5 comments about She's a Bad Motorcycle: Writers on Riding.

1. What a crock!Either this editor doesn't ride or he just doesn't get it.This compilation of stories about "riding" misses the mark...that is,unless your idea of riding is endless accounts of "outlaw bikers" lifestyles and detailed accounts of their continuous partying.The few stories contained which actually have a theme about the sensations and joys of undertaking a trip on two wheels could almost be printed on the jacket.Get a clue,or better yet,get Peter Egan's "Leanings".



2. I make a point of bringing a motorcycle book to read when my husband and I go on our annual bike tour. This year, I brought Bad Motorcycle. It's an interesting and eclectic collection of stories, essays and a poem (yes, it sucked. More on that later).

   The writing styles and quality are as varied and diverse as motorcycle riders and the bikes we ride. Its not surprising that the book starts with a piece from Melissa Holbrook-Pierson's The Perfect Vehicle. She is able to describe the indescribable nuances about riding in a fluid, poetic and natural style. If you love motorcycles, do yourself a favor and buy The Perfect Vehicle. It's not without its flaws, but so well-written, the flaws are easy to overlook (which is more than I can say for a lot of writers.)

   After reading a segment from Robert Fulton's One Man Caravan, I ordered the book because I couldn't get enough of his tales of derring-do during the 1930s.

   For those who aren't into motorcycles, there are basically two types of motorcyclists. Harley-Davidsons and everyone else. I would fall under the 'everyone else' category. To me, motorcycling is like religion. Not everyone is into the same thing, but I totally respect people's choices. It's what makes the world go 'round. However, not being of the Harley faith, I found the piece by Hell's Angel pioneer, Sonny Barger to be OUTSTANDING. In the too short chapter of the book, Sonny bares a surprising amount of his soul with funny, insightful and intelligent writing. It has given me a new perspective on Harley riders.

   Buried in the back of the book is a piece by Rachel Kushner which briefly chronicles her adventures racing in Baja. I was so intrigued, as soon as I finished it, I reread it.

   Other memorable excerpts include Che Guevara's Motorcycle Diaries, Allen Norem's Storm, and Denis Johnson's Bikers for Jesus.

   I read Hunter S. Thompson's piece on Hell's Angels. After reading it, I didn't really feel compelled to read the other stuff on Hell's Angels. However - and I knew I shouldn't have done this, but did it anyway - I read Diane Wakoski's poem My Hell's Angel. This sentimental pap from a groupie wannabe has no place in this book. How this made the cut is beyond me, but whatever. Any writer who writes about how beautiful she looks standing on a beach is a pretty good indicator of lame writing ahead.

   And I'm going to go out on a limb here, and I'm sure this will ruffle the feathers of a lot of riders out there, but I think Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenence has to be one of the most overrated books of all time. There. I've said it. The emperor has no clothes. Clearly I lack the highbrow intellegence and depth to fully grasp the intellectual pomposity of this (IMHO) overly verbose, boring collection of printed hot air. I first tried reading it before I started riding motorcycles and couldn't finish it. Then years later I tried reading it again after I started riding and still couldn't finish it. But then again, I took a philosophy class in college and didn't care for it. It seemed like a bunch of overeducated people expounding on how the world SHOULD be and not how it REALLY is.




3. My favorites chapters in this anthology were Ted Simon's from Jupiter's Travels, Robert Fulton's from One Man Caravan, and of course, Robert Pirsig's from Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (which is a great read as well as a great ride). Eric Burdon's piece on Steve McQueen wasn't half bad either.

   But there's far too much chaff with this wheat. About half of the chapters in this collection waste space on Hell's Angels and related gangery, much of which is bad fiction, dull fact, or has nothing to do with motorcycles. The lone standout is Sonny Barger's chapter which really is classic.

   In the end, I think this book's value is twofold -- 1) you get perspective on the variety of riders, their perspectives, and their writing styles, and 2) it suggests further sources of motorcycle literature. But because the caliber of contributions perhaps befittingly matches the lack of sophistication or maturity of many bikers, I suggest that you borrow a copy (or buy used) and then do a lot of skimming.




