Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well [Paperback]

David L. Hough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000

Riding a motorcycle can be a dangerous activity, but reading Proficient Motorcycling can significantly reduce those risks by teaching people how to ride safer and smarter. Whether they are beginning motorcycle riders or grizzled veterans of the road, readers of Proficient Motorcycling are guaranteed to find insights, training exercises, and riding tips not found in any other publication in the world. Proficient Motorcycling offers plain talk about surface hazards, weather problems, wild animals, carrying passengers, group rides, and traveling, among many other topics. Culled from the famous series of articles of the same name by legendary rider training guru David L. Hough, Proficient Motorcycling is an absolute must-read for anyone who rides a motorcycle.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Essential reading. Open any page and you will be richly rewarded. The best-in-class!" -- Roadgear, Inc.

"If there is one book every motorcyclist should own, this is it!" -- WebBikeWorld

"The ultimate biker's bible." -- Roadbike

"[Proficient Motorcycling] contains all the information needed to become and remain a safe rider." -- BMW Owners News --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Publisher

Author David L. Hough is known around the world as an expert in safe street riding techniques and is a reknown celebrity with U.S. and Canadian bikers for his contributions to life-saving techniques that help bikers be safe while maximizing their ride. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: BowTie Press; 1st edition (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1889540536
• ISBN-13: 978-1889540535
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (287 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #265,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David L. Hough (pronounced "huff") and his wife Diana reside in the Port Angeles area, about 80 miles northwest of Seattle, but they have toured worldwide by motorcycle.
Dave took up motorcycling in 1965 as a means to commute to work. But he quickly discovered that there wasn't much information available to help a new motorcyclist. So he started gathering what he could find, and after several years began sharing sharing "safety tips" with the Boeing Employees' Motorcycle Club.
That led to a long career of writing skills information for Road Rider magazine, Motorcycle Consumer News, BMW Owners News, and other commercial magazines. In 2000, after 40+ years of riding and writing, Hough selected the best of his work for publication as the book "Proficient Motorcycling", followed by two other books, Street Strategies" and "More Proficient Motorcycling." Proficient Motorcycling is now in it's second edition in English, and is also published in Russian, German, and Polish.
Hough is one of only a few motorcycle journalists who has also been a certified instructor for both two-wheeled and three-wheeled motorcycles. He wrote the book "Driving A Sidecar Outfit." Hough has been honored by awards from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the BMWMOA Foundation, and is being inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2009 in recognition of his efforts toward motorcycle safety.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

229 of 238 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a keeper.., June 18, 2000

By 

Ross Flaven (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well (Paperback)

As a born-again motorcyclist (22 years ago I gave up the saddle when my daughter was born, after 8 years of self-taught riding), I read everything I could find about riding technique, style, and strategy. Including the Dummy books, superbike/ego books, brandname books, and a host of others. I re-discovered some old friends from Road Rider magazine, which had morphed into the consumer-oriented Motorcycle Consumer News. There I also discovered David Hough's "Proficient Motorcycling" column, which immediately appealed to me on several levels: he's an unassuming writer with understated yet direct style; his topics were relevant to all skill levels; and, he discussed the minutiae of riding with clarity, consistency, and conciseness. Everything I'd been looking for to re-educate myself on the now unfamiliar world of motorcycling. When I learned this book--a compilation of years of articles and updates--was pending, I immediately pre-ordered it. Yes, this time around I've signed up for the MSF course--but this is the book I'll keep for reference and review.

If you are a born-again, or just starting out on a motorcycle, this book will go far toward putting everything into a natural perspective. For the cost of about four issues of Motorcycle Consumer News, I have decade's worth of words that help me intimately understand exactly what I'm doing on two wheels.

58 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If you ride, you should own it., February 3, 2001

By 

Ed - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well (Paperback)

This is the best general introduction to safe street riding techniques on the market -- even better than the MSF's "Motorcycling Excellence," though new riders should read that too. Based on the long running "Proficient Motorcycling" column that appeared first in "Road Rider" and then in its spinoff "Motorcycle Consumer News," the book covers everything from the physics to the gear to the protocols of group riding. The author is a much better writer than the typical bike scribe. The information is sound throughout. It should be on every biker's bookshelf, and I strongly recommend reviewing it at the beginning of each riding season. This man's advice has undoubtedly saved lives. Make one of them yours.

46 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well, November 7, 2000

By 

Steven J. Kelly (New Milford, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well (Paperback)

I read this book before taking a motorcycle safely course. It allowed me the benefit of understanding an otherwise poor oral presentation given by the instructor. I put to use the information I had read during the riding portion of the safety course.

Mr.Hough did a great job of keeping me interested when what I really wanted to do is ride like the wind. I could not imagine riding without first reading his book, cover to cover. I have also gone back on more than one occasion to better understand things like the contact patch.

Read this book and stay safe.