Customer Reviews

Motorcycle Touring and Travel: A Handbook of Travel by Motorcycle, Second Ed

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

 

 

Save your money. This is a book for non bike owners, who want a cursory glance at the topic. The author spends too much of the book on non related areas. Engine types, selecting a bike, maintenence, and not enough real meat about the title topic. There are real issues related to traveling by two wheels in safety and comfort, with all the stuff you really need, over a long distance. These subjects are only superficially explored. And anyone who has ridden some of the machines he suggests would make good touring platforms, would know that they would be extreamly uncomfortable over any prolonged ride. Perhaps the authors idea of a tour is a one day hop to someplace, if so, most of his selctions might be adequate, but that really isn't the context of "touring". Another reviewer put it well when he said this book woulod make a better series of magazine articles which tend to be superficial in nature anyway. There are some good points made in the book. Unfortunately for the money they only comprise 20% of the material.

Although I enjoyed the book, the author devotes too much space to general issues (like different types of motorcycles, engine design, etc.) which have been well covered by other books. The real meat about touring doesn't start until page 110. The 47 pages remaining are okay but lacking in detail, frequently suggesting to read other books (i.e., about camping). I wish Stermer had done this for the first 110 pages and expanded the rest.

This is a book that tries to do too much and as a result doesn't do any one thing really well. When you distill all the good stuff down it would be better as a magazine article. I returned the book the first day.

I was hoping for some true insight into how and why you would want to cruise long distance on a motorcycle. Instead all it was a regurgitated collection of basic hints and tips about motorcycling in general that is available in even your basic owners manual. With topics such as "How to buy the right bike, and why it's important to check the oil." it was very apparent to me that Mr. Stermer was more interested in royalty checks, then shedding any light on this aspect of riding.

Can you tell I didn't like it, and want to send it back.

I found Motorcycle Touring & Travel to be a valuable how-to book for learning the basics of travel by motorcycle. It is packed with real world tips that have greatly enhanced my riding pleasure. I still refer to it from time to time when looking for advice on buying motorcycle products.

The author covers everything from choosing the right mtorcycle to selecting the right riding apparel. He also shows how to set up a bike and rider for comfort and safety. Little things make a big difference when traveling hundreds of miles in a day. Just discovering the Aerostitch Wind Triangle, for example, was enough to make the book worthwhile for me. It's amazing how protecting my neck with this little scarf improves my riding comfort. Thanks, Bill Stermer.

I found that I had to read the book slowly and carefully otherwise it was easy to overlook the significance of certain statements. If there is a weakness to the book, this might be it. I am not certain if he oversimplified a complex subject or made the profound seem simple. For example, on page 140 he briefly discusses "target fixation". Although he mentions how "...mental discipline has saved me a number of times" the small amount of space devoted to this subject belies it vital nature. In my own experience target fixation can lead to a life and death situation, so I would have preferred more content to emphasize its importance. The grand scope of his book, however, may have limited the amount of space that he could devote to this and other subjects, so perhaps his is a reasonable compromise afterall.

I was taught that the answer to most problems in life is foung in the basics, and in this, I believe, Mr. Stermer has succeeded. His statements are succinct and to the point and he covers a great deal of territory. I recommend his book to two types of riders: beginners who desire an overview of motorcycle touring; and more experienced riders who want to be spared having to find out on a trial and error basis what Bill Stermer already knows.

This book is a good reference book for those just getting interested or just starting out in motorcycling. Most information contained in the book can be obtained through reading and forums on the web.

Unless you know nothing of the motorcycleing world this would be good to read. Otherwise give it a miss.

I bought this book before taking a 2,600 mile two week tour of seven western states on my SV650. I have owned 8 motorcycles, the first in 1973, so I thought I knew a lot. It was a very good book with lots of advice that saved me the purchase price many times over. It is a small investment that pays excellent dividends if you are planning a trip, unless you have a great deal of touring experience. I also reccomend it if you are considering a bike but don't know what you want.