Customer Reviews

Outlaw Machine: Harley-Davidson and the Search for the American Soul

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This is a thinking man's guide to Harley Davidson, but moreover a thoughtful anaysis of what primeval forces are at work in the market place and in our psyches causing us to lust after such a machine. Brock Yates addresses such questions as: Why do respectable dentists and stock brokers long to be week-end outlaws; why does riding a Harley symbolize rebellion against an over-regulatory society; and why do the clueless Japanese continue to offer high tech versions of the Harley.

Personally, I never knew absolutely why I chose to ride a Harley or why I continue to cling to the nebulous Harley Davidson mystique, but after reading this book, I think I do. This book is a must read for the Harley enthusiast or even the non-enthusiast who simply wants to understand all the fuss!

Do you ask yourself what is the reason someone would buy a outdated technology like a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Or why on-lookers will crowd around a Harley-Davidson in a parking lot and ooohh and aaahhh the antique like chromed HOG. Most Harley riders will say, "if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand." By reading the Outlaw Machine it is possible to understand without being part of that exclusive, in the know, Harley crowd. Brock Yates starts out as if he is a Harley antagonist in favor of Japanese and German sport bikes, but you soon realize he is setting the stage for a truely hard hitting romp through the American psyche. His travels through the American and Harley history makes it very clear what it is that so many see in the Harley motorcycle and what is missing in the Japanese copies.

If you sit proudly on your high tech Japanese cruiser with the feeling of superiority with your nose down to all the Harley riders, you may just change your mind once you read Outlaw Machine. You may also find yourself saving your pennies so you too can have a piece of the American iron. Mr. Yates makes no appologizes or excuses for Harley-Davidson and is brutely honest about its technology, but he does bring us closer to why it is so loved as an America tradition and points out that there is a little bit of outlaw in all of us. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the true mystery of motorcycling.

Brock Yates provides a compelling overview of the Harley-Davidson history, and interesting thoughts on what Harley means to America. In some cases his philsophical pronouncements exceed his grasp, and in a few spots he becomes repetitive. Still, as a Harley owner, I greatly enjoyed the book. It does not get mired in tech specs, nor in meaningless detail of the Davidson family lineage. It is definitely not a hagiography -- he strikes the balance between pointing out flaws and giving credit where due. Others here say he stumbled on some history, but I value his writing that quickly moved me from cover to cover. It hits the high spots, and entertainingly tells me more about the Harley company and history than I knew before.

I finally found the the words I needed to tell a friend in this book - "...Like most Japanese products, Honda motorcycles offered perfect function but no passion." That clearly describes the difference between those of us on scoots and the wannabe racers on rice rockets. Brock brings his awesome powers of observation and ability to get the facts straight to this book, and leaves no doubt in any readers mind of the bad, the good and the VERY ugly in the story of an American icon - Harley-Davidson Motorcycles. If you are a true student of the marque as well as a business buff, this is a must-read on both counts.

I would have thought that someone with the credentials of Mr. Yates would have done better. Instead, he serves up a book that is full of errors that should have been corrected with entry-level research. When something as basic as the correct year for the 50th anniversary of Sturgis is mis-stated, the complete lack of any interest in factual information is evident. I would dare say that Mr. Yates would never tolerate repeated mis-statements of fact without researching the subject in his magazine. He should be ashamed of this. Unfortunately, what he have is just another author whipping up a book without regard to content in the sole search for profit. Please don't waste your money as I did.

Having started with a minibike at age 5, and eventually moving up through dirt bikes, Japanese bikes and eventually to Harley's by the time I was 30, I wanted to know a bit of motorcycle history.

I picked up the book on a whim thinking it would have a good bit of history without taking the rest of my life to read, and wasn't disappointed. The book, though not a detailed account of every facet of motorcycling, served its purpose well. It's a good and entertaining introduction into the history of the Harley Davidson.

Several of its points rang true. For instance the fact that Japanese bikes, though undoubtedly technologically superior, just don't have the soul of a Harley sums up the reasons I eventually abandoned the former bikes for the American brand (the difference in price tags had a bit to do with buying one later in life as well, come to think of it).

I truly enjoyed the book, and would suggest it to anyone who is looking for an introduction into Harley history.

