[.ca] The Art of the Motorcycle (ISBN 0810991063)

From Amazon.com:
The Art of the Motorcycle begins with a serious preface by Guggenheim director Thomas Krens, who calls the motorcycle "a quintessential symbol of the insecurity and optimism of our time." At 411 pages long (an ll-page, single-spaced bibliography of motorcycle books carries it over the top), it is a hefty compendium of motorcycle history, culture, design, and science. While the essays range from treatises to such fun stuff as "Bikes were always work for me," a long poem by Dennis Hopper, this thoroughgoing tome is above all a meticulous catalogue of the 96 motorcycles exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum during the summer of 1998, with details about engine design as well as esthetics. "Another significant innovation is the machine's throttle-controlled oiler," we read of the 1911 electric-orange Flying Merkel Model V. "Lubrication was a continuing problem in the early days ... but Merkel's system ... preceded by nearly two decades both Indian's as well as Harley-Davidson's adoption of this feature." The bikes are documented with crystal-clear photographs in this precision-built book. --Peggy Moorman

this is a mental not a manual:
more than onehundred pages of motorcycle history, culture and sport,hundreds of high quality pictures with more history on specific makes & models. this book 'll look very "chic" on your coffeetable. . must be the finest in it's kind. ( & at 1/2 the expo price. .)

Worth every penny:
One of the best motorcycle books I have ever seen. Worth every penny.

FINE CONTENT MARRED BY FAINT, SMALL PRINT:
This is a nice "coffee table" book about their recent exhibit. As a rider since '59, I couldn't wait to get into the text, which is divided by time periods. Alas, the print is a super thin, "artsy" typeface, very faint and grey colored- not a rich, easy to read, black Courier, for example. And the white space is excessive; they could have increased the typeface size by 4 or 5 points and still have more than enough border on each page! Conclusion- a fine book marred by it's designers to make it less readable and useable!

Essential reading for enthusiasts:
Museums, exhibits and the books devolving from them only hint at the mysteries they purport to show but rarely reveal. This is particularly true of exhibits of things that move, whether airplanes, cars and motorcycles on one hand, or people on the other. Once mummified via restoration and encapsulated in historical review, these lively subjects lose their kinesthetic value and become dessicated. Within the limitations of those realities, here is a book that is endlessly fascinating and pleasing, replete with photos that while technically excellent are for the most part static and thus devoid of context. The essays, although pleasant, lack edge and passion, thus failing to evoke the adrenal glands (which operate at high levels when pushing a motorcycle to the limit). The descriptions of the machines, from knowledgeable masters such as Kevin Cameron, capture the essence of what the designer tried to do and how well he (no known female motorcycle designers, but correct me if I'm wrong) hit his target. This is a book to which one can return again and again with pleasure. For a rider who has survived (I confess, in context, that I'm the survivor of 1.6m miles on two wheels) and ridden any of these wondrous devices, the book is a channel back in time that the book conveys magnificently. It is to the credit of the Guggenheim and the sponsors, such as BMW, that the show/book could be produced and could demonstrate to a wide public the fascination of motorcycles and riding them. Even non-riders, who have seen motorcycles on the road or who may know motorcycle enthusiasts, will start to comprehend the addictive fascination that possesses riders who can't stop. If you are persuaded to ride, please wear the best gear you can afford, get training and realize that roadcraft only comes from mileage undertaken humbly but decisively, the kinesthetic realities no book, however good, can convey.

A Can't Go Wrong Gift:
This book contains a good overview of motorcycling history, but its claims to fame are the wonderful photography and the high production values with which it was printed. It is a wonder to think that the photos are of bikes that actually exist today. If you are searching for something to give to a person you know who enjoys riding motorcycles, who used to ride or who dreams of one day riding this is a can't miss gift. I received my copy as a gift two years ago, and I still enjoying reading it.