The Art of the Motorcycle (Guggenheim Museum Publications) [Hardcover]

Thomas Krens (Author), Matthew Drutt (Editor), Guggenheim Museum (Author)

Book Description

Series: Guggenheim Museum Publications | Publication Date: September 1998

Published on the occasion of an exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, in the summer of 1998, this work aims to capture the spirit of the motorcycle and the passion and excitement it has aroused in film, literature, television, and on the road. It depicts 100 models from the first - the 1885 Daimler Einspur - to recent concept bikes. Among those selected on both technical and aesthetic grounds are the 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmuller 1500cc, the pivotal BMW R32, the late-1920s four-passenger Boehmerland/Czechie, the popular 1950s Honda 50 Super Cub, the quintessentially American 1977 Harley Davidson XLCR, and the Ducati 916. Each bike is described in detail, and the book also contains essays which discuss motorcycle-related films, fashion, life-style and history.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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

Product Details

• Hardcover: 427 pages
• Publisher: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation; First Edition edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810969122
• ISBN-13: 978-0810969124
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #950,343 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who loves motorcycles will love this book., April 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of the Motorcycle (Guggenheim Museum Publications) (Hardcover)

Don't let the price put you off. This book is well worth the price. The color pictures alone are worth it all. The century of motorcycle development is well illustrated and the essays complete the story of the motorcycle. Your favorite bike may not be here (mine's the German Horex which Honda copied) but you could visit dozens of museums and never see the selection that was gathered for the Guggenheim Museum Exhibit.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CLASSIC, May 25, 2001

By 

Richard E. Finger (Manchester, MI United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of the Motorcycle (Guggenheim Museum Publications) (Hardcover)

If you can only have one book of this type, this is the one to have. The photos alone are worth the cost and the thoughtful commentary and essays are an added bonus. A carefully crafted book that is the result of an historic exhibition of machines as art. I have perused this book over and over again and think that anyone interested in motorcycles will do so as well. Highly recommended.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly artistic representation of Motorcycles as art., September 21, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of the Motorcycle (Guggenheim Museum Publications) (Hardcover)

If you didn't get to the Guggenheim Museum to see the Motorcycle as Art exhibit, or did and want a great book showcasing this historic event, and the artistic contribution that motorcycles have made to the modern age, this is the book to have. The opening text, composed of observations of the motorcycle as an art form and reflection of the dawning machine age, through the present and even into the future, is written (mostly) by obvious non-motorcyclists and it shows in their sometimes incorrect facts and inane assumptions. Dennis Hopper wrote a long poem that is simply drivel. But the photos, and text that accompanies them, is superb and the choice of bikes to represent the history of motorcycles is near flawless. There are a few types of bikes or special individual motorcycles missing, that such a collection should have had. Something from Arlen Ness, maybe Russ Collins' triple engined top-fuel bike and even a Harley Davidson "Rat". But the entire collection from the exhibit is here and the photography is beuitiful. Non-motorcyclists will appreciate what the Guggenheim has set out to do and succeeded brilliantly at... to show that motorcycles have been a real contribution to the world's art and technology, despite whether you ride or not. There is surely no better book to place in your motorcycle library or on your coffee table, even if your not a motorcyclist. I bought mine at the museum, for $75, and it was worth that much and more.