The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles

by Darwin Holmstrom, Motorcyclist Magazine, John L. Stein

Book Overview

Experience the thrill of open road! It's just you, your bike, and the highway stretched out in front of you. As you maneuver the turn sand straightaways with ease, the wind whipping around you and the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1592577040
• ISBN13: 9781592577040
• Release Date: January 2008
• Publisher: Alpha Books
• Length: 420 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 7.3" x 9.1"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Must have for any motorcycle rider

An excellant book for beginners and also useful for veteran motorcyclists. Information on buying a motorcycle, types, engines, recomendations. Information and names of where to purchase your safety gear and excessaries. Basics on driving a motorcycle and maintenance basics to. Absolutely a must have book if you have or plan to buy a motorcycle.

Great book!

This book was packed full of very useful information, and was a joy to read. I normally can't just sit down and read a book like this, I've got a very short attention span. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles, 4th Edition (Complete Idiot's Guide to) had just enough humor packed in with all the information to keep me from being overloaded, and kept me looking forward to the next page. It took me less than a week of evenings to finish reading this, and I find myself re-reading sections every now and then. Definitely a great book for the first-time rider. I own my own motorcycle now, and had a much better idea of what to expect thanks to this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

Important insights into motorcycling

As Jay Leno says of this book, "As both an idiot and a motorcyclist, I found this book very helpful." A hard statement with which to argue.Not, like so many others of this genre, dedicated to Harley-Davidson. This book deals with just about any motorcycle you will find on the market. It goes into detail on their history, mechanics, operation, their (relatively) safe use, and gives some good advice on what to buy and what not to buy as a first motorcycle.On the latter subject, the author (Darwin Holstrom) advises the newcomer to stay away from the big twin cruisers and touring bikes--because of their weight, not because of their engine size and power. And they are heavy! My 2000 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad (90 cu. in.) weighs in at about 750 lbs, wet. Add 350 lbs. of rider and passenger and some underwear and shaving gear, and you're at over half a ton on two wheels.There are advantages: with such a large machine--especially if it is well-lighted, you are more likely to be seen by drivers of automobiles, who are responsible for most of the mayhem that happens to motorcyclists.This is an excellent book, written by a man who is quite obviously very knowledgeable about the subject matter. He claims over twenty years of motorcycling experience. It covers just about every aspect of motorcycling that you can think of, including street strategies (apologies to David Hough), riding in the dirt, hill climbing, touring--you name it, it's in here. A very entertaining and enlightening book.The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles is replete with inumerable photos, drawings, cartoons and witicisms, as well as a very complete glossary of terms and an index of subject matter covered. It also has a very complete list of clubs and organizations for aficianados, and with its 2002 copyright date, it covers many of the very latest mootorcycles.I recommend it for your library as one of the best and most current books on the subject.Joe Pierreauthor of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenanceand other books

Wonderful Introduction to Motorcycling

This is a great overview of motorcycling and motorcycles for an interested novice or a person thinking about buying a bike. It covers a wide variety of topics-history, basic riding technique, types of bikes, clubs, clothing, etc-in an engaging and easy to read format. Overall, it would be hard to read this book and not understand more about motorcyling than 80% of the people out there. And it was a fun read. Particularly for a newbie, it would be hard to find a better basic book on motorcycles and motorcycling.

Simply the best book for beginners about motorcycles

If you have a desire to ride or just a curiosity about motorcycles, this is a book that can give you just about everything you need to get started. It covers everything from motorcycle controls to racing. It gives advice on what kinds of bikes are best for beginners as well as those that have the best value. It is a great asset for anyone who is involved or wants to be involved in motorcycles. Don't let the title fool you, you can't find a better book.