Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles (The Complete Idiot's Guides)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been riding for about 6 years and bought this book to loan out to prospective riders. Overall, it's not a terrible introduction to the subject matter and fun to read, but light on meaningful content -- representative of this series, IOW. After reading what is not a thin volume, you will be hard pressed to think of anything in this book that you wouldn't have picked up by reading the MSF literature (free!) and the buyer's guide issue of Motorcyclist magazine ($3!). The writer also shows little interest in bike trends and popular sentiment. He extolls the virtues of centerstands, hydraulically actuated valves, and shaft drive and suggests all beginners should buy bikes with these features -- ignoring that only a small fraction of the bikes produced in the past 15 years even have these features. He also suggests that a Katana 600 would be too much bike for almost any beginner, which is complete nonsense. I sympathize with his concern that people looking for thrills get in way over their heads by making their first bikes R1's, but exaggerating the power and dangerousness of sportbikes vs. other bikes is not responsible or honest writing. Also, his love for obscure Japanese standards is something I share, but I do not think it should color the entire book, which is ostensibly targeted at lay persons who probably want to get their hands on a Road King or CBR929. To that end, I do not believe the book at all does a good job explaining why people should not start off on such bikes, other than general and vague statements about difficulty of control. In my opinion, it won't hurt a beginner to read this book, but for what it is it's not particularly good value nor especially insightful.

What a disappointment! I read the second edition of this book as someone who wanted to find out about motorcycling and to get recommendations on bikes for beginning riders and was impressed on how the book did just that. I recommended this book to a friend and he told me the third edition's Buyer's Guide section was nothing like what I had read and boy was he right. Gone where the frank opinions on what were the pluses and minuses of each bike for beginners. They were replaced by the editorial capsules found in Motorcyclist Magazine. I subscribe to Motorcyclist Magazine and it's a great publication but their motorcycle opinions are geared toward experienced riders. The difference in the editions for the Buyer's Guide section was striking and makes it almost useless for beginning riders seeking information on bike's that are in the market. The third edition is also sloppy in it's editing as bike's mentioned as "a good first bike" elsewhere in the book don't get a "Good First Bike" designation in the Buyer's Guide section. If your an experienced rider, read Motorcyclist Magazine. If your a beginning rider, get a hold of the second edition of this book.

I was interested in getting a motorcycle when I bought this book. By the third chapter my interest had turned to real enthusiasm and I couldn't wait to get out and ride. The author not only explains the nuts and bolts of riding, but shows you why people are so devoted to motorcycling. This book beats the heck out of a lot of motorycling guides that drone on and on about safety and procedures -- this guide never forgets that motorycling is fun, and it places important safety info in that context.

This book also has lots about motorycling history and culture. When you read this book, you'll not only learn a lot about how to chose, ride and take care of your bike, you'll learn why motorcyling is a passion for so many people and what it means to be a competent and happy rider.

If you've never ridden a motorcycle in your life, this is a great book to pick up. Experienced bike riders will find the book uninformative and will criticize the authors opinions about certain aspects such as sportbikes. The author, although he does an outstanding job laying out the basics such as types of bikes, motorcycle safety, and actual riding of the bike, he is very critical of sportbikes for beginners, and rightfully so. But a novice, properly trained, can handle these bikes provided he knows his personal limits and has respect for the machine.

Although I would recommend this book to a beginner, there is no substitute for a training course such as the MSF Ridercourse, offered at most community colleges.

The book is fine overall, however since this book caters to beginners I was really annoyed that there wasn't a diagram of an engine included in the "Anatomy" chapter. I found myself frustrated that the author went on and on about parts, yet offered no diagram to situate the reader as to were the parts were.

If you don't know anything about motorcycles - except that they have TWO wheels, go vroom-vroom, and maybe you rode your friends once, then this is the book for you to start with. It ISN'T COMPLETE instruction on riding, or maintaining, or fixing, or buying, etc. It covers all that and more. But it does it for the beginner. If you are looking to buy your first motorcycle then this book is great - because it shows pretty much all the bikes available in the US in a great picture index in the back. That part helped me alot. I wanted to buy a used bike, knew what I wanted for looks/size and it showed me what models to track down.

If you know motorcycles, have owned them and ridden them, etc. then don't buy this. If you're a complete novice, then start here.

NOTE: If you're buying this book to learn how to ride a motorcycle safely in traffic and on highways, then don't get it. Take the ($), put it with about ($) more and take the Motorcycle Safety Foundations (MSF) basic rider training course. You can't learn how to ride by reading a book. Take the course, you don't need a motorcycle or helmet to take it. They provide all that and give you 2 days of on-motorcycle training.

The material is easy to read. Pictures and layout are simple. So what's the problem? As someone who is in the process of learning to ride a motorcycle, from the detailed mechanics of shifting to what to expect and look out for on the road, this book was disappointing. Although this material is covered in the book (briefly, and in basic sense), there just wasn't enough meat to learning HOW to ride and WHAT to look out for. Too many pages were spent on when (the history of motorcycles) and where (do we really need to know about bike rallys and clubs? This could be picked up in any motorcycling magazine). I was hoping that the relevant information that was printed would have been expounded on, because it would have been excellent in this type of format.

This book is a must have for any beginner to the sport of motorcycling. It is packed not only with basic riding and handling issues unique to motorcycles, but helps readers determine the type of riding that suits them the best. It also contains a large section on currently available motorcycles produced by major motorcycle companies, along with base prices and suitability for beginners. I have purchased many books on this subject and still refer the most often to this one for basic information. Not only is it full of information, but the author delivers it with humorous stories. It is definately not dry technical reading. Another feature I enjoyed was the lists of organizations, magazines and other books in the back. If this book doesn't have what your interested in, it will steer you to the information.

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 Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance
and other books

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.