5 comments about McQueen's Machines: The Cars and Bikes of a Hollywood Icon.

1. Chad McQueen's input and those that were around McQueen make this such an interesting book. I gave it as a gift to someone who was a fan of Steve's. Loved the anecdotes throughout and great photos.



2. My husband is a huge Steve McQueen fan as well as an avid motorcycle fan. He loves Steven Terrance(?) McQueen so much that we have a "Steve McQueen Latrine" in our basement. It is painted in the colors of the Le Mans car. He loved this book! Lots of pictures he hadn't seen before, plus some new tid bits of information. Great book.



3. If you're a McQueen fan and a gearhead this book is a "must have".
   Lots of beatiful pitures and stories behind The Cooler King's machines.
   As a gearhead McQueen had a lot of cars and bikes and his passion is well explained in this book.
   A good choice if you want a deep sight inside his garage and racing career.
   Did you know that the famous McQueen's Speedster and XKSS were sold from the actor only to buy them again later in his life? And did you know that the Buggy in "The Thomas Crown affair" had a Chevelle engine?
   You'll higly appreciate this book.
   
   Marco



4. Great book with lots of photos and information. A MUST for any Steve McQueen fan!



5. I bought this book for my husband. He is a car nut and likes anything McQueen. The book exceeded my expectations. A great read with ample photos.

5 comments about Two Wheels Through Terror: Diary of a South American Motorcycle Odyssey.

1. While the title of the book and most of the comments focus on his stay with the Columbian terrorists, for me the most inspiring bits of the book were his descriptions of the parts of his journey through Mexico and Argentina. Now I want to visit Mexico and see if it is as wonderful a place as he described. Ditto Argentina, though it is not quite as close.
   
   A very well-written book by a talented and very versatile author. Much more than a tale of terror. You could skip the Columbian fiasco and still get your money's worth (and then some) from this book.



2. I bought this book for my boyfriend to read on the train after hearing the author speak on a radio program. My boyfriend loved the book, literally couldn't put it down.



3. Action packed true fact based chronicle of a motor cyclist's trip from Palm springs,CA down to the tip of South America and back. You will ride with him through splendid vistas, suffer with him during his capture by the ELN in Columbia and wonder how he would ever escape. You will learn from the psychologically trained mind how Greg Heggsted deceived his captures to eventually go on to complete journey. This is a must read.



4. I first came to know about Glen's journey through a tv documentary on the kidnapping, if you get a chance to see it, do so, it brings to life the book in real terms.
   Glen does an excellent job of describing the journey, his fears and feelings both before and after the kidnapping. It's not a "how to" book, it's an insight , in my opinion, to inner strength and positive thinking.
   Great read.



5. I bought this book because a friend and I intend to ride from North to South America in 2018 when all our kids have grown old enough not to miss us. I really hope that we don't have to live through what Glen did but who knows what the continent will be like in 10 years? This is a brilliantly written book with lots of good information and tips for travel. The section on Columbia is well done and doesn't overdominate the story. I wonder from Ted Simon's comments in 'Dreaming of Jupiter' after meeting Glen following his ordeal, if Glen has downplayed his emotional state a little. It must have been a totally awful experince and one I doubt I could have survived. It just goes to show that it helps to be strong when attempting a journey like this but like so many things at the end of the day its all about mental toughness. I take my hat off to Glen and he has inspired me yet again to start my own adventure.

5 comments about Sport Riding Techniques: How To Develop Real World Skills for Speed, Safety, and Confidence on the Street and Track.

1. I loved this book and the technical information it contained. If you can't ride year round then this book ia a reference to dust off your riding before you start the season is a must have.



2. This book is more for the advanced rider than for a beginner. It is a good follow up to David Hough's Street Survival.



3. Nick Ienatsch does a good job of explaining the skills required to ride a motorcycle and how to hone those skills. While it is written for sport bike riders others can benefit too. His explanation of available traction under different situations and maneuvers is crucial to riding a motorcycle and he does a great job of explaining the concept. The illustrations and photos are relevant and well done. I have bought several copies of this book and given to new riders.



