A Short History of the Motorcycle

Author: Richard Hammond
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 0297609912
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 496

Book Description
What is it about bikes that leaves so many of us powerless to resist? This entertaining guide charts the history of the bike from its origin as a cheap means of transport to its modern incarnations: a symbol of rebellion, a high-tech racing machine and the rich kid's plaything. Richard Hammond, passionate biker and collector of bikes, looks at the machines that have propelled people across the world to work, to school - and occasionally to their doom. With his trademark expertise and wit, Hammond examines bikers of every type, from the happy farmer trundling through fields on his Honda Cub to the Hells Angel terrorising towns on their hog.

Born to Be Wild

Author: Randy D. McBee
Publisher: UNC Press Books
ISBN: 1469622734
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 374

Book Description
In 1947, 4,000 motorcycle hobbyists converged on Hollister, California. As images of dissolute bikers graced the pages of newspapers and magazines, the three-day gathering sparked the growth of a new subculture while also touching off national alarm. In the years that followed, the stereotypical leather-clad biker emerged in the American consciousness as a menace to law-abiding motorists and small towns. Yet a few short decades later, the motorcyclist, once menacing, became mainstream. To understand this shift, Randy D. McBee narrates the evolution of motorcycle culture since World War II. Along the way he examines the rebelliousness of early riders of the 1940s and 1950s, riders' increasing connection to violence and the counterculture in the 1960s and 1970s, the rich urban bikers of the 1990s and 2000s, and the factors that gave rise to a motorcycle rights movement. McBee's fascinating narrative of motorcycling's past and present reveals the biker as a crucial character in twentieth-century American life.

Harley-Davidson

Author: Margie Siegal
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 0747814953
Category : Antiques & Collectibles
Languages : en
Pages : 125

Book Description
Harley-Davidson: words that evoke the open American road and the 'Made in America' tradition like no others. The sweeping chopper handlebars, the distinctive throaty 'potato potato' roar of the engine and the unmistakable logo are all emblems recognized the world over. This book expertly ties together the mechanical evolution of the Harley's engines – from the earliest motorized pedal bicycles to the iconic heavyweight twin cylinder V-engines we know and love today – and the social history of the brand's phenomenal rise in the twentieth century, as innovative survivor of the Great Depression, supplier of the military during both World Wars and enduring symbol of freedom and rebellion in movies such as 'Easy Rider'. It is fully illustrated with pictures of the bikes and those who have ridden them as well as beautiful examples of H-D's distinctive design aesthetic in advertising and collectibles.

Japan's Motorcycle Wars

Author: Jeffrey W. Alexander
Publisher: UBC Press
ISBN: 0774858443
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 306

Book Description
For decades the crown jewels of Japan's postwar manufacturing industry, motorcycles remain one of Japan's top exports. Japan's Motorcycle Wars assesses the historical development and societal impact of the motorcycle industry, from the influence of motor sports on vehicle sales in the early 1900s to the postwar developments that led to the massive wave of motorization sweeping the Asia-Pacific region today. Jeffrey Alexander brings a wealth of information to light, providing English translations of transcripts, industry publications, and company histories that have until now been available only in Japanese. By exploring the industry as a whole, he reveals that Japan's motorcycle industry was characterized not by communitarian success but by misplaced loyalties, technical disasters, and brutal competition.

Biker's Handbook

Author: Jay Barbieri
Publisher: Motorbooks International
ISBN: 9780760332108
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 184

Book Description
Barbieri explains everything a new rider needs to know to become a real biker. By sharing the lessons he learned the hard way, Barbieri gives the new biker a head start to become more comfortable, credible, and knowledgeable about the motorcycle culture.

Indian Motorcycle(R)

Author: Darwin Holmstrom
Publisher: Motorbooks International
ISBN: 0760348634
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
"The complete story of Indian, America's first mass-produced motorcycle maker"--

The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles 3rd Edition

Author: Ian Falloon
Publisher: Motorbooks
ISBN: 0760392188
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 311

Book Description
The ultimate illustrated reference for Triumph lovers and fans of British motorcycles, this revised and updated third edition collects all the motorcycles from this iconic brand through 2024. Originally formed as a bicycle company in 1885, Triumph produced its first motorcycle in 1902, which was simply a bicycle fitted with a Belgian Minerva engine. From there, the company, in various iterations, went on to build some of the most iconic motorcycles of all time. Written by respected Triumph expert Ian Falloon, the third edition of The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles: 1937 to Todaycovers all the major and minor models, including: The legendary 1937 Speed Twin Era-defining motorcycles such as the Thunderbird, Tiger, Trophy, and Bonneville Modern machines such as the Speed Triple, Thruxton, Tiger adventure bikes, Speed 400, and Rocket III Non-production models and factory racing and speed-record-setting motorcycles that have become integral parts of Triumph’s stellar reputation Detailed technical specifications are included alongside compelling photography, much of it sourced from Triumph’s archives. Sidebars offer Triumph cultural snapshots like The Wild One film, actor James Dean, land-speed record setters, Steve McQueen’s racers, and competition stories. This is the book no Triumph fan should be without!

The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle

Author: Hugo Wilson
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780751302066
Category : Motorcycles
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
The Motorcycle Encyclopaedia is a complete and comprehensive reference work. The book is designed in two major sections. The first is a photo-gallery of over 400 classic motorbikes, alphabetically arranged by manufacturers, with all their significant models covered in detail. The second section lists every maker from the inception of motorcycling to the present day, and includes rare photographs and design blueprints. Each manufacturer is profiled, from ABC to Sundapp through giants of the industry like Honda and extinct but fondly remembered producers like Vincent and Velocette.

The Winged Wheel Patch

Author: Max Burns
Publisher: St. Catharines, Ont. : Vanwell Pub.
ISBN: 9780920277850
Category : Motorcycles, Military
Languages : en
Pages : 159

Book Description

A Short Ride in the Jungle

Author: Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent
Publisher: Lost Classics Book Company
ISBN: 9781890623487
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This is not only the thrilling tale of a daring adventure on an aging motorcycle; it is also the story of Southeast Asia's legendary Ho Chi Minh Trail, and of a war, the effects of which can still be seen across the region and in the hearts of not only its people but of the many Americans whose lives were touched forever by it.Follow Antonia as she retraces the footsteps and tank tracks of this famous supply line through the mountains and jungles of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. Alone on a diminutive pink motorcycle, she encounters bomb craters, unexploded ordnance, mud, mountains, jungle, disappointment, and triumph--and almost without fail, cheerful and generous people along her path.