1 comments about Anatomy of the Chopper.

1. Doug Mitchel has already photographed and chronicled other books on the topic of motorcycles and bicycles - and if his name sounds familiar, it's because it also appears on articles he's contributed to Hot Rod Bikes, Harley Women, and others. Here full-page color photos of selected choppers supplement discussions of design choices, specs, and features, including reviews of specialty makers who prefer unusual clients. Descriptions are as exact as tank making methods for unique designs, unusual powerful cycle systems by custom makers, and survey of companies on the cutting edge of chopper production. It's a chopper fan's dream guide.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

1 comments about The Great Book of Harley Davidson.

1. This is a huge and heavy book, well printed in Indonesia on what seem to be top-notch materials. Except for a bit of excessive contrast in some of the old black & white illustrations, you really couldn't ask for higher production values. The work is a repackaging of two earlier works, "Harley Davidson, a Way of Life, a Hundred Year Old Myth" (2002) and "Harley Davidson, Evolution of the Myth" (1999), which in turn seem to be related to a number of similar titles published by the same authors in English, Spanish and French over the past ten years. But none of that detracts from the current title, at least for those who, like this reviewer, don't already own the earlier works. If this is an English translation, it is a fluent one.
   
   The first third of the book goes over the history of the company and its products - even bicycles! - in good detail, with extensive photos of personalities, machines and even period literature. The photos are generally very good or better, and they alternate between close-ups, detail shots and typical advertising brochure-type product overviews to maintain your interest. There are many, many other Harley books that cover this same ground with equally good photography, but I am not aware of any which actually do a better job.
   
   The accompanying narrative seems to be equally comprehensive and balanced, although I've not yet read it all carefully enough to say how accurate it all is with any certainty. It certainly seems to be well done, though, and I found the parts I read interesting as well as keyed in well with the nearby photos.
   
   The remainder of the book, however, really makes the whole project for this reviewer: The authors have not only a love of beautiful restorations and classic, factory-stock Harleys, but also a passion for the infinite variety of "customs" that Harley owners and professional builders have churned out in great numbers over the past half-century or more. The illustrations chosen run a fantastic gamut from the bizarre to the beautiful... well illustrating the creativity and individualism which have come to be identified with this quintessentially American marque.
   
   Does this review sound like something written by the stereotypical "outlaw biker" or Harley fanatic? Well, no, actually... I've ridden "most vroom for the buck" Japanese bikes and über-practical BMWs for most of my life! But unless you have no soul at all it's impossible not to appreciate the Harley as both a riding "experience" - pretty unique until quite recently, when the Japanese finally got their American-style V-Twin clones "right" - and as an art form and starting point for individual expression - for which H-D is still unmatched. This book, by two French admirers, very admirably conveys the feeling so many have for Harley-Davidsons of all sorts... and will encourage a lot of new purchases!

3 comments about Motorcycle Track Day Handbook.

1. I'm a WERA racer and also put on a couple track days for our local club, The Floribama Riders, at Barber and Talladega GP. This book is excellent for guys wanting to do their first track day all the way to the beginning racer. Covers prep, suspension, gear, etc. This book has been needed for a long time.



2. From the title of this book I expected a coherent, step by step guide to track days. What you get instead is a personal journal of his riding experiences with some VERY BASIC, guide to track days. This book is only for the true beginning rider, anyone with any experience will find little new or useful.



3. I found this book to be a great help with preparing to ride on the track. It goes over all of the basics (safety wire, suspension, protective equipment, etc.). Also, the author's writing style was humorous and kept me entertained.
   
   My only complaint was the section on entering roadracing on a small budget. He talked of so many add-ons that, in my opinion, it was not low budget. He did say that you can race a stock bike, but did not discuss what you would need to do to prepare the bike for racing.
   
   The author's level of riding also seemed pretty high before he started riding on the track. This gave him higher expectations of his abilities than I believe most people should have.
   
   Again, I thought this book was excellent.

1 comments about Kawasaki Vn1500 Vulcan, 1987-1999: Service, Repair, Maintenance (Clymer Motorcycle Repair) (Clymer Motorcycle Repair).

1. Shop manual is a great help for giving all the detail information you may need to make repairs. It is far better than the one put out by Kawaski.Wish I could have had some info on the air valves or whatever they are that come out of the cyls.

1 comments about Clymer Honda CRF250R, CRF250X, CRF450R & CRF450X 2002-2005 (Clymer Motorcycle Repair) (Clymer Motorcycle Repair).

1. liked the detail and very helpful for the home mechanic to maintain our own bikes.

1 comments about Haynes Yamaha Kodiak & Grizzly ATVs Owners Workshop Manual: 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive 1993 to 2005 (Owners Workshop Manual).

1. Following this repair book is a lot better than trying to make repairs without any guide. This is the only book I have tried on this model ATV so I do not know if there are better ones available. The step by step instructions and photos were very helpful though I would have liked to see some exploded views. It was also helpful that it is written for someone doing repairs at home and not a "factory shop manual" that assumes that you have a lot of special tools and training. I followed this book to rebuild the front suspension of my 2003 Grizzly 660 and found it to be accurate and have enough information for my model to get the job done.

No comments about Twist and Go Scooter Service and Repair Manual (Haynes Motorcycle Manuals).

4 comments about Honda Motorcycles The Ultimate Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Every Honda Motorcycle Ever Built.

