Books On Bikes
BOOKS ON BIKES
From Ace to Zen, an essential library for the motorcycle enthusiast
MIKE STUBBLEFIELD
FOR MANY ENTHUSIASTS, THE IDEA THAT MOTORCYcling is a way of life was summed up succinctly a few years ago on, of all things, a T-shirt: "We eat, sleep, ride, talk, breathe, dream, live and love motorcycles," it proudly proclaimed in bold type. As a motorcycle journalist, I couldn't help but notice that we do everything, it seems, except read about our beloved bikes. It got me wondering, why don't more of us, read books about motorcycles?
We do read magazines. The paid circulation of all the motorcycle magazines in this country is about 1.5 million. Because magazine subscribers often read more than one magazine, the actual number of magazine readers is lower. So let’s say that roughly a million, or a little more than 10 percent of the nine million registered motorcyclists, read magazines. Clearly, a lot of enthusiasts would rather ride than read about riding.
Nobody knows how many of us read books about bikes. Chances are, however, that it’s an even tinier minority. And there are two reasons why. First, it’s not easy even to find out what’s available (much less what’s good or bad). Books about motorcycling don’t find their way
onto the New York Times bestseller list. Crown Books does not advertise these books at 40 percent off list price in the Sunday papers. Nor are they reviewed in any of the usual journals, although some, but not many, find their way into motorcycle magazines.
When you occasionally learn of a bike book you would like to read, it can be equally frustrating trying to find somebody who will sell it to you. Most bookstores have a woefully inadequate supply of motorcycle literature. Don’t expect much help from public libraries, either.
They don't bother to stock many titles because they are run by people who know nothing about and care little for our sport. In other words, libraries and bookstores simply mirror prevailing public sentiment. Bikes just aren’t what most people want to read about.
But the readers of this magazine aren't “most people.” And knowing that, I would like to share some of my favorites with you. So start reading.
“Ace,” by Bob Currie. Actually, this account of William G. Henderson's once-radical four-cylinder Ace is not a book. It's just one of the hundreds of topics contained in the out-of-print The World of Motorcycles: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, edited by Ian Ward. This 22-volume set is profusely illustrated and is written by some of Britain's best-known motojournalists, such as Jim Greening and L.J.K. Setright. The alphabetically arranged subject matter is a veritable cornucopia of the men, the marques and the machinery that make motorcycling the fascinating subject that it is. No true enthusiast should be without this important work.
American Racer: 1900-1940, Steve Wright. If you’re a fan of the uniquely American form of racing known as flattracking, and would like to know more about the origins of the sport, you will enjoy this book immensely. It is illustrated with many previously unpublished photos, and Wright’s narrative is well-written and fascinating. The bad news is that Volume I is almost sold out, so you'll have to hurry. The good news is that Volume II, covering the period from 1940 to the present, should be available by the time you read this.
American Racing Motorcycles, Jerry Hatfield. Another look at evolution of motorcycle racing in the USA. Hatfield’s historical account makes a nice companion volume to the Wright book.
The Art and Science of Motor Cycle Road Racing, Peter Clifford. “What this book is about is understanding why the motorcycle does what it does, how the physical laws affect the motion of the machine and what the rider does
about making the best of them,” says Kenny Roberts in his introduction. Now in its second edition, this technical tome is written by the editor of Motocourse.
Back to Basics, Vic Willoughby. This handy little volume offers the technical neophyte a clear, concise introduction to the basics of motorcycle technology. The line drawings are simple and easy to understand.
Bahnstormer: The Story of BMW Motorcycles, L.J.K. Setright. A complete history of the famous Boxer, from its birth to the R100RS. LJK’s witty account is filled with little-known facts and wry observations and is written in the inimitable style that has made Setright unique among his motojournalist peers.
Barry Sheene, Barry Sheene. Unlike the enigmatic, inscrutable Kenny Roberts, Barry Sheene isn’t reluctant to talk about himself. Yet it’s hard not to be charmed by his boyish enthusiasm and competitive zeal. An entertaining insight into Great Britain’s roadracing superstar.
Bonnie: The Development History of the Triumph Bonneville, J.R. Nelson. If you are into Bonnies, this book will be your bible. If you aren’t, it’s still a good read about the timeless British Twin.
British Racing Motorcycles, Jeff Clew. From the ABC (All British Cycle) to the Zenith, they’re all here. Clew, one of Britain’s most distinguished authors and historians, lov-
ingly documents the glory years of the Queen’s oncemighty machinery.
Brooklands: Behind the Scenes, Charles Mortimer. Long before there was a Daytona, a banked oval in Weybridge, England, known as Brooklands, was Mecca to the motorcycle racers of another era. This is the story ofthat magical time.
