Motorcycling Manual

MOTORCYCLING MANUAL

UP FRONT

EDITOR'S LETTER

BECAUSE WE'LL NEVER ASK FOR DIRECTIONS

A big part of the allure in motorcycling is the complexity of the sport and its equipment. It's also a big barrier to getting started. Which is why Cycle World and the Bonnier book division, Weldon Owen, have published The Total Motorcycling Manual. It is loaded with fun facts and excellent tips on how to do just about anything related to life on two wheels.

We divided the sections into three basic headings: Gear, Riding, and Repair. But we also included a feature on 14 of the most important motorcycles in motorized history, a glossary of terms, and lots of other cool things to give readers a full picture of motorcycling.

Some of us, like World Champion roadracer Ben Spies, who kindly wrote the foreword for the book, knew from the start that motorcycling was absolutely our thing. "When I was three years old, my parents took me to an AMA Supercross race in Dallas, Texas," he penned. "We had to leave the event early because I threw a fit; they wouldn't let me ride during intermission with the KTM Junior Supercross kids. Even at that young age, I was hooked." Others, like book author Mark Lindemann, might have started later but found riding no less enthralling, and it only got better the more he practiced and the more he learned. "I discovered that motorcycling demanded more focus and concentration than anything I'd ever experienced," Lindemann shared in his introduction. "Riding well was incredibly rewarding; riding poorly delivered immediate consequences...You want to learn about personal responsibility? Here are the keys." And so Lindemann and the Cycle World editorial staff set about filling the book with the kind of material that would help people find the magic, no matter their skill level. There are lots of basics like "Lind Your Lirst Bike" and advice on getting your license and picking the right riding school. But there are also loads of more advanced pieces about learning the anatomy of an engine, how to set spring preload, or how to lay out your workshop.

We also included a few tongue-in-cheek pieces like "How to Blend in at Sturgis" or "Carry a Live Pig," as well as some impractical, if fun, advice about learning to do a killer burnout or make your bike backfire. Hey, motorcycling should be taken seriously, but you've got to have some room for a good time, right?

And because CW covers every facet of motorcycling, so does our book. In addition to providing off-road-riding tips, we give advice on cornering your sportbike and going racing, and even how to improvise a cruise control using nothing but a chopstick and rubber band.

I'll let Lindemann close here with a key piece of his introduction:

For me, proficient motorcyclists need to develop six key skills:

-> They need to ride with a degree of facility.

-> They need to be able to navigate, especially true for off-road riders.

-> They need to be able to perform basic maintenance and repairs.

-> They need to know some first aid and how to respond at accidents.

-> They need to know how to ride with a group.

-> They need to ride critically and be aware-to be able to provide conscious feedback about their bike and how it performs.

These items informed the making of The Total Motorcycling Manual and will in turn help inform you. Because the one thing that most encouraged me about the content of this book is that all the expert motorcyclists involved in its production learned more about motorcycling, which means it should offer new insights to just about anybody. You can buy the book at cycleworld.com/ totalmotorcycling or find it on amazon, com and at Barnes & Noble or any decent bookstore. Price: $31.95.

MARK HOYER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THIS MONTH'S STATS

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NUMBER OF MOTORCYCLING MANUALS PRODUCED BY CW

TIPS INCLUDED IN THE MANUAL

REASONS YOU SHOULDN'T GET ONE FOR CHRISTMAS