5 comments about Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists.

1. Street strategies is a collection of "stories" that are part or all of articles written by David Hough. The stories are entertaining and similar (if not identical in some cases) to stories contained in Proficient Motorcycling.

   This is more of a waiting room kind of book. Very short chapters with cartoon diagrams that give the reader insight into the type of dangers that he/she might encounter in the real world of motorcycle riding and some advice on how to avoid them. It lacks the detail that makes Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling such excellent training guides for riders.

   This book might make a good stocking stuffer for someone who has already read the other books but if your looking for something for a starting/experienced rider pick one of the other two books (Proficient Motorcycling for the starter, "More" for the more experienced rider).




2. This is not a particularly in depth book but is good for reviewing your mental motorcycle skills in a one-page-example format. Good to take with you to work and read at lunch. If you are familiar with Hough's books this book takes Ricky Rider through one page situations to make you stay sharp in the saddle.Beginner's are better off learning from his "Proficient Motorcycling".



3. David Hough continues to be the ultimate guru of motorcycle safety and handling. Common sense information for better riding skills coupled with safety information every biker should know. Safety is centered on anticipating and avoiding problems that require emergency avoidance action. With humor and style there's no loss of machismo in safe riding. Information that every weekend biker and commuter should know.



4. This is not like David's other books. It is not as wordy. It has short paragraphs on each page showing a different strategy. It is good for review and, the author wanted it short and sweet and book size small, so you can take it with you on the road. Some of the information is mentioned in his other books. I like it for fast reviewing. But doesn't go over riding techniques just safety review of what to look for in traffic and road conditions.



5. Having already read Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling, I decided to purchase Street Strategies despite some reviews indicating its redundancy of material from the first two books.
   
   Street Strategies is the perfect book for your coffee break reading. It is physically small and easily fits in a desk drawer. Yes, the scenarios in the book are covered in Mr. Hough's first two books but their layout in this book allows you to jump in anywhere in the text. There is no need to start at page one and read to the end.
   
   Just open up the book anywhere and read about a specific stand-alone scenario with Mr. Hough's expert analysis of how to handle that particular situation.
   
   This helpful book enables both the novice and seasoned rider to maintain a good mental focus when riding by allowing you to review actual scenarios and their solutions prior to hitting the road.
   
   Nothing will ever replace a professionally run "Rider's Education" course but this book is a nice supplement to have around.

5 comments about 101 Sportbike Performance Projects (Motorbooks Workshop).

1. Here are 101 projects that can and may need to be performed on your SportsBike. These vary from the very simple such as making a pre-ride check to bodywork repair after a less than successful ride. The projects are broken down into seven categories:
   
   General Maintenance
   Brakes
   Wheels and Tires
   Suspension
   Chassis
   Engine
   Crash Protection
   
   Most of the projects take only an hour or two and are well described and well interested. This book is aimed at the beginner. It starts with a description of the most basic tools, and includes useful little hints like marking your most used sockets with a band of red tape to make them easier to find.
   
   Clearly the author knows sportbikes, and further he is able to convey this knowledge to the reader.



2. I read this book cover to cover, and remained interested throughout.
   
   It covers a wide variety of topics - just about everything you want, and a few you don't, including how to straighten a wheel (simple answer - get someone else to do it).
   
   Some of the content isn't explained enough - like what bike to do this on, where to get special tools, etc. Also, the info on fiberglass repair isn't quite correct - you need to fiberglass both sides of the repair, not just the inside as instructed.
   
   All in all, great book, great pictures, well written.



3. Mr. Brasfield has succeded in writing an encyclopedia of 21st-century sportbike technology with both linguistic aplomb and humor. 'Geared' toward the in-line fours, most every project and comment has some application for other configurations as well (like my '00 SuperHawk, e.g.). The mods go way beyond anything I'd fiddle with since: a)I'm 58 and have five machines to tworple with, and; b)the VTR is already too danged fast and hurts my wrists after 30 minutes. Although no substitute for a shop manual (as the author concedes), the tips and photos are most appropriate throughout. Just order it.