4. The idea of this book -- a collection of short stories that explore the rich phenomenon of why people ride motorcycles -- is terrific; but the execution is disgusting. Anyone genuinely clueless and curious about why people ride would get a perverse enlightenment from SHE'S A BAD MOTORCYCLE. Just one story from a Hell's Angel perspective would have been plenty. Instead, most of the selections are from motorcycle gang members who are too busy bragging about raping, terrorizing, torturing, and pillaging to bother with good writing. Few ever get around to the subject of what motorcycle riding means to them.
   
   Zanetti also seems to have trouble finding a ride out of California. The other 49 states are severely under represented.
   
   The only reason this book is worth even 2 stars is that it includes a couple token gems that deserve far better company. Entries from Melissa Holbrook Pierson, Robert F. Fulton, and a handful of others aren't enough to make the book worth buying; but they are well worth reading on their own.



5. I enjoyed a couple of the stories but the rest of them served to repeatedly remind me: these stories were written by WRITERS (I should've paid more attention to the subtitle.)...not by motorcyclists, bikers, enthusiasts, etc. If you absolutely love motorcycles then you'll likely find the stories to be trite, self-aggrandizing, and irrelevant. Most of the "writers" treat bikes as transient items in their respective lives...mere accessories to their inflated sense of "coolness" and self-importance. The book is filled with stories that follow the "I did this, I did that, I knew him, I saw this" model.

No comments about Dirt Bikes (Cool Rides).

No comments about Honda Foreman 400/450 ATVs 1995 Thru 2002 (Haynes Manuals).

No comments about Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird 1997 to 2002 (Haynes Service & Repair Manual).

No comments about Streetbikes: Everything You Need to Know.

4 comments about Bonnie: The Development of the Triumph Bonneville.

1. This is essentially a specifications manual. It is a very important book if you plan on purchasing a Bonneville and you want to verify serial numbers, color, options, etc. With this book you will be able to tell whether someone painted the bike a different color or if they are trying to sell you something other than what they say; e.g., a 100% stock original bike.



2. This work is essential in restoring any Bonneville. It contains charts of part number changes over each year of the models life. Tim Yeatma



3. Only book with detailed parts and specification numbers for all Bonnevilles. Great listing by year displaying differences and colors. Needs index and narrative past 1976.



4. Good book overall, many pictures of Trimph legends, pictures of most 650 twin-carb models for every year, very detailled specs. Only drawbacks are black-and-white photos only and no index, but things are easy to find; also, the two-page major part number appendix is a picture of a hand-drawn chart and is difficult to read in spots. You need this book if you have to tell the difference between the U.S. east coast and west coast 1964 T120C 'TT' models, for instance. (West coast had 17T gearbox sprocket and a black seat with white piping.) Or, you need this book if you like Bonnies...

1 comments about Motorcycles! (Step into Reading).

1. My 3 year old is into motorcycles. We happened upon this book at our local Walmart. He has the book completely memorized. It's been months and we still read it regularly. I had to limit it, actually. He LOVES it. He points out the parts of the motorcyles he sees, tells me what kind he sees. All of this is covered in the book. The pictures are abundant and interesting. It's got lots of information for older children (up to age 7 or 8) but still basic enough for a bright 2.5 or 3 year old who is an enthusiast. I can't believe I am writing the first review for this book. I highly recommend it and am looking for more books like this in the step into reading series that are of interest to him. Not all the books in the series have been a hit, but this one is, hands down, his favorite.

1 comments about Honda CX/GL500 & 650 - V-Twins: 497cc-673cc., 1978 to 1986 (Owners Workshop Manual).

1. Very helpful, well worth the purchase price in saving over having a shop do the same work!

No comments about Hogs On 66: Best Feed and Hangouts for Roadtrips on Route 66.

4 comments about Kiwis Might Fly.

1. It's difficult to write travel books with a "twist" but Polly Evans has a pretty good try here in a book that has two on the go at the same time. First, a lady with no previous motorbiking experience passes her test in the UK and, only a couple of weeks later, hires a 500cc road bike to circumnavigate the whole of New Zealand. Brave or stupid, her gradual mastery of this "monster" provides an engaging backdrop to the journey and results in a series of hilarious problems. Second, she sets out not only to see the country but to discover whether the traditional Kiwi male - the pioneer who could mend a clapped out tractor with a rubber band - still exists. A quest which allows her to include some fascinating facts about New Zealand's development, takes her to places that most tourists miss, and gives her the opportunity to ruminate on the issues facing a traditionally male dominated society in the process of change.
   