4. This is a great book that will help improve your riding and smoothness.
   
   This is the second book I read regarding riding techniques. The first book is Pridmore's "Smooth Riding the Pridmore Way" which is an excellent supplement. If you will only read one book, read Nick's Sport Riding Techniques.
   
   Comparing the two, I would say Pridmore's book helps with the mechanical aspects of riding: Braking, shifting, turning, etc. Nick's book tends to be more about the mental game of riding, specifically on the street: Situational awareness, traffic, smoothness...
   
   Both books are valuable, but Nick's book is the better, more valuable read.



5. I have read "Total Control" by Lee Parks "Motorcycling Excellence" by the MSF and the new second edition of "Proficient Motorcycling" by David Hough. All of these books were very good, and each touches on points that others don't hit, so I am glad to have read them all. Nevertheless, if I could give just one book to my son to read and learn from it would be "Sport Riding Techniques. I think that Nick Ienatsch does a superior job in breaking the key components of riding down to their related actions, whether it concern braking, steering, or riding through traffic.

5 comments about A Twist of the Wrist 2: The Basics of High-Performance Motorcycle Riding.

1. Not bad reading at all. Keith does a wonderful job of keeping the chapters to a reasonable number of pages. I would suggest Lee Parks, Total Control to be a better, more useful read.



2. It is difficult not to like this book, Keith Code knows motorcycling. But if you are looking for street riding, there is little here to help you. Throttle control and bike balance was very good, so any understanding about motorcycles is important. I will always honor Keith Code since he was my first teacher with his first twist of the wrist. Thanks



3. Terribly written book. Has many ideas and concepts I've tried and haven't found viable for me. HOWEVER, two chapters in the book are very worthwhile: 1)The 7 deadly Survial Reactions and 2) the chapter on visual directional control--the "Two-Step." These alone make it worth the price of the book. There are many books that teach motorcycle riding techniques far better, that you can actually understand because they aren't written by someone who must have spent his high school career flunking English. Glad it's cheap.



4. I thought I was a pretty good rider, 29 years of experience riding all kinds of bikes - but had never taken an advanced rider class. While reading this book, I quickly realized how many mistakes I had been making. E.g., over the years I had figured out most of the steps involved with making a turn as described in the book, but I did not have ALL the steps figured out - there were some CRUCIAL pieces I was missing.
   
   My riding has improved dramatically since reading this book, and my enjoyment of riding is back to where it was when I first started riding!
   
   I wish I had read this book when I first started riding and every year since. I wish someone had recommended that I read it. I am making sure that all my riding buddies read it if they haven't already. Don't be proud, get this book.



5. Now, this is an interesting book...
   
   On one hand, it is packed with very useful information for both the street rider (the group of which I am a part of) and, I assume, the track rider. Code brings some interesting things to the table and makes these concepts pretty easy to understand even for the novice rider.
   
   On the other hand, as has been mentioned in plenty of other reader reviews, this book is likely the most poorly written professionally published thing I've ever read. It is *filled* with errors, inconsistencies, howlers, and non sequiturs. Not only that, but words are seemingly randomly bolded and asterisked (sometimes both at the same time) and more random words are thrown into a glossary at the end of the chapter. In a lingo-centric sport like motorcycling, why not define more things like low-side, roll-on, contact patch...things like that? Instead, we get words like:
   
   Sail: A Piece of canvas or cloth spread to the wind to cause a vessel to move
   
   or
   
   Point: A particular spot
   
   or
   
   Dazzling: To Impress deeply. Brilliant
   
   or
   
   Wisdom: A wise saying or teaching
   
   WTH? Very strange. All in all though, a good book that I, as an intermediate rider, was able to glean much useful information from. If you can get passed the irritating manner in which that information is presented, you'll probably find it helpful as well.

5 comments about Under and Alone: The True Story of the Undercover Agent Who Infiltrated America's Most Violent Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

1. SA William (Billy) Queen's 2 1/2 years of investigating the Mongols motorcycle club as an undercover ATF agent is pure guts, grit, and courage. Of the many things Billy proved over the course of his investigation perhaps the most important was that such clubs CAN BE infiltrated by dedicated and well supported law enforcement officers.
   