4. This is a nice book to complement your owners manual. I've already gotten my money's worth after completing two of the projects: bleeding the brakes and flushing the radiator. While this is basic maintenance, the owners manual doesn't really detail either of these projects (or recommends that you get the dealer to do it, which really isn't necessary because the author does a good job of describing the tasks). I also like that many of the projects are for mods you would make to a "track" bike, like safety wiring and some of the advanced suspension descriptions. Nice book, highly recommended for your library of motorcycle literature.



5. I purchased this book along with Sportbike Performance Handbook (Motorbooks Workshop). This book (101 Sportbike Performance Projects) is a much simpler book but one I find myself going back to time and again. It is full of easy how-tos for things I have been thinking about doing to my bike for ages but didn't really know where to start.
   
   Since reading this book I have had the confidence to completely disassemble my forks and install new springs and valves. I also have a list of things to try next. It is written to cover all sportbikes so will need to be read alongside your bikes specific manual. If you love your bike and have always wanted to muck around on it in the garage on wet days or start improving the handling etc., get this book.

5 comments about BMW Motorcycles.

1. I bought this book after reading David Edward's "Cycle World" editorial column in which he called it "an excellent book." He was right--the writing is gripping. I read it from cover to cover twice. There's not as much nuts and bolts stuff in here as in some other BMW books, but that stuff bores me anyway. I really don't care what the valve timing was on a 1963 R50/2. What I do care about is the history of the bikes and of the company. I care about what it is like to ride these bikes. I care about the people who created them. That's what's in here. It makes those other books read like parts lists. And the photography is top notch.
   
   I liked this book so much that this fall I traded my Harley Softail in on a R1200GS. I've been riding Harleys since 1978, so that's saying something.



2. I'm a big fan of these bikes, and there's no better history and no more entertaining of a book than this one. Holmstrom tells a "warts and all" story and Nelson glitzes it up with excellent photos. It's the kind of book you want to put out on the coffee table when you invite the fellas over for tea and monkey-wrenching in the garage...fun stuff.



3. I would recommend this book to any BMW motorcycle enthusiast. Good photography and an excellent read, full of interresting information.



4. This is a fantastic book. The photography is some of the best I have seen, and the author takes what could be a stodgy story and makes it come alive. Very entertaining!



5. It is a good book full of excellent quality photographs that match the text making the review of the evolution of BMW motorcyles clear and enjoyable to read. Great book to have for those BMW motorad fans! Next edition should include the description of the newest models.

5 comments about Breaking the Limit: One Woman's Motorcycle Journey Through North America.

1. This book is about life on and off a motorcycle - a book for everyone.
   
   I just purchased by tenth copy to give to a friend. If you ride a bike you'll love it; if you dont't you'll still love it! I started the book about nine o'clock one evening and just kept on reading until I finished the story.
   
   Karen Larsen uses a ride from New Jersey to Alaska and back to review her life and project her future; you can join her and live your own adventure as you pour through the pages. You can laugh with her, cry with her and come away in awe of the world in which we live - if you liked Pirsig you'll love Larsen.



2. Breaking Limit was an awsome book to read. She describes her trip where you can feel your there. Having family that have gone to Alaska and being adopted myself, I was able to relate to what she was feeling on her trip. I myself ride a bike and Karen's bike from what my husband says would be a hard trip that long and that far.Karen gives an amazing travel journal with the roads she chose and gives someone the ideas of what to expect on a bike trip.My husband enjoyed the book aswell.Any bike rider would enjoy it and relate to it. Ladie riders it will give you the confidence and encouragement that us gals can travel and do it.



3. Don't waste your time reading this review ... man or woman, find and devour it as I did.



4. What an incredible read by an amazing woman. The book is intelligently written, including bits of history in her descriptions of areas traveled and her encounters with strangers. I also ride a "SPORTY" and men are amazed that I have ridden over 10,000 miles on it, much less a "short distance" trip of 450 miles in one day. I am in complete awe that this women did it on a model that was not rubber mounted as is mine. Have shared excerpts with my husband and he is interested in reading the book also. And being the man that he is, knowing I would enjoy a solo/soul searching journey of travel, encouraged me by stating he would "hold down the fort" so I could have a similar but shorter experience. Definitely recommend this to all women who ride.



