The Perfect Vehicle: What It Is About Motorcycles PDF Download

Author: Melissa Holbrook Pierson
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393078367
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
"This book, a polished, winding meditation on the theory and fractiousness of motorcycles, celebrates both their eccentric history and the wary pleasures of touring."—The New Yorker In a book that is "a must for anyone who has loved a motorcycle" (Oliver Sacks), Melissa Pierson captures in vivid, writerly prose the mysterious attractions of motorcycling. She sifts through myth and hyperbole: misrepresentations about danger, about the type of people who ride and why they do so. The Perfect Vehicle is not a mere recitation of facts, nor is it a polemic or apologia. Its vivid historical accounts-the beginnings of the machine, the often hidden tradition of women who ride, the tale of the defiant ones who taunt death on the racetrack-are intertwined with Pierson's own story, which, in itself, shows that although you may think you know what kind of person rides a motorcycle, you probably don't.

Author: Melissa Holbrook Pierson
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393318098
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
The author discusses her ten-year love affair with motorcycles, providing historical and social accounts of motorcycles and motorcyclists in an attempt to provide insight into what drives people to ride.

Author: Melissa Holbrook Pierson
Publisher: Granta Books (UK)
ISBN: 9781862071193
Category : Motorcycles
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
This work aims to convey the exhilaration and devotion bikers feel for their machines, as well as seeking to debunk the macho image of the motorcycle.

Author: Melissa Holbrook Pierson
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 0393083268
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 208

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Book Description
“Pierson is an even better writer than she is a rider.”—Boston Globe “World’s Toughest Motorcycle Riders”—long-distance motorcycling is not a pastime but an obsession. In this candid, eloquent, sharply observed book, Melissa Holbrook Pierson introduces us to this strange endeavor and the men and women who live to ride impossibly long distances, eating up road, almost without cease. And who find it nothing but fun. Perhaps the most determined of them is John Ryan, a magnetic, enigmatic man who loves nothing better than breaking records of amazing distance—at no small risk to himself and his health. But why? Pierson, who rediscovered the joys of motorcycling in the midst of a personal crisis, puts on her helmet and joins Ryan in his element in order to understand his singular desire and discipline, his passion and his obsession. The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing offers an intimate glimpse of an unusually independent yet supportive community as well as a revealing, unforgettable portrait of its most daring member. In electric, pitch-perfect prose, Pierson gives us rare insights into not only a subculture but also the deeply human craving for something more that drives it.

Author: Steven E. Alford
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 9781861893451
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 244

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Book Description
A highly-illustrated account of the history, design and culture of the motorbike, Motorcycle is essential reading for the Harley-Davidson roadhog, bike collector, or anyone who’s felt the power of the unmistakable king of the road.

Author: Allan Morey
Publisher: Bullfrog Books
ISBN: 9781620311035
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
In Motorcycles, early readers will learn about the different kinds of motorcycles people ride and what those bikes are used for. Vibrant, full-color photos and carefully leveled text will engage emergent readers as they discover the unique features of these machines. A labeled diagram helps readers identify the parts of a motorcycle, while a picture glossary reinforces new vocabulary. Children can learn more about motorcycles online using our safe search engine that provides relevant, age-appropriate websites. Motorcycles also features reading tips for teachers and parents, a table of contents, and an index. Motorcycles is part of the Machines at Work series.

Author: Susan E. Goodman
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 0375841164
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 50

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Book Description
WHETHER THEY'RE JUMPING barrels, zipping along the highway on a road trip, or tearing up the motocross track, motorcycles are the coolest things on two wheels! Choppers! authors Susan Goodman and Michael Doolittle show readers the many types of motorcycles there are, how they work, and some of the exciting jobs, competitions, and events that feature them. This actionpacked Step 3 reader is filled with vibrant color photographs!

Author: Mick Walker
Publisher: JHU Press
ISBN: 9780801885303
Category : Sports & Recreation
Languages : en
Pages : 240

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Book Description
An illustrated guide to the history of motorcycle design that profiles bikes from around the world, describes technical and stylistic innovations, and includes photographs.