   This is a well-written, fast-paced page turner that once started simply cannot be put down until finished. Queen reveals both the Mongols and other outlaw motorcycle clubs for what they are behind all the media-hype romance...brutes on bikes whose only regard is for their own well-being and whose only respect is for their club patch.
   
   Kudos to Billy Queen for riding the hard trail and bringing down some truly bad guys - his book is a testament to Honor, Loyalty, and Duty of the highest order in the circles of professional law enforcement.



2. We hear many stories of the bad things our law enforcement personnel perpetrate against criminals. Finally a book that shows how courageous some of them are. Bill Queen is one of them, and has rightfully received many accolades. He deserves everyone of them. His sacrifice was immense. I hope he finds the comfort he so deserves.



3. Billy Queen is clearly an amazingly smart and tough guy. His tale of inflitrating the Mongrols, moving from 'Hang Around' to 'Prospect' to Treasurere and then Vice President of the local chapter is fascinating and well written. And it will quickly disabuse you of any notion that the the Mongols are OK guys have chosen their own path. While some people may have been OK when they joined, Billy makes clear the gang and its members are all to happy to hurt and kill with little or no reason.
   
   Things the book does really well: Give a feel for day to day life in the gang, outline historical background to the Mongols/Hells Angels flue, give a sense of Billy's double life- knowing his gang friends would kill him at the drop of the hat, and that a large chunk of ATF would rather see everything he'd risked his life for throw away then chance the smallest public embarrassment.
   
   The things I found lacking: Would have to liked to know even more about the gangs structure and the relationship between the head chapter (Mother) and the local chapters, would have liked to see more detailed sketches on even more of the members. Still, these are pretty trivials issues.
   
   If you are interested in motorcycle gangs this book is required reading.



4. as with most books i've read, there is always something i see or hear that piques my interest in a topic/subject matter creating a domino effect that leads to obsessive reading. this seems to be the case here: "gimme shelter" led to sonny barger's "hell's angel" which led to the "gangland" television series and then to searching amazon.com for books about outlaw biker clubs, starting with "under and alone".
   
   the first chapter of this book was such an effective teaser that it actually fooled me into believing the book was ghost-written due to the author not surviving his undercover assignment ... it worked, because i couldn't put it down.
   
   the thought of a law enforcement officer having the courage to take such an assignment is one thing ... to follow through with that assignment and actually become a full-patched member of such an organization is simply amazing. even more impressive is the fact that queen does such an excellent job of taking the reader along with him ... a true "fly on the wall" perspective throughout the book.
   
   every chapter contains moments where you feel as if queen wouldn't survive his assignment and you almost breathe a sigh of relief when oftentimes, a random moment of good fortune is all that saves him.
   
   what makes "under and alone" such a good read is that the action never lets up ... it is nothing but a continuous series of battles: the battle to hide his true identity from a group in which every member is a potential murderer, the battle to portray himself as outlaw biker material yet not participate in criminal activity, the battle of being a father to his kids and maintain their safety during/after the assignment, the struggle of actually developing a fraternal relationship with men who he will eventually be sending to prison and the constant battle with the expected ineptitude of the agency responsible for keeping him alive. the best battle of all, however, is the continuous grief queen endures from one particular mongol ... "red dog".
   
   i found myself constantly flipping to the pictures in order to place a face with the name of those mongols he writes about ... even "red dog".
   
   the book left me with a feeling of apprectiation that there are people out there willing to do such dangerous work voluntarily. my only regret is that there is understandably no "where are they now" chapter because i would really like to know how certain mongols personally felt about queen and the success of his undercover work.



5. This is a story every bit as fascinating as Donnie Brasco. Should also be a movie. Living undercover as a Mongel member for two years with those dirty drunken drug users had to be an awful extistence. Or maybe it was fun. However it was, it is a great read.

No comments about The Roadshow Illustrated Companion.

5 comments about The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Maintenance.

1. If you are able to do basic maintenance to lawn mowers and automobiles, then this guide is a definate plus to understanding the fundamental workings of motorcycles. You will still need an owners manual for your specific bike (for manufacturer recomendations, IDing replacement parts, etc.) but this Essential Guide is a big plus for helping to diagnose problems and a good guideline for "how to" kind of jobs before you actually get your hands greasy. It is written in a casual, easy to understand language, that explains not just how to do something, but why you need to do it, and how it effects the overall function of your bike.