5. This book was first brought to my attention as an amazon reccommendation. Just from reading the excerpts I thought this might be a good read. I will say, (again,) this was exactly what I had hoped for. Karen's journey from New Jersey into Alaska and back, using almost all back roads, was a detailed account of what it might be like as a woman traveling throughout the united states. She stayed at, for the most part, campsites or hostels, only rarely staying in a hotel, thats over 14000 miles. An incredible review of the journey, and not so much the destination.
   The first thing you might ask while reading this, as I did and do, is, how did she remember all these details? She must of taken notes every night before she camped. The roads she took, the people she met at gas stations or coffee houses, their names, what they were wearing, the expressions on their faces, all of it. She of course doesnt account everything, the book would be monsterous, but she gives you a good idea of the whole aspect of the journey. If your into adventure, motorcycles, and possibly getting an idea on your next summer road trip, I say read this book.

5 comments about Soft Science of Roadracing Motorcycles: The Technical Procedures and Workbook for Roadracing Motorcycles.

1. Read the book, watched the movie then even took a school. I was a club racer and I rode track very often, after reading the book, I cut over 16 second off of my lap times and the best part is, I did it without crashing. I never had to close my eyes before entering a turn because I was in over my head. The best way I can put it is this, before I read Keith's book, everything or all the thoughts about riding and what to do or how to get faster or what I was doing, was wible wable in my head, I heard somethings here others there, contradicting thing in other places......Keith organized every bit of my thought and built up from the ground up, now i'm running ahead of the pack and I'm not sweating it because usually it would feel like i'm going to crash. Now every corner I take I feel confident that I will make it out alright and will even know exactly what I did to be so.



2. I think Twist of the Wrist 2 is a superior book, but the Soft Science is also a decent read. The concepts are fairly intuitive, but there are many good artifacts of infomation. I recommend only purchasing this book AFTER Twist of the Wrist 2. The concepts aren't cummulative, but Twist of the Wrist 2 is simply a better textbook - in my opinion.



3. This book is desirable, as is anything written by Keith Code on the art of motorcycling. However, get twist... 1 and 2 first. This book tackles those trying to race. I'm not a racer and this book was still useful, but I could not take full advantage of this book unless I start racing :-)



4. Soft Science is one of the most analitical books in motorcycle riding. You bet your skills will improve a lot. We have a riding school and I put some ideas in discussion out there to see the results. It's awesome! I recomend it after more than 40 years of sportbikes ride.



5. I was getting serious about road racing and this book was a great reference for someone who likes to read and study the ways to improve your riding.

3 comments about Suzuki Intruder, Marauder, Volusia and Boulevard '85 to '06 (Haynes Service & Repair Manual).

1. I found lots of information about my bike in this manual. It is well written and easy to understand. It lets you know before you start a project if it will be difficult or fairly simple. If you want to work on your on bike this will definately help. The book paid for itself with the first repair.



2. I was disappointed to find that it only covers the 800cc bikes (which it does well), but not the 1400cc models. Nowhere in the title or description of the book does it tell you this. If you own the Intruder 1400 or Boulevard C90 don't bother with this book.



3. This manual, despite it's title, does NOT INCLUDE ALL MODELS LISTED ON THE COVER. There is no mention of these ommissions in the product details or editorial review which their should be.
   
   It ONLY includes:
   VS700/750/800 Intruder '85-'04
   VZ800 Marauder '97-'04
   VL800 Volusia '01-'04
   C50/M50/S50 Boulevard '05-'06
   
   Does NOT INCLUDE ANY OTHER MODELS!

5 comments about Hell's Angels: Three Can Keep a Secret If Two Are Dead'.

