No comments about Clymer Yamaha: Yfm80 Moto-4 & Yfm80 Badger : 1985-2001.

3 comments about Jean Davidson's Harley-Davidson Family Album.

1. This is a wonderful scrapbook of the history of the Harley
   Davidson Company on its 100th birthday. It is written by the
   grand daughter of Walter Davidson.There are a series of action
   pictures depicting the family in the early 1900s including
   a 1918 outing. The book explains the dynamics of testing
   each motorcycle directly from the assembly line. This rendition
   would make a perfect gift for a motorcycle enthusiast.



2. Jean Davidson's Harley-Davidson Family Album is a great gift for anyone who wants to know more about Harley-Davidsons. While most books about these wonderful motorcycles focus on the bikes and their impact on the culture, the Family Album describes the effect of the motorcycle on the founders and their families . . . and vice versa. It's a dimension of Harley-Davidson that I knew nothing about . . . and found to be fascinating.

   Jean Davidson is the granddaughter of Walter Davidson, the first president of the company, and her father was Gordon Davidson, a company vice president. She is a former dealer. She teams up with Sara Ann Harley-O'Hearn to add comments about both families. About half of the photographs were new to me, and the captions were priceless.

   The book opens with family trees of Davidsons and Harleys who are in the book so you can keep track of who's who.

   Then the book turns to how the families emigrated from Europe to Wisconsin in the late 1800s. Within five pages of photographs, you begin to see motorcycle images. The first classic is of Arthur Davidson with a friend holding up the fish they caught while sitting on a motorcycle and in a sidecar. The original idea behind the motorcycle was to help make it easier to go fishing. Go figure!

   The text is also interesting . . . including an explanation of why the company is called Harley-Davidson rather than Davidson-Harley.

   The family connections are interesting. The model called "Silent Grey Fellow" in 1914 employed the nickname for William Sylvester Harley. There's also a nice page on the first motorcycle and what happened to it through 1912.

   It wasn't all easy. In 1904 a household maid raided the company's cash jar, and left the company broke. The Davidson brothers' uncle, James McLay, came to the rescue. His photograph is included.

   Interspaced with the family materials are examples of motorcycles, advertisements and motion picture stills featuring motorcycles.

   One of my favorite family photographs shows the chauffeur who was used to drive the founder's wives around in a sidecar. Even though the family was prospering, they preferred their bikes!

   There are also photographs of the male founders working on bikes and even testing them.

   The book also describes the company's attitude toward having women work at the company (single women only in the early days).

   Just after I finished this book, I happened to see an advertisement for S.C. Johnson where the fourth generation and fifth generation members talked about how the company is the family and vice versa. I couldn't help but think that this observation is equally true of Harley-Davidson after enjoying this fine album.

   Photography fans should be warned, however, that like most family albums, these images are often not professional grade. They are often just like the snaps that your grandparents and parents took when they were young. To me, that aspect just added to the charm of the book.

   I was encouraged to take out our family album after looking at this one. I hope you will do the same.




3. But mine was very connected to motorcycles. I want to thank the authors of this book for having shared their very personal family information and pictures. This book and especially these families have had a profound effect on our ever shrinking planet and it's peoples. If you read for fun you will find great pleasure in this book and "THE SECOND COMING OF AGE" by: Vedrine; a must for every Harley Davidson enthusiast.

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

No comments about Bosozoku.

No comments about How to Build a Bonneville Salt Flats Motorcycle (Custom Builder).

3 comments about Yamaha Xs750 and XS850 . 1977-1981: Service, Repair, Performance.

1. Clymer is the name in repair manuals for motorcycles. This particular manual is well written and covers every component and system on the XS-750/850 motorcycles.



2. Very decently set up book with tremendously clear photographs of all the stuff you want to see. Especially when working with difficult parts it's very nice to be sure what you're doing. A real recommendation, this book, for everyone who enjoys keeping their Triple in top shape!



3. Very good book and very well detailed.

3 comments about Motocross Madness (The Hardy Boys #190).

