- Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/community/riders-library/ Motorcycle Reviews, News on Motorcycles, Specs, Test & Race Results Tue, 04 Jun 2024 05:55:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cropped-UltimateMoto_Circle-512x512-1-32x32.png - Ultimate Motorcycling https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/community/riders-library/ 32 32 Triumph: Pictorial History of the Great British Marque Book Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/06/03/triumph-pictorial-history-of-the-great-british-marque-book-review/ Tue, 04 Jun 2024 03:34:55 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=278036 It is unlikely you’ll find anyone with greater insight and experience in the pantheon of great British motorcycle brands than author James Robinson. He edited the Mortons Scrapbook Series we reviewed some years ago, which covered AJS and Matchless, Norton, BSA, and Triumph. He is also the Editor of the Mortons-published The Classic Motor Cycle […]

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]]> The Rambler’s Companion Book Review [Riders Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/05/03/the-ramblers-companion-book-review-riders-library/ Fri, 03 May 2024 22:22:37 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=277170 Richard Worsham is not out to change the world. Well, at least, not the entire world. Worsham is out to help us re-think how we see the world of motorcycles and motorcycling. In his new book, The Rambler’s Companion, Or, the Art, Practice, & Enjoyment of Lightweight Motorcycling, Worsham helps us reconnect with the kind […]

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]]> The Dunlop Dynasty Book Review [Rider’s Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2024/03/04/the-dunlop-dynasty-book-review-riders-library/ Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:11:33 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=275514 Among the legendary names in professional motorcycle road racing, most of the greatest names refer only to one individual, not multiple greats from the same family—not so with Northern Ireland’s Dunlop family. The story has the scope and scale to require remarkable skill and experience to tell it properly. Stephen Davison is just such an […]

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]]> Top 10 Motorcycle Reads from 10 Years of Rider’s Library https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/23/top-10-motorcycle-reads-from-10-years-of-riders-library/ Sun, 24 Dec 2023 06:45:02 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=273409 Ten years ago, I got the green light for my idea of curating a Rider’s Library. The goal was to give some space to motorcycle literature, both new and old, knowing that motorcycle riders are often readers with a great interest in the incredible range of motorcycle literature topics. That makes Ultimate Motorcycling the only […]

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]]> Book Review: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Pirsig https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/12/16/book-review-zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance-by-pirsig/ Sun, 17 Dec 2023 06:33:01 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=272737 It should first be explained that Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values is only marginally about motorcycling or maintenance. Still, the elements of bikes and riding author Robert Pirsig does include are both insightful and thought-provoking. This is essentially a diary recounting a nonfiction 17-day motorcycle road trip from Minnesota […]

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]]> Superbike – An Illustrated Early History Book Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/10/30/superbike-an-illustrated-early-history-book-review/ Mon, 30 Oct 2023 21:17:16 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=271028 There was a time when high-performance motorcycles ridden by top professional racers who could push them to the ragged edge looked like street bikes we mere mortals could buy off the showroom floor. At a glance, you could almost mistake one for the other. On closer examination, the differences would become evident. Superbike — An […]

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]]> Secret Upper Peninsula Book Review [Riders Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/10/13/secret-upper-peninsula-book-review-riders-library/ Sat, 14 Oct 2023 01:19:49 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=270631 Spectacular fall colors are already popping across the northern tier of states here in the U.S. of A. Perhaps few places offer as great a place to take it all in on a fall color ride or touring destination as Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Ottawa National Forest embraces more than a million acres of woodland. […]

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]]> The Craft & Art of Motorcycling Book Review [Riders Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/09/02/the-craft-art-of-motorcycling-book-review-riders-library/ Sat, 02 Sep 2023 07:44:08 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269394 Steve Krugman’s new book, The Craft & Art of Motorcycling from First Ride to the Road Ahead, is an amazingly comprehensive textbook in content. It is also a disarmingly imaginative book in presentation, so it doesn’t come across as a dry textbook. It deals with the serious subject of how to ride well-equipped motorcycles and […]

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]]> Ride Free – A Memoir by Willie G. Davidson Book Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/08/30/ride-free-a-memoir-by-willie-g-davidson-book-review/ Wed, 30 Aug 2023 08:06:29 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=269342 The word “iconic” is a word I tend to try to avoid because it is so overused in current journalism that it has lost much of its meaning. This, however, is an exception. Now in his 90th year, Willie G. Davidson is a truly iconic figure in the motorcycle world. He has done a lot […]