1. I grew up in the the near west suburbs of Chicago from 55-73, when we moved to DuPage County. There were 2 large biker gangs in the Lyons,IL area called the Chicago Outlaws and the Hells Henchmen. I knew several of the Outlaws as acquaintances, there were a few members who I had casually met that were not very nice and I was afraid of them. One member of the Outlaws was my best friends boyfriends older brother, John Klimes. He was always very nice to both me and my girlfriend whenever we saw him. He was murdered in McCook, IL in 1981. There was a huge biker funeral for him and it was on the local news. They never arrested anyone for his murder,but rumor has it that they wanted to kill both John and his girlfriend. His girlfriend worked at a local strip club, Michael's Magic Touch, she could placed the head of the Outlaws as the last person seen with a young woman the night before she was found dead in Busse Woods. There was also speculation that the head of the Outlaws was afraid that John was going to take over the Outlaws Lyons chapter. The talk around town at the time was that "they" were trying to kill both John and his girlfriend. A bomb was planted under John's Bronco and when he went over train tracks in McCook,IL it exploded killing him, his girlfriend was not in the vehicle at the time. I was saddened at John's death because he had always been very nice to me and came to my defense when one of the bikers was threatening me. During the news footage I discovered he had been under surveillance by the FBI for drugs trafficing, prostitution and other illegal activites. That side of him I had never seen. His younger brother was anti-drugs and a very nice guy, we did not meet him until he came home from Vietman in 70-71. John "Burrito" Klimes murder has never been solved. If you go the the McCook Police department website, the open murder is posted there. This book filled in some of the information I was not aware of. Interesting read!



2. Long live the Big Red Machine! 8181818181818181818181.......



3. The guy that wrote this book was really trying to show how cool he is. I mean the the way he wrote it was over the top. You can tell he was trying to prove something. I have read Sonny's book and others and they much better written.
   This guy skips around, repeats things he's previously talked about in the book. And the way he talks to the reader is just crude. I mean, sure he's dealing with a rough subject, but come on, use better english.
   And I know what I am talking about. I lived the underground life for many years. I knew people like this, and this writer is someone who has never lived this life. He writes like a person who has never been around the people he is writing about.
   This book is an over the top, stereotypical view of the big red machine written by a total sidewalk commando, or rather keyboard commando.
   This book could have been a much better or clearer view of the HA than it is, but the writer's crude "trying to prove how cool I am" vocabulary, unfocused chapter organization, and other poor writing errors make this book a real dud. I'm still reading it, it's not so horrible that I put it down, but it came close.
   This book should have never been published the way it is. The publisher should be ashamed.



4. This is sort of a weird book. Yves starts the book writing in the style of a wannabe Hunter S. Thompson and then decides that he may as well just start "writing". I would say that the abrupt transition starts in maybe the first 80 pages.
   
   I believe that Yves Lavigne is probably the most knowledgeable author in the world about the major motorcycle clubs, other than insiders like Barger (or even Wethern) or undercovers like Queen or Dobyns (through authors), or in-touch contacts like Thompson.
   
   But Yves has some sort of agenda that makes him report every myth and fantasy that has EVER been posited as if it is a FACT. It doesn't take long to tire of this book if you have read everything else, because you have to believe, based upon acquired knowledge, that 30% of what he says is suspect, at best.
   
   I respect Lavigne for his obviously superior knowledge of the topic as a whole. But read every other account and determine for yourself if he has some personal agenda, even if it is as simple as money.



5. This is one of the most difficult books to read from a stylistic standpoint. It is choppy and seems to bounce all over the place. The editor of this book should be fired - there is way too much extra "stuff" in the text. There is so much fluff that should have been cut out that would have made this a lot easier to read. The author's choice to use slang (to the point of vulgarity) did not go over so well with me either. I understand that this is a book about the Hell's Angels - there is going to be a lot of choice language in it, but he continues to refer to the slang when describing items that are not HA quotes. I don't think this was a necessary device considering the type of book this is - it would have worked for a fictional piece, but not for something as factual as this.
   
   There are many other books out there on the topic of the Hell's Angels or Outlaw Mototcyle Gangs. I would suggest starting elsewhere if you are looking to read about the topic. This book as some interesting parts of it, but you'd be better looking at another title.

5 comments about Top Dead Center: The Best of Kevin Cameron from Cycle World Magazine.

1. Kevin's knowledge, insights and memories make for a great read and you will learn something about great bikes and the men that rode and made them. I learned more about my heroes and racers that have become great friends to me. I guess all I could ask for is TDC- 2, the sequel.



2. There is so much to learn from this great collection of Cameron's writings. I really enjoyed reading this book.



3. Kevin Cameron writes in a uniquely odd manner but if you're a gear head or just interested in learning WHY some stuff gets done, eventually, you'll like the book. I had been reading his stuff in magazines for a long time and wondered when an all encompassing compendium of his work might surface. This would be it.
   