Brough Superior: The Rolls Ro yce of Motorc ycles, Ronald H. Clark. The Brough was beloved by many British riders, including the paradoxical Lawrence of Arabia, who died in an accident on a Brough. Clark’s tidy tale traces the rise and fall of the company that reflected the force and style of its founder, George Brough.
Classic Motorcycles, Vic Willoughby. When my friend Hector Cademartori wants to get the details right on one of his fine pen-and-ink drawings, this is one of the two books to which he often refers (Willoughby’s The Racing Motorcycle is the other). Though some experts may quibble over the “classic” status conveyed on particular models, nobody would deny that this is an important book.
The Classic Motorcycles: 1896-1950, edited by Bob Currie and Harry Louis. If it’s highly detailed color drawings of antique machines you want, this is your book. Carlo Demand’s incredible artwork lets the functional purity of early machinery speak for itself in this visually stunning coffee-table book.
Foreign Racing Motorcycles, Roy Bacon. The “Foreign” in the title is a little misleading (unless you are English). Bacon writes about competition with the authority and passion of a lifelong enthusiast.
Goldie: The Development History of the Gold Star BSA, A. Golland. This thin but authoritative volume is a technical tribute to one of the most versatile and beloved bikes of all-time.
The Great Japanese Motorcycles, C.J. Ayton. Though it's already somewhat dated, Äyton’s book is nevertheless a good overview of where the Big Four came from. It also shows how far they’ve come from humble beginnings to world supremacy.
Great Motorcycle Legends, Richard Renstrom. This tidy volume packs a lot of information between its covers. The author claims he “tried to produce a concise and readable history of 22 of the most important makes of machines in the history of the sport.”
Harley-Davidson: The Milwaukee Marvel, Harry Sucher. As Sucher himself explains at the very beginning of this book, getting the real story from some of Harley’s surviving old-timers wasn’t always easy. But to anyone interested in the ongoing love affair with the venerable VTwin from Milwaukee, the results are worth it.
A History of the World's Motorcycles, Richard Hough and L.J.K. Setright. History buffs with two-wheel tendencies need look no further than this erudite, scholarly salute to the pioneers of our sport.
Honda: The Man and his Machines, Sol Sanders. A penetrating look at the man who rose from poverty to the helm of one of the world’s great success stories in transportation technology. Unlike the staid, often unimaginative captains of industry in the modern world, Soichiro Honda is as flamboyant and daring an executive as anyone is likely to encounter.
The Iron Redskin, Harry Sucher. This warm account of the Indian traces its birth, growth and unfortunate demise. No other American motorcycle has inspired enthusiasts the world over like the Indian. Sucher tells why.
JAP: The Vintage Years, Jeff Clew. John Alfred Prestwich invented cinematographic equipment and aircraft engines before turning to the product that would make him famous, the JAP motorcycle. This ubiquitous British marque built bikes under its own name and supplied engines to many of its competitors, as well. A JAP VTwin even powered the famed Morgan three-wheeler.
Kenn y Roberts: Okie, Racer, Philosopher, King, Barry Coleman. This highly personal look at Roberts is fascinating. Every rider already knows KR is arguably the greatest roadracer of all-time. Coleman’s lively biography shows that Roberts is a hell of a lot more than just fast. He’s a tough, witty, intelligent, complex and caring human being, too.
Motocourse, edited by Peter Clifford. This magnificent annual offers bench-racers a vicarious view of the thrills, chills, excitement and danger of motorcycle roadracing at its highest level, the European GP championships. Each year, the book is crammed with technical treats, play-by-play race coverage of every class at every Grand Prix, and stunning black-and-white and color photography. Expensive, but worth it.
Motorcycles, A Technical History, C.F. Caunter. Covers the period from 1869 to 1965. Most of the bikes featured in this nice historical book are on display at the British Science Museum.
Motorcycle Chassis Design: The Theory and Practice, Vic Willoughy and Tony Foale. The most up-to-date overview of this topic currently available. Foale is a frame builder and Willoughby is a tech writer. They make quite a team. A good read will provide you with enough techspeak to talk your way onto a factory team.
Motorcycle Engineering, Phil Irving. There simply isn't enough space here to properly pay homage to Irving’s work. One of the true heavies of motorcycle engineering, Irving worked with Velocette, Vincent, JAP, Villiers and AJS in various roles. If you want to know how bikes work and where their technology comes from, anything with Irving’s byline (Restoration and Tuning oj Classic Motorcycles, Motorcycle Technicalities, etc.) is worth reading.