2. This book in combination with the user manual for my bike are great. This bike explains everything for everyone. It is written for the not so mechanically inclined and tells you why and how things work on your bike. Great investment for those that are tired of paying excessive repair bills. Definately worth the price, not to mention it is a good read.



3. Writing a book on a subject like this, with tens of makes and hundreds of models on the market, is a balancing task. Mr. Zimmermann has made it remarkably well.
   His examples are very carefully chosen, he always explains the basic principles, and he writes in such a relaxed manner, that you feel "at home" regardless of the make and mode of your own bike.
   A very good complement to the service manual of your own bike - this with this book you are not stuck even if the quality of your manual is only tolerable.



4. This book is by far the best I've ever seen and better than I hoped for. It explains with color pictures how things work and why along with tips for getting the job done. Although this book is great for beginners it is also good for intermediately skilled do it your self folks with its in depth explanations.



5. The book is a detailed overview of motorcycle repairs. Well written and easy enough to go through - a few more diagrams or photos may have helped but then it would be too easy!

5 comments about The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Guide to Motorcycling Excellence: Skills, Knowledge, and Strategies for Riding Right (2nd Edition).

1. This book is excellent for the novice and I am sure it is a nice refresher for all. A newbie would be foolish not to take the course and reading the book in advance of the course is extremely helpful.



2. This book is essentially the expanded version of the booklet they give you at the MSF Basic Rider's Course. As such, I found nothing useful in it. It would be a great book to read before you take the class, though. I was looking for strategies on braking and cornering in various conditions, but what I got was just a listing of road conditions, not what to do about them. It mentions the different types of skids, but not how to recover from them. I guess they want us to have to take their Advanced class...



3. This book is excellent, and covers all you need to know as a first time motorcyclist. The one thing I cannot stress enough: Read it before you take the class (and be sure to take the MSF class, it will save your life!) The first section of the book is identical to the class in many ways, and, although I read through all of it again, it really is exactly the same. If you read this ahead of time, it will have you ready for the written test in the classroom, so that the class itself becomes review, and you can focus more on the hands-on part of the course while you are there, instead of trying to remember all of the new info in your head.



4. This is an excellent beginners guide to motorcycling. It covers almost all the bases, and is written in an easy to read and concise manner with lots of helpful illustrations and pictures. Furthermore, the 2nd edition is fairly current... other books have pictures taken in the 60's or 70's, not this one. The book is coated with high quality laminate pages which makes it a very heavy duty book.
   
   I highly recommend it for any future/beginner motorcyclist! In fact, it is a must have for new riders period!!!



5. Let me start off by saying that this book does not bypass taking the MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) riding class in anyway for a budding motorcycle rider. If you want to ride a motorcycle then the MSF course is a must period. The MSF class teaches you so much while allowing you to practice in a safe and calm riding environment with trained instructors at your side to ask questions and get help from. Not to mention that some insurance companies will give you a policy discount on your monthly insurance payments for taking and passing the MSF course. You also don't have to do the DMV riding test if you pass the MSF course. So in the end the MSF course is more then worth what you paid to take the course for on top of the safety and riding training you get.
   
   Outside of the MSF course this book is a good primer to mentally prepare you for the key ideas on how to ride a motorcycle and what forces are at work while riding. Ideas like counter steering, smooth control inputs, avoiding target fixation, and a light over view of potential road hazards you might face and many more other topics are all discussed in this book. It also goes on to talk about other areas some people might not think about such as how to select a proper helmet and what to look for in riding gear. It also talks about the effects of lack of sleep, drugs and alcohol all have on a rider. I would recommend this book to anyone who has signed up for the MSF course but has not taken it or who is just interested in the idea of riding a motorcycle. In the end this is a very good primer book if not a refresher for those who have just finished the MSF course and need to brush up a little on some key concepts.

5 comments about Scooters,Automatic Transmission 50 to 250cc (Hayne's Automotive Repair Manual).

1. Well written (just have to get used to some of the English terminology) and well illustrated covering many maintenance items,repairs and overhauls to 2 and 4 stroke, air and liquid cooled scooters. You will need your owners manual for specifications though, as only a few brands are listed. Manual also covers safety items,as well as tool and workshop tips.