Country artist Travis Tritt sings a song, "Ten Feet Tall and Bulletproof," in which he explains how, after he gets a few drinks under his belt, he starts thinking he's Superman. Respected automotive journalist Brock Yates suggests that same thing happens to Harley riders. Regardless of their walk in life, once they hop aboard that hog, the invincible menacing outlaw comes out. Interesting theory. (And perhaps it explains in part why so few Harley riders bother to put on a brain bucket, unless mandated to!)

Yates provides a brief and interesting history of the HD Motor Company, its rise from humble beginnings in 1903, through the declining, turbulent years of the "Japanese Invasion" in the sixties and seventies, and how it has emerged to become the number-one worldwide supplier of heavy street bikes. He touches on the unlikely affinity for the big, raucous machines in countries all around the world.

But the bulk of this book is Yates' spin on the riders, and why they ride. He suggests that the "biker outlaw" thing began in the late 40s, when Life Magazine did a sensational write-up about a rider gathering in Hollister, California. According to Life, the gathering started peacefully enough, but degenerated into a drunken bacchanalia of debauchery and decadence. From that moment on in the eyes of the public, motorcycle riding - particularly if the bike was a Harley - became synonymous with rebellion and outlaw living. Yates opines that every rider who straddles his Harley - from the "one percenters" such as the Hells Angels and Bandidos, to the "trend surfers" and "RUBS" (rich urban bikers), is motivated to some degree by that aura of rebel / outlaw. Interesting theory.

As a long-time motorcycle rider, who fairly recently in life has finally risen to the income level that I can afford a Harley-Davidson, I feel it's dangerous to stereotype a group of millions. While I'm sure there are many riders who gravitate to the "outlaw" image - and certainly NO Harley riders who don't enjoy the indescribable sense of power one gets while mounted on his/her hog - I also believe if you ask a million Harley riders why they ride, you'll get at least half that many varying replies.

Yates got one thing right for sure - the Japanese manufacturers just don't get it!

I would recommend this book to anybody who has an interest in Harleys, or in modern American culture - no denying it's a very interesting study of the phenomenon that Harley-Davidson has become in the last few years.

In my opinion Brock Yates does one of the best jobs to date in relating the real ("non-corporate")Harley Davidson Factory story especially as it relates to the long standing conflict between the factory's desired clean cut "Harley Rider" image and the outlaw/1%er culture which has and continues to be one of the primary driving forces behind the current boom in American V-twin Motorcycles. It's well written and presents both sides in a fair and objective manner. Additionally, Yates really understands and accurately relates the underlying "In Your Face" attitude that most riders don't talk about, yet rides with them (us) every mile. This is a great book for anyone interested in the American V-twin lifestyle be they new to it or a long term patch holder. As a lifelong rider and advide collector of both biker books and movies, I classify "OUTLAW MACHINE" as a "must have" for anyone interested in the subject. It certainly contains information that was new to me. It's also especially good for newcomers in that it provides a very good overview while not becoming bogged down in the alphabet soup of model designations and biker jargon. GREAT JOB BROCK!

I've read most of Brock's books and have enjoyed them immensely. Here he takes the reader on a historical tour of a timeless marque. He does it with his usual style, good humor and enlightened cynicism. He stands not in awe of the "Milwaukee monsters", but is a chronicler who dares to point out the pluses and minuses of a machine whose very existence is a minor miracle. They aren't high tech, can't compare in quality or performance with their Japanese competitors but enjoy a cache rarely afforded a product that falls short in so many areas.But Yates finds a way to explain this phenomena. He calls a spade a spade, but in doing so penetrates the veil of intense loyalty exhibited by the Harley Davidson trifosi. I own six Harleys and love them all! This is a fun book and a great read. Yates has another winner that deserves to be in the library of any Harley lover. Clint Allen- The Allen Vintage Motorcycle Museum.

Mr. Yates has written an excellent short history of Harley Davidson that brings one point very clear. The whole image of Harley Davidson is owed to the Hell's Angels and the like. Current riders for the most point , RUBS, can pretend to be an outlaw, look like and outlaw and ride the outlaw machine, without being one. It's all about image, and that is a shame. Because Harley Davidson makes great bikes and could and will sell on their merrits. I often wonder how well Harley would sell bikes, if it were not for the outlaw image. I found this book interesting and a great read.