   Can you read the whole thing at once? I doubt it. It's not that kind of book. You need to read it, attempt to understand what he just said, and then move on. Can't do that in one sitting for sure.
   
   Overall, I enjoyed the read as much as the "ride" it takes you on.
   
   AD



4. If you were an avid motorcyclist in the 1960s to 1980's and followed the races you will enjoy the time capsule perspective of Kevin Cameron. It will bring back happy memories.
   If you're from the recent era it provides a great perspective on how different things were yet how the same in the attitudes and tribulations of racers.
   Hopefully it will make you want to look at more of Kevin's modern thoughts.
   He has perhaps one of the most insightful minds in the motorcycle world.



5. I was really hoping that this would cover his technical and engineering realted articles that he does so well and gives the reader so much insight into the technology of motorcycling. This book is mostly concerned with people and personalities such as riders and mechanics and even manufactuers such as Mr. Honda. All well writen and very informative. But as I said there are not really any of the technical articles here.

5 comments about Ridin' High, Livin' Free: Hell-Raising Motorcycle Stories.

1. and seller fees are nearly 80% cheaper!!...no bidding fixed prices, always.....half.com ..at the worlds biggest online marketplace



2. This isn't really a biography, but more of a collection of stories from Sonny Barger. A lot of them are very funny, and some of them are tales from the road that would make anyone want to hop on a motorcycle. The problem with this book is the introduction when Sonny Barger tells you that some of the stories may be true, and some of them may not be true. He leaves it up to you as you read, but either way the stories are fun to read, and some of them will have you laughing for quite awhile. He even goes outside of the Hell's Angels into other clubs he's aware of and other people he knows sharing stores from them, one of them was on the Dragons leader who was about to buy a Honda until his club members knocked on his door and asked him if it was true.



3. I bought this book for my brother-in-law. So I had to ask him what he thought. He told me how much he enjoyed the book. So buy this book for anybody that is a biker or a biker at heart.



4. You'll not be able to put this one down! It's serious, it's saddness but most of it is hilarious! Sonny did a great one Here!! If you love the biker lifestyle buy it! It's one damn good read!!



5. If you had any interest in motorcycles, if you are above 45 and if you had lived in States for a while, then you would know Hell's Angels. All the myths about them had been around for a long time. Who can forget Steve McQuin's motorcycle jump in the Great Escape?
   
   It is a nice book for reading the urban motorcycle myths from first hand, I enjoyed reading it very much.

4 comments about How to Custom Paint Your Motorcycle (Motorbooks Workshop).

1. I picked up the book over the weekend, as well, and it is really good. Some of the best photos, really showing the details that you only see when you are actually trying to do this stuff. Too many books will show you a few 'in-progress' shots, and the end results, without giving you all of the in between details that make all the difference in understanding how it is really done. Joann explains that she was trying to include things that other books on the subject really don't cover, and I for one think she has done an outstanding job on this book. It's the bikes that we all have seen in the magazines, and it is really neat to see the paint as it was being done - how it was being done! Great work. Great read, too. Interesting stories, details, photos... I'm going to pick this book up often, and use it as inspiration. The chapter on the pin-up mural makes me want to give it a try, rather than make it all seem very intimidating and impossible for the person who might not have the experience, like me!



2. I really love your "down to earth approach" and attention to "small detail" which really helps to fill in the voids for me. Other airbrush books tend to have big steps that seem to skip alot of the process, where this book, goes over each step in great detail that makes it easy to follow along. I like the way she really explains how to mix the colors and the tools she uses. I have just started painting and doing airbrush work last year. The info in this book meets me at where I am in addition to explaining some of the "goofs" and "boo boos" I have already made. I especially find the chapters on doing artwork, flames and graphics to be extremely helpful. As a novice, I feel you can never be too detailed when you explain "how to do's". Love the way she describes the processes, progress and tips for "what colors to use", etc. I am really looking forward to her next books.



3. is really good book very complete and very easy to learn, exelent for beginers in the paintjob world



4. This is a really good box for someone who already has some painting experience and wants to try custom graphics. I am really happy with how my bike turned out with the help of this book!