   All good stuff but the problem is that, as with many "I'm off to see the country in a few weeks" travel books, she can only scratch the surface of the place. For example, in Christchurch she takes an immediate dislike to its "faux" Englishness, with its boatered punters and its school children in 1950's uniform, without having the time or inclination to get behind why these things exist. As a result, her conclusion that the city is in some form of ridiculously nostalgic time warp completely misses the point that this need to replicate the safety & security of "home" was an integral part of the male "pioneering spirit" she is in fact seeking, and that Christchurch with its strong links to rural farming communities still embodies, more than any other of New Zealand's major cities, this particular aspect of its history and life.
   
   Truth is that it's virtually impossible to draw objective conclusions about a country or its people without immersing yourself in it and, with only a couple of days in each place, what she in fact ends up with is a series of intriguing snapshots rather than any real answers to the question she sets herself. But, no matter, because, in the end, it's an enjoyable ramble which, on the way, provides an excellent "primer" into New Zealand's history, captures a great deal of what a tourist can expect to see when there, and includes some wonderfully entertaining incidents as you follow her round its beautiful landscapes on her huge machine.



2. This book is less about The Kiwi Man (its ostensible theme) than it is about Polly Evans and her newfound love of motorcycling. If you want a sometimes entertining overview of things to do and see in New Zealand, this isn't a bad choice, but a cursory overview is all it is. I read it in an afternoon. Deep, it's not: some of the background info sounds as if she pulled it off of a tourist brochure. And it could use a good editor (why, or why, does she get paid to write books when she doesn't know the difference between further and farther?) I got none of that Bill Bryson I-love-these guys feeling for the people of New Zealand, nor did I get that (often entertaining) sense of grumpy irritation that so many travel writers affect (though she sometmes seems to attempt it, it just comes off as mean and off-point, as with the minister's wife and the potato peeler...very odd). Come to think of it, I learned very little about New Zealand at all, other than it's very pretty, has a wide range of weather and topography, offers some nice roads for motorcycling, and is filled with mostly nice people who are happy to help tourists. I knew all of this. Oh, I did learn that it's frighteningly easy for a novice to rent an oversized motorcycle there.
   
   Ms. Evans has to reach way too hard to incorporate her "theme" through most of the book (her attempt to tie it all together in the last pages is laughable). She occasionally tries out an overly arch tone that is intensely irritating -- I found myself skimming those parts -- and she sometimes falls into the "and then I went here and turned around and went there" style of a boring blog. Perhaps this would have been better if she'd been honest about her real subjects -- her motorcycle and herself. Presumably, the meaningless title for this book was chosen by the publishing house, as it has nothing to do with the text. Maybe there are too many chick-motorcycle-travel books for yet another, but a more honest tile for this book would have been something like _Kawasaki Kiwi: How I Got My Groove On and Learned to Fly_. After all, what really happened is that this gal had an affair with a bike. It just happened to have happened in New Zealand. The search for The Kiwi Man had sod all to do with it.



3. I picked up her book on bicycling in Spain at the library and liked it so much I bought Fried Eggs and Chopsticks and eagarly awaited the release of Kiwis Might Fly. Her books are written for the arm-chair traveler to laugh over but not emulate. Her personal experiences plus brief forays into history make a very enjoyable read.



4. I was given this book from a friend as a vague taster of NZ before I headed down there for a year and they seriously recommended reading it. I didnt know much about New Zealand and didnt really feel like I needed to know much about its history or landscape. But as I started reading this book I was suddenly fuelled with intregue and curiosity about the beauty of NZ and how it came to be. Based on a personal perspective of Polly Evans who decided one day that she's bored of Rainy England and feels it a good idea to ride around NZ on a 600cc on a mission to find out if the modern Kiwi bloke really is on the verge of extinction, this extremely funny book boasts educational references, drama, personal reflection and a fairly decent overview of NZ as a whole. Despite the strange theme, the book delves into personal experiences of many of the sights and attractions around NZ, clear and detailed references to the history different places and events, lots of good clean British humour and an engrosing writing style of adventure. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be inspiring and and exteremly interesting. Plus there arent many books that make me laugh out loud, and this one did, a lot! I've also used this book as a good reference to many trips out so far, handy!