Motorcycle Milestones, Volume I, Richard Renstrom. The author is a collector who has his own ideas about what’s important and what isn’t. Purists may argue that some of the models shown are not the most original examples of their kind, but readers will marvel at the man’s obvious passion for his subject matter.
Motorcycle Touring, Bill Stermer. It’s obvious that Stermer has toured long enough and far enough to have discovered every little thing that can go wrong if certain things aren’t done right beforehand. If you’re a touring rider, reading this book can help you defy Murphy’s Law.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles, Erwin Tragatsch. A giant volume with 2500 marques from 1894 to the present, Tragatsch’s tome is both a comprehensive reference work and a coffee-table conversation piece.
The Racing Motorcycle, Vic Willoughby. Like its sister volume. Classic Motor Cycles, this book is both beautiful to behold and fun to read. The photographs are good. The line art is great. If you have a technical bent, the text is terrific.
The Restoration of Vintage and Classic Motorcycles, Jeff Clew, and Triumph Twin Restoration, Roy Bacon. If you are new to the restoration game, either of these books will provide a good basic guide on how to do the job right.
Sammy Miller: The Will to Win, Jeff Clew. This isn’t a book about trials riding, per se. It’s about how Miller became a competitor and why he lasted at the top as long as he did. Clew’s book provides invaluable insights into the soul of a true champion.
Super Profiles, various authors. Each book in this series showcases a specific marque, its history and its development. A section of color plates is provided at the end of each book. Some of the titles include Vincent Twins, Matchless G3L and G80, Norton Manx, Honda 750, BMW R69 and R69S, Brough Superior SSI00, Sunbeam S7 and S8, and the Triumph Bonneville.
It's a Triumph, Ivor Davies. Though not the definitive work that some Trumpet fans would have liked, this is an interesting and informal look at the most famed of English motorcycles. The author worked for the company
for many years, so the story is liberally sprinkled with
insider’s anecdotes.
A Twist of the Wrist, Keith Code. From the man who operates the California Superbike School and has taught more people to go fast on a racetrack than any other rider. He knows what he’s talking about and lays it out in clear, concise chunks of information easily digestible by even the thickest-skulled street squid.
Velocette, Rod Burris. For many riders, the Velocette Venom and Viper exemplify the British Single at its best. This is an essential book for anyone involved in Velos.
Whatever Happened to the British Motorcycle Industry, Bert Hopwood. Hopwood. who held a number of pivotal positions at Ariel, Triumph, Norton and BSA, knows a thing or two about what went wrong, and he doesn’t pull any punches. Required reading for Britbike aficionados.
The Yamaha Legend, Ted Macauley (also available as Yamaha in a later edition). Macauley traces the evolution of this corporate giant from its beginnings as a piano manufacturer to its emergence as a highly diversified multinational company. An incredible story.
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig. Strictly speaking, this isn’t a motorcycle book. It is, as author Pirsig puts it, “An Inquiry into Values.” Maybe so, but we motorcyclists need philosophy as much as anyone. The book is crammed with practical, profound insights such as the following:
“You want to know how to paint a perfect painting? It’s easy. Make yourself perfect and then just paint naturally. That’s the way all the experts do it. The making of a painting or the fixing of a motorcycle isn’t separate from the rest of your existence. If you’re a sloppy thinker the six days of the week you aren’t working on your machine, what trap avoidances, what gimmicks, can make you all of a sudden sharp on the seventh? It all goes together.
“But if you’re a sloppy thinker six days a week and you really try to be sharp on the seventh, then maybe the next six days aren’t going to be quite as sloppy as the preceding six.”
As I said at the beginning, motorcycles are a way of
life.
Although this guideline to motorcycle books is by no means comprehensive, it should give you some idea of the sheer diversity of motorcycling topics currently available. A few of these books are out of print, but a determined sleuth will track them down in used bookshops. Between the covers of these titles lies a rich and varied world of motorcycle traditions and technological developments that is quietly awaiting the rider who wants to know more about the sport. There are a lot more where these came from but, hopefully, they will provide you with a starting point from which you can launch your own search.
Although some of the titles mentioned in this article can be found in bookstores, there are two excellent sources for the books on this list and a lot of others omitted because of space limitations. Both are mail-order firms, but they offer catalogs to help you browse before you buy.
Hosking Cycle Works Publications RFD #1, Box 136 Accord, New York 12404 (914)626-4231
Classic Motorbooks, Inc.
P.O. Box 2 - Rev 729 Prospect Avenue Osceola, Wisconsin 54020 (715) 294-3345, or 1-800-826-6600
Mike Stubblefield, 39, former technical editor at Rider magazine, has been collecting motorcycle literature since his teens. Currently, he works as a technical writer at Haynes Publications, where he writes and edits automobile manuals. E3
