Books

BOOKS

RIDE IT! THE COMPLETE BOOK OF ENDURANCE RACING

by John Robinson Haynes Publications Newbury Park, Calif.

$7.50 159 pp.

Here we have another nice book from Haynes in Merry Old, just in time to pass away those dreary winter months. Of some 159 pp. and incorporating numerous nice clear photographs, big enough to see fascinating detail, John Robinson’s nine chapters manage to cover the subject quite well. Sometimes too well, as the observant reader will notice numerous occasions when the author repeats himself, rather at length. Mr. Robinson apparently has some connection with the magazine Motorcycle Mechanics and the book gives the impression of being pasted together out of a series of magazine articles which appeared at some appreciable interval from each other. No matter, as he appears to have a good grounding in the subject and provides not only good stories about the development of the sport, sprucing up of chassis to match the engines, bits to match the chassis, tires to carry the whole magilla and so forth but takes the trouble to tell us just why these things had to come about, historically speaking. It is interesting to find out just why the Spanish factories suddenly swung to off-road bikes, why Honda factory participation ceased at such and such a time or why suddenly one marque will become impotent over the space of a season. He also goes into his theories about just why endurance racing is important to the average street rider, into its rise and fall for box office reasons until prototypes were re-introduced, but doesn’t explain really why the French should be so cracked on the subject even if they invented it, really.

Also historically speaking, I would like to have seen more space given to the earlier races (although there is a chapter on the celebrated 24-hour Bol d’Or.) which goes for photos as well, instead of eight or 10 photos of what looks like the same modern machine. Perhaps there will be a different book on that subject. Anyway, Ride It! is a nice long read and certainly won’t hurt any serious street motorcyclist to have a look at it. He will learn a lot about preparation of his machine, anyway!

Henry N. Manney