Customer Reviews

Savvy Guide to Motorcycles

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In this "Savvy" guide the author has written a book which will increase the enjoyment, understanding and appreciation of motorcycling for anybody who reads it. She manages to convey her love of the sport and impart a large amount of valuable information using a writing style that is both easy to understand and pleasant to read. As befits a librarian, the book is full of references which will allow those who desire to study a particular subject in depth to do so easily. The book has an extensive bibliography in addition to the many links found within each chapter. This is a great read for not only the new rider, but the returning rider and the experienced rider as well. I highly recommend it.

As a new rider, attended MSF course and bought my first bike in October 2005 at age 51 I found quite a few of the topics helpful. I have also looked up several of the referenced websites to get further information. I saw the book mentioned on the about.com motorcycle website and requested a copy for Christmas. I would reccomend this book to anyone thinking of starting to ride or who is just starting out.

This book is outstanding. It's blend of information, instruction and humor makes it valuable to both the beginning rider and experienced rider. I have recommended it to my motorcycling friends and consider it to be a very well written book.

The Savvy Guide to Motorcycles is a well-written narrative by an author that has real-life experience riding motorcycles. Shirley Kennedy relates much of her material to her own experiences, giving this book a personal touch as well as believability.
The book is broken into logical sections and well illustrated. The author includes a number of sidebars with data that supports her text. There is a useful glossary and an impressive bibliography included to enhance the reader's understanding of the subject. The layout is clean and well structured.
As a motorcyclist with several years experience I appreciated the way the book advances each theme. Ms. Kennedy avoids boring the experienced rider while structuring her material so a new motorcyclist can understand it easily.
I highly recommend "The Savvy Guide to Motorcycles" to anyone that rides (or wishes to ride) motorcycles!

I started collecting books that contribute to my education about riding motorcycles and found this book to be both a great read as well as a good reference for opinions and suggestions.

Although this is not designed to be a technical read, it is set in a point of view that beginners as well as experienced riders will enjoy. Where further technical reviews may be needed the author supplies several options to look for more detailed answers.

One example of benefit that I got from the book was the chapter discussion about riding gear and the discussion of leather versus textile versus kevlar lined clothing. Combined with the authors experience as well as suggestions for boots, gloves and other options I have made a list of things I should have to make my ride better.

I also discovered a riding club (Retreads) that I have joined.

I highly suggest this book for any level of rider!

Savy Guide to Motorcycles, is a very smartly writen and well composed book that any beginner and expert rider can relate to and gain knowledge from.The book is a nice compilation of Shirls' experience as well as her fellow riders. I especially liked the points of references that encourage you to do your own research. I have read many motorcycle books and a few were rather dry, but I found this book to be very refreshing. Good job.

This book is well written and easy to read. It contains great information for the beginner motorcyclist and will be entertaining to read for more experienced riders who may want a refresher course as well. The book contains a helpful glossary and an exhaustive bibliography that will satisfy anyone's craving for more information.

Disclaimer: I know the author, contributed to the book being reviewed, and my picture even made it into the book. But as those who know me will attest, I don't write "puff piece" reviews. I write what I think and let the chips fall where they may. OK, on to the review...

First off, Shirl Kennedy has more than earned her bones when it comes to bikes and riding. And she tells things as they are - the tale of a Suzuki GS1000G, The Beast, for example, is not totally complimentary but the story is in the book because it matters. The bike was more than a handful for her, and she isn't afraid to say so. Shirl tells her stories with warts and all, not the fantasy of "everything's always too, too grand while riding".

Second, Shirl knows how to find information and sources about almost any topic that can be thought of. The Savvy Guide to Motorcycles contains more URL's, links, and contact info, for almost anything motorcycle-related, than any other "bike book" I can think of. This information alone is worth the cost of the book.

Third, Shirl knows how to put her experiences and her information on the page in a way that's easy to read but still puts the information where you can find it, not behind a thicket of self-impressed blather.

If I have any problems with this book, it's with the editorial choices. There are times when I think the jargon might have been toned down a bit but, hey, I like "Hawaiian" pizza and some folks don't - we all have our own likes and dislikes. While I'm at it, a dope slap to the back of the editor's head for letting some typos get past the proofreaders and for some ...ah... curious text layout choices ("widows and orphans" errors or poorly broken paragraphs, for example). But, for all of that, the fact checking is solid, the artwork is well chosen, and the overall design of the book is reader-friendly.

While this book is aimed more towards folks coming back to bikes after a 10 or 20 year break from riding, there's a lot of useful information for "never-ever" riders and even "I've been riding non-stop since the first day I could fork a mini-bike" riders. The information is accessable and it's well presented. A simple, direct, informative book about a fascinating subject, written by someone who's been there and done it - what more can a reader ask for?