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]]> Ultimate Collector Motorcycles Book Review [Riders Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/05/20/ultimate-collector-motorcycles/ Sun, 21 May 2023 05:46:30 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=266258 Masterpiece. Stunning. Superb. Roll out the superlatives; they all apply to Ultimate Collector Motorcycles by Charlotte & Peter Fiell, as it is the ne plus ultra of classic motorcycle literature. There is little this magnificent two-volume set does not offer the serious motorcyclist, collector, aficionado, broker, trader, builder, designer, restorer, historian, or expert. Of the […]

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]]> From Chemo to Throttle Book Review [Riders Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/04/17/from-chemo-to-throttle-book-review-riders-library/ Tue, 18 Apr 2023 01:43:50 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=265503 Learning to ride a motorcycle can be a real challenge for anyone. Even those with full use of both hands. For Angie Sandow, it was far more daunting because she didn’t have the use of both hands. Her left hand has full function, but her right hand was incomplete from birth. Let’s let that sink […]

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]]> Classic Motorcycles Book Review [32 Bikes Road Tested] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/02/26/classic-motorcycles-book-review-32-bikes-road-tested/ Mon, 27 Feb 2023 06:08:53 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=264135 Over the years, author Lester Morris has ridden some of the world’s rarest, most expensive, and highly exotic motorcycles and written comprehensive road tests on them. His latest book, Classic Motorcycles 32 Great Bikes and their Road Test Reports, compiles updated road tests of some of the most interesting bikes. When I got in touch […]

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]]> “Going the Wrong Way” Motorcycle Book Review [Rider’s Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/02/24/going-the-wrong-way-motorcycle-book-review-riders-library/ Sat, 25 Feb 2023 06:09:55 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=264103 In the 1970s, Northern Ireland’s Belfast was a cauldron of sectarian strife and violence. Disillusioned 21-one-year-old Chris Donaldson, the eventual author of “Going the Wrong Way”, decided to see if the world—specifically that part of it called Australia—had something better to offer. His ticket out was a Moto Guzzi Le Mans motorcycle; his passport was […]

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]]> The Art of Advertising – BSA Promotional Art 1967-1970 Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/02/05/the-art-of-advertising-bsa/ Mon, 06 Feb 2023 07:04:44 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=263712 Three of Brad Jones’ recent books provide a history of the BSA brand of motorcycles that is quite unlike that available on any other brand. The series includes BSA Motorcycles – The Final Evolution, From the Inside – BSA/Triumph’s Umberslade Hall Research Establishment Revealed. Now, Jones has added The Art of Advertising – BSA Promotional […]

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]]> MV Agusta Since 1945 Book Review: Birth, Death and Resurrection https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2023/01/22/mv-agusta-since-1945-book-review-birth-death-and-resurrection/ Mon, 23 Jan 2023 06:56:46 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=263440 Though the book’s title—MV Agusta Since 1945—indicates Ian Falloon tells the MV Agusta story only from 1945 onward, the author also provides background on the company’s deeper origins as an aircraft manufacturer before World War I. Falloon also provides insight into the Italian firm’s adaptations and survival during the Great Depression and immediately after World […]

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]]> Motorcycle Streamliner Book Review [Rider’s Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/12/28/motorcycle-streamliner-book-review-riders-library/ Thu, 29 Dec 2022 01:37:52 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=262751 If you didn’t know any other name associated with motorcycle land speed racing, here’s one to remember: Denis Manning. Manning has designed and built more land speed record-setting motorcycles than anybody. The AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame member’s land speed racing career stretches back six decades and includes being the designer, builder, and leader of […]

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]]> Freddie Spencer Autobiography Book Review [Feel: My Story] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/12/19/freddie-spencer-autobiography-book-review-feel-my-story/ Tue, 20 Dec 2022 01:45:43 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=262585 These days we are exposed to overwhelming amounts of information on MotoGP racers’ lives—detailed blow-by-blow reports of injuries they may be struggling with to their love lives, and death was a perennial threat. “Feel: My Story”, a reflective autobiography by Freddie Spencer (with Rick Broadbent), is a unique insight into a world full of exploits […]