1. For those of you who may not know, Motocross Madness, #190 in the long running Hardy Boys series, will be the FINAL volume in the series that began in 1927. The characters of Frank and Joe will live on in a new spinoff series, called Hardy Boys Undercover Brothers, to be released in June 2005, but it won't be the same Hardy Boys as you've come to know them. Over the years, there have been other Hardy Boys spinoff series, such as The Hardy Boys Casefiles, Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys Supermysteries, etc., but those series were published right alongside the original Hardy Boys Mystery Stories series, which continued to add new volumes. The Hardy Boys Mystery Stories had gone through many changes since 1927, including changes in publishers, going to paperback, having rewrites done, etc., but they still managed to survive through it all, and a collector could count on seeing a new title come along almost as sure as counting on the sun rising each day. Now however, the sun has set, and the last volume has arrived. It's hard to believe that this series has lasted through 16 Presidents, is older than The Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge, became a series only 15 years after New Mexico and Arizona became states, and a mere 24 years after the Wright Brothers invented the airplane, and yet continued clear until the 21st Century. I'm going to miss that thrill of looking forward to the next title in the series....



2. The latest (and, sadly, last) Hardy Boys story finds Frank and Joe at a motorcycle rally held to benefit a disabled young woman.
   Of course, this being a Hardy Boys story, there are plenty of thrills and mystery.
   Someone breaks into the rally sponsor's office, there's a mysterious fire, the Boys' friend has his motorcycle stolen, all in addition to plenty of motocross action!
   Naturally, Frank and Joe are deeply involved in the case and pursue the criminals right up to the exciting conclusion!



3. My son couldn't put this book down. So many boys don't like to read (probably the "cool factor"), but the Hardy Boys books always keep my son reading. He loved this one in particular since he races motocycles. He said it isn't acurate always in the terms used and such, but he really enjoyed it.

No comments about Kawasaki ZX600 (ZZ-R600 and Ninja ZX-6): Service and Repair Manual (Haynes Manuals).

1 comments about Triumph Motorcycles: Their Renaissance and the Hinckley Factory (Crowood Aviation S.).

1. If you are looking for a totally revised and updated edition of this book that was originally published in 1997, I am afraid that you will be disappointed with the 2006 edition. This is basically the same book as the 1997 edition with one fairly weak chapter added in an attempt to bring the book up-to-date, or probably more accurately, to sell more books. A great example is seen on pages 6 and 7 in a table entitled "A Modern History of the New Triumphs." The first date shown is 1984 and the most current date is October 1996. Nothing for the period 1997-2006. Hardly an update. Chapter 9 entitled "Transformation Complete" does make a half-hearted attempt to discuss the new T2 assembly plant, but, if you are a Bonneville fan, you will be sorely disappointed. There is only one poorly-written paragraph on Triumph's top-selling Bonneville T-100. And as for pictures -- Not here. You will only find two very small b&w pictures of the T-100, one 3/4 page b&w picture of a Thruxton Bonneville and one small b&w picture of a Scrambler.
   
   If you are interested in Bonnevilles and, particularly, the new Hinkley Bonnevilles, check out Steve Wilson's book entitled Bonneville - Triumph T120/T140. The final chapter entitled "New Millennium Bonneville", while only three pages long, is very good and has one full-color, full-page picture and two smaller full-color pictures of the T-100. All-in-all a very nice book.
   
   The bottom line? "Triumph Motorcycles - Their Renaissance and the Hinkley Factory" is no more than a warmed up 10 year old book. Buy it if that is what you are looking for, but personally, I was very disappointed.

3 comments about Grand National: America's Golden Age of Motorcycle Racing.

1. Scalzo's folksy attempt at writing is sophomoric and juvenile...His constant use of the so called jargon of the time is comedic at best and a disservice to the individuals that actually participated in this era of motorcycle racing history. For example, No one ever referred to Triumphs and BSA's as "Lime Juicers" as Scalzo maintains. He has also peppered the book with photos taken after the true "Grand National" period was over. I suppose using photos from modern day flat tracking was easier for him but I think he should have taken the extra time and effort and come up with photos strictly from the period he was supposedly documenting. Even the cover photo was taken long after the "Grand National" period was over. Take a pass on this book as it is not worth the money.



2. Great photos and info but could have used the Harley-Davidson name for the motorcycle rather than "hogs". It becomes iritating after the 20th time! Also could have used a profesional proof reader.



3. A must have for any fan of flattrack racing. Another example of the excellent writing of Joe Scalzo.