Customer Reviews

Great American Motorcycle Tours

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

 

 

The foreword of the book is written by Peter Fonda. I personally fail to make the connection why the endorsement of a Hollywood actor who happened to shoot a motorcycling movie should prove the value of a touring guide. But as I tried out some of the journeys, I started to see how the whole experience, which these suggested trips cater to, is concentrated around the image of motorcycling rather than the actual experience of riding. I wasted a couple of weekends diligently following directions through Pennsylvania and up the Hudson. The book led me through numerous towns and it reserved a lot of pages for information on all the things, which you could do to avoid riding your bike - you could find listings on every thrift store, restaurant, rafting company, and even bicycle tour! available on your way. Another interesting (and related) point was the fact that the author estimated coverage of about 50 miles per day i.e. if the suggested trip was 200 miles total, you were supposed to need 4 to 5 days to cover the distance. While very concentrated on all the entertainment that could be bought along the trip, the book was not especially concerned with the quality of the selected riding. Gorgeous scenic ways were followed by long stretches of banal suburban motifs and while stuck in the stop-and-go traffic I was wondering what part of the motorcycling experience I was supposed to be exercising at the time.
This is my rendering of the qualities, which the reader needs to possess in order to enjoy the recommendations in the book: 1. Your name must be Peter Fonda 2. You must be independently wealthy since you can't both hold a job and go to all these 4-5 days trips. 3. You must be versatile in the outdoors' activities to take full advantage of all the fun that awaits you out there. 4. You need friends who would like to hear about stuff like " When I flew in that helicopter over the Grand Canyon...", and "Here is a picture of me next to an Amish farmer..." 5. You only need basic riding skills and moderate motorcycling enthusiasm.
My advice is - get a map, look for the small roads, use your common sense, and explore. Good luck out there, maybe we'll meet on the road.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

What a dud. When I read the section Mighty Montana Run and saw the distance of the leg 335 miles...alow five days with stops I knew this wasn't the book I hoped for. The author's style is entertaining and humorous, but his recomendations of places to stay and see is strictly for the bored rich. Most places were WAY above $120 a night. If your idea of a road trip is camping and out of the way places with an occasional night in a modest local hotel pass on this yuppie guide. If your trip is to an unfamiliar area of the country there are a few good tips that save this book from one or two star oblivion. I'm not a high milage junkie, but this book sputters along until you're glad it stops.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

A friend of mine just bought this book from Amazon.com and couldn't stop raving about it. After reading her copy, I had to have it for myself! This is perfect for anyone who loves roadtrips and exploring the highways and back roads of America. The author shares some outstanding moments and cool facts as he guides the reader through places you'll want to visit after reading this book. Very impressive.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

This would be a good book for those new to motorcycle touring, but for those of us who have "been there, done that", it is a waste of money. Motorcyle touring doesn't take five days to go 210 miles. Maybe bicycle touring? The book should have been subtitled "...Tours, For the Wealthy". Is that why Peter Fonda wrote the forward? Only the wealthy can stay at the places and do what is suggested. Two examples; the ride from Taos to Santa Fe, and the one through Death Valley. I have done both, numerous times. The author's directions will get you lost and miss some of the best roads. His places to stay and eat in Santa Fe are for the wealthy tourists. The locals know where there is better food and the "real" Santa Fe. The book also contains numerous typos and inaccuracies. Example: highway 84/285 entering Santa Fe, NM from the north is not an interstate (designated by the author as I-84/285), although the amount of traffic will make you think it is one. Such inaccuracies make me afraid to follow the author's directions in areas that I have not been to. Other reviewers have suggested that the author forewarns about the book's shortcomings, but that does not release him from writing a bad book. I cannot recommend this book to anyone.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

