedal bicycles to the iconic heavyweight twin cylinder V-engines we know and love today – and the social history of the brand's phenomenal rise in the twentieth century, as innovative survivor of the Great Depression, supplier of the military during both World Wars and enduring symbol of freedom and rebellion in movies such as 'Easy Rider'. It is fully illustrated with pictures of the bikes and those who have ridden them as well as beautiful examples of H-D's distinctive design aesthetic in advertising and collectibles.
Barbieri explains everything a new rider needs to know to become a real biker. By sharing the lessons he learned the hard way, Barbieri gives the new biker a head start to become more comfortable, credible, and knowledgeable about the motorcycle culture.
For decades the crown jewels of Japan's postwar manufacturing industry, motorcycles remain one of Japan's top exports. Japan's Motorcycle Wars assesses the historical development and societal impact of the motorcycle industry, from the influence of motor sports on vehicle sales in the early 1900s to the postwar developments that led to the massive wave of motorization sweeping the Asia-Pacific region today. Jeffrey Alexander brings a wealth of information to light, providing English translations of transcripts, industry publications, and company histories that have until now been available only in Japanese. By exploring the industry as a whole, he reveals that Japan's motorcycle industry was characterized not by communitarian success but by misplaced loyalties, technical disasters, and brutal competition.
The ultimate illustrated reference for Triumph lovers and fans of British motorcycles, this revised and updated third edition collects all the motorcycles from this iconic brand through 2024. Originally formed as a bicycle company in 1885, Triumph produced its first motorcycle in 1902, which was simply a bicycle fitted with a Belgian Minerva engine. From there, the company, in various iterations, went on to build some of the most iconic motorcycles of all time. Written by respected Triumph expert Ian Falloon, the third edition of The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles: 1937 to Todaycovers all the major and minor models, including: The legendary 1937 Speed Twin Era-defining motorcycles such as the Thunderbird, Tiger, Trophy, and Bonneville Modern machines such as the Speed Triple, Thruxton, Tiger adventure bikes, Speed 400, and Rocket III Non-production models and factory racing and speed-record-setting motorcycles that have become integral parts of Triumph’s stellar reputation Detailed technical specifications are included alongside compelling photography, much of it sourced from Triumph’s archives. Sidebars offer Triumph cultural snapshots like The Wild One film, actor James Dean, land-speed record setters, Steve McQueen’s racers, and competition stories. This is the book no Triumph fan should be without!
The Motorcycle Encyclopaedia is a complete and comprehensive reference work. The book is designed in two major sections. The first is a photo-gallery of over 400 classic motorbikes, alphabetically arranged by manufacturers, with all their significant models covered in detail. The second section lists every maker from the inception of motorcycling to the present day, and includes rare photographs and design blueprints. Each manufacturer is profiled, from ABC to Sundapp through giants of the industry like Honda and extinct but fondly remembered producers like Vincent and Velocette.
American Biker: The History, The Clubs, The Lifestyle, The Truth is the long-awaited new work by Bill Hayes, author of the bestselling The Original Wild Ones: Tales of the Boozefighters Motorcycle Club. Expanding upon filmmaker Randall Wilson's documentary, American Biker, Hayes' book is perhaps the most comprehensive and introspective look at the biker world ever compiled. American Biker, the book, takes the four elements of its subtitle-the history, the clubs, the lifestyle, and the truth-and delivers on each with powerful impact. The History of the machine itself is there, of course, but more importantly, American Biker delivers a history of the motorcycle culture told from the inside; from those who have truly lived it. The Clubs-the MC-are reverently explored with an honest voice that doesn't come from law enforcement infiltrators, snitches, money-oriented opportunists, biased media, or anyone else on the outside of the culture. The Lifestyle-the image-is also examined; from the often fantasy-driven entertainment industry, to the weekend-warriors, to those who have truly made "all of this" a way of life. And because it is written from the inside, The Truth on all issues and aspects of the biker world is never compromised-even when discussing controversial topics. From club politics to "Property of" patches, from cop clubs to racism, American Biker never backs down. The "voices" of truth in American Biker include former United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell; Easyriders Europe Editor, Michael Stein; actor and biker Robert Patrick; Motorcycle Hall of Famers John "Rogue" Herlihy and Keith Ball; President of the mother chapter of the Hessians MC, "Spike"; longtime member and officer of the Vietnam Vets MC, "Popeye"; documentary filmmaker Randall Wilson; bikers "on the street," from Daytona to Sturgis to Hollister; and many, many more. The voice of author Bill Hayes is also heard loudly throughout, as it relates years of personal experiences. As it decries media exploitation and distortion. As it lays bare the never-ending battles between law enforcement and bikers. And as it speaks with genuine emotion and pure love and respect for the biker culture. American Biker is a must-read for anyone wanting to truly understand the biker lifestyle.
For his eighth birthday, Emilio Scotto received a World Atlas. Promptly he announced his plan to make a route that would pass through all the countries of the world, a route he named BLUE ROAD ONE. When, some years later, he found himself astride a black 1100 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, Blue Road One beckoned, and Scotto set off on a journey that would last more than a decade, take him virtually everywhere in the world, and land him in the Guinness Book of World Records. This is his story, a thrill ride that begins in his native Argentina, crosses Panama in the tumultuous time of Noriega, Mexico in the midst of an earthquake, and finds him broke in L.A. where, in a chance meeting, Muhammad Ali gives him fifty dollars and a signed book. Breaching the Iron Curtain, crossing the Berlin Wall at Checkpoint Charlie, being blessed by the Pope, set upon by cannibals in Sierra Leone, fleeing Somalia on a freighter, Scotto's adventures would be unbelievable if they weren't true. His tale of touring the world from Tunisia to Turkey, Petra to Afghanistan, Yugoslavia to Singapore, traveling miles enough to take him to the moon and back, is unlike any ever told. Come along, for the ride of a lifetime.