2. this book provides all the info you need to disassemble and rebuild most scooter motors as well as tips and methods to make it easier



3. this book almost was what i was looking for i still had a lot of good info tho the shipper sent it out super fast and it showed up faster then i thought it would i very surprised at how fast it got here



4. The Lovely Pearl ET4 on the front cover is not one of the models covered, a bit misleading. If you have one of the later L.E.A.D.E.R. engines, any engine work should be doable, since the ET4 and the LX share the same engine.



5. Despite the different makes and models of scooters, there are many similarities between them. This book takes advantage of that, and instructs you on how to service the various components generally, and not specifically; service information specific to a particular make and model is not given. For example, in chapter 10 ("Electrical Systems") figure 7.1: "Wiring diagram for a typical turn signal system". Diagrams specific to each scooter model are not given. The idea here is after reading the manual, you should be sufficiently familiar with the components of a scooter that when you service yours you won't have too much difficulty, even if your scooter's engine and drivetrain isn't exactly like the one in the pictures. This does mean that there isn't a lot of hand-holding; if you want service details specific to your scooter model you'll have to buy the official service manual from the manufacturer (and pay the high prices).
   
   The list of specific models covered by this book is derived from the "Data" section, where information (torque settings, bore and stroke, etc.) specific to each model is listed.
   
   It would have been nice if time were taken to explain the operation of parts that are unique to scooters. For example, the variator (part of the CVT) is not something found on motorcycles and most cars. Chapter 6 (covering the transmission) explains how to remove and service the variator, but does not explain how it works. The addition of this information would strengthen the book considerably, as it would educate the reader as to the "why", and not just the 'how".
   
   The content is a few years old, and more recent models are not included. This is something to keep in mind if you have a recent scooter with an unusual engine, such as a Yamaha C3, which is fuel-injected.
   
   One thing to be aware of is this book is apparently written for a British audience (Haynes Publishing is a British company). This means that British English is used throughout, as opposed to American English. You'll see "spanner" instead of "wrench", "petrol" instead of "gasoline", "tyre" instead of "tire", "circlip" instead of "retaining ring", "renew" instead of "replace", etc. This isn't a big deal, but may take some getting used to. Reference section 18 is about the MOT Test, which is given in England and not the U.S.A.
   
   In all this is a very handy and useful reference. Combine this with parts diagrams for your particular scooter (obtainable online), and you should be prepared to tackle most service tasks.

5 comments about Jupiters Travels: Four Years Around the World on a Triumph.

1. What can you say about "Jupiters Travels" that hasn't already been said? It's the quintessential motorcycle travel book, a book that inspired many men to undertake similar adventures. (Just watch Long Way Round or read Motorcycle Therapy: A Canadian Adventure in Central America to enjoy the stories of two such men.) Ted Simon will make you shake your head in wonder of his good fortune (at times) and his calm assurance that all will be well under circumstances that would make most men abandon hope. Well written and thought provoking, this is a must read for any motorcycle adventure enthusiast.



2. Contnet of trip around world found to be good however the way it is written it gets extremely boring and at time hard to understand. Have read "Long Way Round" and found that book to be great, but "Jupiters Travels" was dull.



3. This book is almost impossible to put down and is absolutely inspiring to read. Deaf to the pleas of my wife and children I read on into the night. I often felt I was actually there with Ted as he copes with some pretty dire stuff. As a New Zealand motorcyclist living in India I could relate so much to his experiences. More needs to be written about the amazing opportunities to ride in India, so perhaps with this as my inspiration its my turn.



4. This book is extremely well written. The author eludes to his journalism profession and it is eveident. A little too much "who am I" searching to suit me. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this book.



5. This book is about Ted Simon's experince of riding around the world. Not only does he write about his actual experinces, but he also writes about how he feels. Some parts of the trip are glossed over in just a paragraph while others take pages and pages. It was very interesting to see hwo he felt the trip changed his life. I would have given the book five stars, but it bogs down in places. This book is more about an adventure around the world than it is about motorcycling. Overall, it is a great story and worth reading.