The foreword of the book is written by Peter Fonda. I personally fail to make the connection why the endorsement of a Hollywood actor who happened to shoot a motorcycling movie should prove the value of a touring guide. But as I tried out some of the journeys, I started to see how the whole experience, which these suggested trips cater to, is concentrated around the image of motorcycling rather than the actual experience of riding. I wasted a couple of weekends diligently following directions through Pennsylvania and up the Hudson. The book led me through numerous towns and it reserved a lot of pages for information on all the things, which you could do to avoid riding your bike - you could find listings on every thrift store, restaurant, rafting company, and even bicycle tour! available on your way. Another interesting (and related) point was the fact that the author estimated coverage of about 50 miles per day i.e. if the suggested trip was 200 miles total, you were supposed to need 4 to 5 days to cover the distance. While very concentrated on all the entertainment that could be bought along the trip, the book was not especially concerned with the quality of the selected riding. Gorgeous scenic ways were followed by long stretches of banal suburban motifs and while stuck in the stop-and-go traffic I was wondering what part of the motorcycling experience I was supposed to be exercising at the time.
This is my rendering of the qualities, which the reader needs to possess in order to enjoy the recommendations in the book: 1. Your name must be Peter Fonda 2. You must be independently wealthy since you can't both hold a job and go to all these 4-5 days trips. 3. You must be versatile in the outdoors' activities to take full advantage of all the fun that awaits you out there. 4. You need friends who would like to hear about stuff like " When I flew in that helicopter over the Grand Canyon...", and "Here is a picture of me next to an Amish farmer..." 5. You only need basic riding skills and moderate motorcycling enthusiasm.
My advice is - get a map, look for the small roads, use your common sense, and explore. Good luck out there, maybe we'll meet on the road.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

Wonderful & helpful! Just returned from bring our new 2001 Harley from Chadds Ford,Pennsylvania to South Florida. Did the Skyline/Blue Ridge Parkway tour in the book and stopped at lots of McKechnie's suggested places. Loved them all! What a great reference for where to go and what not to miss. Can't wait to take more of the tours he outlined over the next few years. No, we are not rich and managed to stay within our budget at the places he mentioned along the way. A must buy book for active touring bikers! Thank you. Barry & Kathi
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

I just started riding and this book has inspired me to plan a trip to ride through New England. This book is filled with great ideas and good advice sprinkled throughout. I am a fan of any book that recommends a good place for a frappe. Also great intro by Peter Fonda.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

I purchased this book for my baby boomer dad who's celebrating his birthday by buying a bike and hitting the road. He's thrilled with the route suggestions and the resource information. I read it too, it sounds like so much fun, I might join him on a ride or two.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}

I recently purchased Gary's book in the Spring of '02 for my trips to the Blue Ridge Parkway and Sturgis. It provided an excellent primer for stopping points of interest and quality local eateries. I wasn't hung up on his allowing four days to cover 200 miles, however, I looked at is a buffet in which you can pick and choose the events of interest to you. His advice on packing warmer clothing in the dead of Summer for the elevation changes was dead on. Some may call it 'common sense', but if you see reported temperatures in Asheville at 90 degrees, you may not realize you'll need a jacket and light gloves by the time you hit Mt. Mitchell. I appreciated his advice and considered it money well spent.

This is a fantastic book! I wanted to take a cross-country tour and this was the only book I found that covered more than one region. Second, the humor is prevalent but it never gets in the way of describing some killer back roads and great historic towns I might have missed. Third, I never felt the lodgings he recommended were that expensive because A) I am a solo rider so the rates are lower for me anyway, and B) if I don't want to stay at a place he lists, I have the option of finding a chain hotel. That's another thing -- at the end of each chapter he lists campgrounds and state parks (for even cheaper camping). Finally, the reason I like this book and would strongly recommend it is for its great references. There are listings for state tourism boards where I can get free detailed maps, a listing of motorcycle shops within a few miles of each place he visits, and websites for motorcycle corporations, rentals, and tours. This is a solid, essential, and ultimately extremely valuable source of information for ALL riders. Buy it.
{This review refers to an out-of-print edition.}