Hog Fever [Paperback]

Richard La Plante (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 1997

Richard La Plante begins his Harley career as a "RUB" (Rich Urban Biker) with a single small motorcycle. Before long, he is pursuing the ultimate machine--a Harley customized to his exact specifictions--and lovingly spending hours polishing its gleaming chrome.

From his misadventure-filled trip to Spain to his across-America ride that ends in tragedy in Las Vegas, La Plante shows how a simple hobby can become a life-altering obsession.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

HOG is the acronym for Harley Owners Group, and novelist LaPlante (Leopard) was a founder of the first chapter in Britain. His fever for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, which lay dormant until he was 38, goes hand-in-hand with an obsession for everything from the 1960s, including the films Easy Rider and The Wild One. Readers learn that the Harley frenzy extends not just to owning a bike but also to customizing it, a process evidently requiring little originality since owners copy their ideas from biker magazines. We follow LaPlante's travels from London to Spain and New York to Wichita, Kans., where he suffers a broken foot but no diminution of his dedication. Along with recreating his rides with a Hell's Angels group and telling us about getting tattooed, LaPlante carries his stereotypical biker role onto the printed page, but he often sounds like a poseur.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"This book is the Bible for first-time Harley rider and anybody else who's ever dreamed of a life in the wind."--K. Randall Ball, editor of Easy Rider

"This book made me want to break out my leathers. I couldn't put it down."--Terence Stamp, actor

"This book...[is] enlightening, funny, and infectious. Read this and you too will itch to be 'in the wind'."--Birmingham Post

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; 1st Trade Pbk. Ed edition (May 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312858302
• ISBN-13: 978-0312858308
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,350,107 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is about me, too., March 2, 2000

By 

Frank Steiner (Santa Clara, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hog Fever (Paperback)

I couldn't put this book down. What I found myself reading was the story of my own experience. This book is about a middle aged man getting on a Harley after many years. He talks about the fears of riding, handling, turns, and city traffic. His fanaticism with getting that perfect ride, look, feel and sound. I am on my third motorcycle and second Harley in my first year. I found myself reading about me. I would recommend this book for anyone who already owns a motorcycle (particularly a Harley) or anyone one who is planning to buy a motorcycle. I would caution letting a spouse read it. This book certainly points out the passion, compulsion, and obsession we have for our Harleys, all of which we try and keep hiddin from our spouses. This book is great entertainment for riders and non riders. Well written in a style that clearly communicates the fascination with his Harleys and the joy of riding.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing view of the Harley, March 6, 2004

By 

Maxine Sparks (Clearwater, Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hog Fever (Paperback)

A wonderful book from a refreshing standpoint, giving the reader the feeling of the 'brotherhood' of the love of the Harley -Davidson (and motorcycles in general) which spands the ocean. This book not only gives you the 'present' it goes through the history of the Harley in such a way that anyone who reads it can enjoy and understand it, as well as translating the emotions of the rider on his roadtrips. FABULOUS .

This book is only one of the many fine works of this author. . .

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is no cure, thank the Lord, October 25, 2002

By 

peter scott (Alton, Hampshire, Great Britain) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hog Fever (Paperback)

As a recent convert to the world of Harley Davidson I could really relate to Richards experience. I'm a life long biker but new to Harleys. His book captures the Harley "bug" so well and makes for a terrific read for fellow addicts and the uninitiated alike. I was hooked from page one and followed the onset of Hog fever from Richard's first exposure to the legendary Fred Warr right through to his nirvana, the ultimate HOG. The book had even more "feel" for me as I know many of the characters mentioned. Real people in a real HD world all with various degrees of Hog Fever watching bemused as a newcomer starts to show the first systoms.

If you have ever turned your head as a Harley Davidson motorcycle cruised by on the street then you need to read this book. But beware you too could catch Hog Fever, I hope you do, it could be one of the best things ever to happen to you. Remember though, there is no cure, thank the Lord

Scottie