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]]> The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride Book Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/12/06/the-distinguished-gentlemans-ride-book-review/ Wed, 07 Dec 2022 07:18:54 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=262323 It has been a decade since the first Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride in 2012. This ever-growing event first occurred in Sydney, Australia, the brainchild of Mark Hawwa. Inspired by a photo of Mad Men’s Don Draper astride a classic motorcycle in a business suit, Hawwa writes that he thought, “What if there was a bigger, more […]

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]]> “Jump First, Think Fast” Book Review [Gilroy Indian and more] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/11/14/jump-first-think-fast-book-review-gilroy-indian-and-more/ Tue, 15 Nov 2022 07:06:49 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=261667 Frank J. O’Connell is perhaps one of the most broadly experienced top business executives ever to lead a motorcycle manufacturing company. He is also a serious motorcycle enthusiast who has written a new book: “Jump First, Think Fast — An Unconventional Approach to Higher Performance”. O’Connell’s résumé includes leadership positions at Reebok Brands North America, […]

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]]> BMW Motorcycles – 100 Years Book Review [Rider’s Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/11/06/bmw-motorcycles-100-years-book-review-riders-library/ Mon, 07 Nov 2022 04:46:38 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=261220 To look at BMW motorcycles today, you’d never know the parent company didn’t have its roots in the motorcycle industry and came close to abandoning the motorcycle product altogether. In his new book, BMW Motorcycles – 100 Years, Alan Dowds looks back on the sometimes-tough history of BMW Motorrad with tremendous historical and technical detail. […]

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]]> Valentino Rossi – Life of a Legend – Revised and Updated [Review] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/09/10/valentino-rossi-life-of-a-legend-revised-and-updated-review/ Sat, 10 Sep 2022 09:28:47 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=248068 When nine-time Grand Prix World Champion Valentino Rossi retired in 2021, it ended a soaring career in the premier level of professional road racing that began in 1996. Published in 2017, London’s Michael Scott wrote spectacular biography—Valentino Rossi – Life of a Legend—that covered Rossi from his beginnings. Scott has covered Grand Prix motorcycle road […]

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]]> Sunday Rides on Two Wheels: Motorcycling in Southern Wisconsin Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/07/20/sunday-rides-on-two-wheels-motorcycling-in-southern-wisconsin-review/ Wed, 20 Jul 2022 05:23:32 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=240651 Full disclosure: As a long-time resident of and motorcycle rider in Southern Wisconsin, I admit to having a strong bias in its favor as some of the best motorcycling territory in the world. Or, at least darn close. Barbara Barber does a superb job proving my point in her book, Sunday Rides on Two Wheels: […]

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]]> The Complete Book of Ducati Motorcycles, 2nd Edition Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/06/27/the-complete-book-of-ducati-motorcycles-2nd-edition-review/ Tue, 28 Jun 2022 01:01:35 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=240182 Ian Falloon is one of the motorcycle industry’s foremost brand historians. What’s more, he doesn’t rest on his laurels; his brand histories are dynamic resources that he keeps up to date. His latest offering is The Complete Book of Ducati Motorcycles – Every Model Since 1946 – 2nd Edition from Motorbooks. It joins his Complete […]

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]]> Rider’s Library: Norton Villiers Triumph by Brad Jones Book Review https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/06/16/riders-library-norton-villiers-triumph-by-brad-jones-book-review/ Thu, 16 Jun 2022 06:11:19 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=240007 It is a story with a lot of moving parts. It involves problems with products, people, policies, and politics, plus promises not kept. Poor judgment and indecision by multiple corporate, labor, and government entities, plus competing interests, intensifying competition in the marketplace, and global economics all figured in the collapse of some of Britain’s most […]

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]]> Burma-Shave – The Rhymes, the Signs, the Times Review [Rider’s Library] https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2022/05/16/burma-shave-the-rhymes-the-signs-the-times-review-riders-library/ Mon, 16 May 2022 08:15:35 +0000 https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/?p=239303 Riders of a certain age—myself included—may remember seeing them. They were those small, unobtrusive but often funny placards in sets of six along the roads that always ended with the placard hustling the “brushless” shave cream called Burma-Shave. They are only seen now as novelty displays or by collectors. However, from 1926 to 1963, it […]

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