Author: Geno Zanetti
Publisher: Da Capo Press
ISBN: 9781560253174
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 292

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Book Description
Why do people ride motorcycles? Thomas Krens, curator of The Art of the Motorcycle, the most popular exhibition ever mounted at the Guggenheim Museum, writes: "For much of society, the motorcycle remains a forbidden indulgence, an object of fantasy, and danger." And of envy. No other machine is thought of as the vehicle—"the perfect vehicle" Melissa Holbrook Pierson calls it—of rebellion, lawlessness, and freedom. She's A Bad Motorcycle collects the writings of those who have sought that freedom. From the genre-defining—and exploding—Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance to Chasing Che the motorcycle has inspired a startlingly rich, unabashedly romantic body of writing that celebrates the risks and exhilaration of the journey to self-discovery. The book includes selections from Eric Burdon, Harry Crews, Harlan Ellison, Robert E. Fulton, Jr., Che Guevara, Fred Haefele, S.E. Hinton, Dennis Hopper, Richard La Plante, Erika Lopez, Horace McCoy, Allen Noren, Robert Pirsig, Gary Paulsen, Melissa Holbrook Pierson, Patrick Symmes, Keith Tye, Hunter S. Thompson, Lois Wilson, Daniel R. Wolf and Tom Wolfe, as well as photographs by Bruce Davidson, Martin Dixon, Ann Ferrar, Danny Lyon, Helge Pedersen, and Irving Penn.

Author: David L. Hough
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing
ISBN: 1935484672
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 400

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Book Description
This best-selling book is also “#1 book in motorcycle safety” (Nielsen BookScan) and essential reading for all motorcyclists regardless of their years of experience. Author David L. Hough, a revered motorcycle author, columnist, and riding-safety consultant, lays out a clear course for all riders who want to sharpen their handling skills and improve their rides. This second edition, expanded and now in full color, offers new riders and road warriors the exact kind of advice they need to be prepared for anything when on the road, how to avoid accidents, and how to handle the unexpected. Hough, who began motorcycling in the 1960s, tackles every imaginable topic—from the mechanics of the bike, selection of the right-sized bike, and basic riding skills to night riding, group outings, and advanced survival tactics. In the chapter called “Motorcycle Dynamics,” Hough spells out the equipment needed and basic skills required to control a bike, and specifically keeping the rider’s safety and ability to avoid potentially injurious or fatal crashes. The author is outspoken and direct when it comes to safety, and he emphasizes the importance of the rider’s braking abilities and spells out how to improve them. The chapter offers six tried-and-true techniques for quick-stop tactics, critical for every rider to understand and master. He also addresses other vital skills that riders need to evaluate and improve, such as turning, maintaining balance and stability, and steering. He defines, compares, and analyzes the ins and outs of steering and control: direct steering, countersteering, push steering, out-tracking, coning, u-turns, and directional control. The chapter called “Cornering Habits” is a virtual master class in acceleration, deceleration, use of weight, throttle, leaning, and handling challenging terrain. Hough’s skill as a photographer and illustrator adds a graphic element to his books that leads to immediate understanding of the concepts he explains. The detail offered in each section of the book can only come from decades on the road, and the author is the consummate instructor, assigning homework to the readers in the form of exercises to practice and improve specific techniques that he outlines and illustrates in the text. Any rider who would venture out on the road without David Hough’s voice in his head takes an unnecessary risk with his own life. Proficient Motorcycling takes riders from long, snaking country roads right into the traffic of the big city, and Hough offers the best advice for riders dealing with the most challenging conditions, whether it’s road construction, snap-jawed intersections, skateboarders, or suddenly slippery road surfaces. A critical section of the book offers riders advice on how to deal with automobiles, including aggressive car drivers, oblivious SUV drivers, or “blind” truck drivers. The book offers the kind of first-hand experience that can literally save riders’ lives, as illustrated in the chapters “Booby Traps” and “Special Situations,” which offer evasive tactics and advice to avoid and handle everything from slick surfaces, curbs, and construction plates to ferocious dogs, hazardous wildlife, and difficult weather conditions. The final chapter of the book, “Sharing the Ride,” is geared toward experienced riders who travel together in groups or who travel with a second passenger on the bike. Topics covered are formation, packing for trips, communication between riders, sidecars, trikes, and more. The book concludes with a resources section of organizations, training schools, educational tools, and websites; a glossary of 80+ terms; and a complete index.