Customer Reviews

The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles

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At first glance, this book is very impressive. 560 pages, extensive research (or so I thought), and a generous amount of illustrations. My enthusiasm waned quickly as I read through the numerous sections. I must say I was rather disappointed in the how the various motorcycle marques were covered. In most cases, especially the sections devoted to the Japanese companies, no or slight mention was given to certain bikes that helped define the personality of each marque. For a book that touts itself as an "encyclopedia", there seems to be a great lack of continuity and thouroughness in the research of those companies. Harleys and the newest offerings in speed bikes seem to be the most favored here, but even the Harley section seems abbreviated in comparison to other motorcycle encyclopedias currently on the market. This book would make a good read for those who want a quick glimpse of motorcycling history. For those who want more, there are numerous other encyclopedias that are even more complete.

The new version of this book is everything that the old version was. Tragatschs' admittedly eurocentric veiw of motorcycling is refreshing to an American who knows that not all motorcycles are Harley-Davidsons. This book is so broad in its scope that it tries to cover everything. To do this one must abrieviate some of the listings. This book was never meant to be the final word on every motorcycle. I agree that some manufacturers have been slighted but there are many books about the major manufacturers that cover these bikes in exhaustive detail. This book is meant to be only a reference guide. If ALL motorcycles are what intrests you then this is the basis for any future studies.