1. First off, unless Amazon has updated their picture, the subtitle on the cover is not "Everything You Need To Know About Every Honda Ever Built" but it actually says "...Every Honda Street Bike Ever Built". Even that is not quite correct. If you take that as every street legal Honda you will notice that all the SL and XL models that are street legal trail bikes are missing but the CT90/110 is included. I only noticed a couple of street models missing, an example is the MB5 is included but the NS50 is not, but the information is sparse and inconsistent. If you are trying to identify some Honda by color or decals this book may help you but if you are looking for true technical information it is lacking. Most of the information presented is similar to what you would read in product brochure for that model without any true technical information. There are many errors in the information presented. The author tells you the CB350G has a disk brake but then shows a picture of a CB350K4 and has it labeled a CB350G. This is just one example of many errors in the book. There are many photos but there are normally several photos of the same bike so don't look for a photo of each model of each year or even half of them. There is a pricing guide for the early, 1980 and earlier, models that is handy if you are looking to purchase one of the older bikes. Overall I'd say this book's title far overreaches the actual book. If you really want to know the differences in years and all the U.S. models the "Honda Motorcycle Identification Guide" is a much better reference. For the early years I recommend Roy Bacon's "Honda- The Early Classic Motorcycles" which is based on the U.K models from 1947 1977.



2. Excellent overview of Honda's I had forgotten about. Covers all models Technical data OK, not indepth, however give excellent general info.



3. Is Dougs' book the Ultimate Guide to Hondas, No. Is it worthwhile, indeed. When you consider the immense product line Honda has manufactured over the years, it would be quite challenging to cover each and every model in detail. But Mr.Mitchell has done a fine job of covering the majority of very popular models, and the color photography is superb. Most examples of the bikes are in excellent condition, and a few, namely the MB-5 were not. But I can only begin to imagine what is involved to find perfect examples of all of these bikes covered. If you love Hondas, you won't be disappointed by this book.



4. Why no mention or pics of the SL series or the cool small trail bikes from 1970? Was hoping to relive a bit of my childhood here.

No comments about Fast Dates 2009 World Superbike Swimsut Model Calendar.

5 comments about Rebuilding the Indian: A Memoir.

1. I really enjoyed Fred Haefele's Rebuilding the Indian: A Memoir. This book is a delight. I liked it on several levels...there is real wrench-turning and parts hunting tales...there are colorful characters...there is a man undergoing a self-actualization and maturity coming to realize just what it means to be a man. He figures out where he fits in between his dad, his grown kids and his first and second wife and new baby all the while building a big motorcycle and running a arborist business. And it is fun while he is doing it.
   I gave it to my wife (a high school English teacher) and she gave it to some of her 11th grade reluctant readers who are more at home turning wrenches than they are writing essays. It appealed to these kids tremendously.
   I don't have a motorcycle and I am not going to build one but I do love reading about it. I found this to be a great book. If you like this one you may also like A Cliff Walk by Don Snyder.



2. I picked this book up at a garage sale or some such and had it for a while before reading it. What a delightful surprise it was. Author Haefele, whose life is in a bit of a mess (divorce, career problems, kid problems), sets about restoring an Indian Chief. The Chiefs were the premier line of the once-great Indian motorcycle company and highly valued now by collectors.
   
   Along the way he encounters an eccentric cast of Indian motorcycle enthusiasts. Skilled artisans of sheet metal and engine restoration populate this book's pages, some in dingy, crowded shops, others in clean, professional places. Haefele records the trips tracking down Indian parts and the real characters he encounters along the way. His partner (Chaz, I believe) packs a pistol on one exploratory trip.
   
   As the restoration goes along Haefele finds his life mending too. A new wonderful woman in his life, along with a beautiful baby girl, and his professional life reviving too. Whatever the reason, the gradually resurrecting Indian seems to pace his life coming together too.
   
   He paints it Midnight Blue, definitely not a factory color, but one that works. His description of the first ride on the Indian is vivid--I had no idea how difficult it would be for modern motorcyclists to use a foot clutch, hand shift, left-hand throttle motorcycle. A satisfying book to read, and it's nice to know that another Indian motorcycle was rescued from the dumps.



3. 'Rebuilding the Indian' is not a step by step "how to" book on motorcycle restoration. It is the personal journey of a man finally beginning his dream. He had to do it with limited finances but with the support of a great family. Having taken similar journeys I found it a great read. It was fun to learn the same characters can be found in Montana collecting and saving rare motorcycles and parts as in the more densly populated areas of the country.
   The author was not only a motorcycle enthusiast but writer that was able to become published.



4. I found "Rebuilding the Indian" on the clearance shelf of a bookstore in Napa, California; for just $9.99. Being a motorcyclist, I figured I'd pick it up. If it turned out to be an awful book, well, only ten dollars wasted.
   
   But what a pleasure it turned out to be. Not just a book about restoring an Indian, it's more about the Author's journey through life, his failed first marriage, his blissful second marriage, and the birth of his third child. Putting the bike back together seems to be a metaphor for his life, as he attempts to resurrect his writing and teaching careers. The restoration itself is an exercise in frustration and hilarity, and an experience I can entirely relate to; doing whatever it takes to get the bike running at the very end, when you need that last nut or bolt, it's midnight, and nearest bike shop is closed. It's no Hemingway novel, to be sure, but it's easy to read, entertaining, and touching to the soul.
   
   If you're into motorcycles at all, or have ever contemplated buying a basketcase of your own, this is a must read. Highly recommended.



5. Ladies - if you're husband is an "Indian Motorcycle Lover" this is a great present for him! I gave this to my husband last Christmas and it was by far one of the best presents he ever received in our 23 years of marriage. He couldn't put it down. A must have for anyone who has an Indian Motorcycle and especially who rebuilt it. Hope this helped - blessings to all! Anyone reading this - do you have another Indian suggestion for me - I'd love to give him another great book for this Christmas!