3 comments about John Penton and the Off-Road Motorcycle Revolution.

1. Ed Youngblood, long-time director of the American Motorcyclist Association, has put to ink the life story of John Penton, one of America's premier off-road racers, and his quest to build the perfect off-road motorcycle. This biography traces the roots of the Penton clan from their modest, rural-Ohio farmstead, through personal triumph and tragedy, and explores the man behind the famed Penton motorcycles that were so victorious in the late 60's through the late 70's in America and overseas. Any vintage off-road afficionado will appreciate this behind-the-scenes look at the Penton racing dynasty. John Penton was a man driven to succeed, driven to reach for his dreams, driven to prove to the world that the impossible could be realized. The off-road motorcycling world today owes so much to this man of vision. Youngblood's biography shows us what this man is made of.



2. A great story about a great man, a great bike, and a great era. Really brings back the memories about old enduros and six-days and actually explains why Penton, Bultaco, Ossa, Husky, etc., no longer exist.



3. I didn't know too much about Pentons before reading this book, but was always interested in the history and lore behind the name. This book tells the life story of John Penton, and how his involvement, passion, and vision helped revolutionize the US off-road motorcycle market. It is an inspiring story for any off-road enthusiast.

No comments about Colin Seeley: Racer ...and the rest.

No comments about The trials motorcyclist: How to buy, equip, and ride your bike in observed trials.

No comments about Motorcycle Yearbook 2008.

No comments about The Honda Story:Road And Racing Motorcycles From 1948 To The Present Day.

No comments about James Whitham: the autobiography.

2 comments about Motorcycle Road & Racing Chassis: A Modern Review of the Best Independents.

1. being an engineer and fan of custom sport bike chassis, I read this book with great anticipation. As a pictoral and light history of the covered companies, the book succeeds. As a detailed reference book, or a book that would provide any kind of in-depth technical detail, I was sorely disapointed.
   The book is well illustrated, and the author provides some insight into the different companies, but I consider it a light brushing rather than a thorough look at each.
   Also, contrary to the publisher's description, I did not find any "full specifications" for ANY chassis, and only a general specification for P&M chassis. Additionally, although the book has a first printing in November 2007, most chapter references seem to predate 2001 except brief paragraph notes at the end of some chapters telling if the company is still in business or not.
   I was also disapointed to find that other than a printed ad in the back of the book, there were no names, addresses, web sites, or phone #'s for any of the 15 companies included.
   As an interesting quick look at the companies, the book succeeds. As a detailed reference for someone looking for "a valuable refference for the trade" the book is mediocre at best.
   I would buy the book from the understanding that it is written with the depth of a magazine article rather than an in-depth textbook on the history of the companies involved.
   I hate to sound harsh in reviewing the book, but I have to give the book a C+.



2. The book is visually appealing, with high quality paper stock and some great photographs of handcrafted manchines. The book's written content suffers by comparison; there is too much filler in the form of engine specifications (how is this relevant in a book dedicated to chassis design/construction?), not enough content related to chassis specifications or construction, and some grievous editing errors. I would also have liked to learn more about the men who built/build these machines, the stories behind the bikes, but I can't necessarily count this as a fault, as the title hasn't strictly promised this. I don't regret buying it, but I have a more than casual interest in chassis design.

No comments about Moto Guzzi Story: Racing and production models from 1921 to the present.

No comments about Moto-Cross: The Golden Era.

3 comments about Ducati: The Official Racing History.

1. Even if you own every other Ducati book ever written, this is THE book to own! In association with the Ducati factory, this book shows their bikes in the factory museum. Well written with new information and exceptional photographs unlike any other Ducati book I own. Features the factory race bikes with some excellent info and photos of the standard bikes. Text is in English and was printed in Italy. EVERY motorcycle enthusiast should own this book. The best book bargain out there when purchased on Amazon. I was so impressed I bought two of them!



2. This book is detailed and high quality. Excellent for a coffee table piece. It is an inch thick, lot of content. Great value for the price.



3. I bought this book at Amazon.com because I just had to have it. I'm no Ducatisti, but I can appreciate Ducati racing history and I'll check out a Duc when I find one to look over the carbon fiber, expensive gold bits, and the chicken strips on the tires. And the famous Ducs are all here in this book for me to eye whenever I want. You get the usual development and racing history of each model in this book, but best of all, you get great pictures of vicious old Italian racers in black leathers and big 2-page layouts of the famous racers like Mike "The Bike" Hailwood's 900, Lucky's 750 F1, Doug Polen's 888 Superbike, and Foggy's 916. These pictures let you really get in there to inspect honest rock chips, race scrapes and battle scars. I took one star away from my rating because the text reads like a corny, congratulatory sales brochure, but it is the "Official Racing History" from the constructor so what do you expect? This book is pure motorcycle porn. If you love sportbikes or motorcycles in general, you need this book. It's worth every penny. Enjoy the ducs, but Ride Red.