Sportbiking: The Real World 2: Rider & Bike Tuning Handbook [Paperback]

Gary S. Jaehne (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 18, 2002

This second generation of the "SPORTBIKING: The Real World" handbooks, broadens the level of performance rider education by providing a combination of instruction on the next tier of advanced riding skills, with comprehensive, yet easy-to-follow, sportbike suspension tuning procedures. This handbook serves as a great tune-up guide for rider and bike, for those considering making a transition from backroad twisties to occasional open track day or track school events.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gary Jaehne released his first book, SPORTBIKING: The Real World (The Advanced Riders Handbook), in April of 1998. The objective was to encapsulate knowledge from dozens of years of backroad sportbike riding, eight years of roadracing (at that time), and three years as a track school Instructor for the "dP Safety School", into written form. The intent was to provide a fresh approach to performance riding instruction, in a way that would help other sportbikers become faster, safer, and more skilled riders.

Gary's roadracing experiences have now spanned over a decade, competeing in events sanctioned by the AMA, AFM, WSMC, WERA, and CCS organizations. During that span he has achieved numerous sprint and endurance race wins and overall championships. Most recently, he garnered the 2001 "450-Superbike" championship with the AFM roadracing organization.

In addition to backroad riding and roadracing, Gary has conducted monthly classroom training seminars to hundreds of California motorcycle enthusiasts over the last two years, on the topic of "Sportbiuke Suspension Set-Up & Tuning".

Gary has taken his many years of sportbike riding on local backroads in the Santa Cruz mountains, roadracing, track school instructing, and commitment to mastering the basic knowledge of sportbike suspensions, to blend together in the writing of this book. The book is a delicate mixture, combining instruction on the next tier of advanced sportbike riding techniques, with step-by-step procedures that will enable riders to personally adjust their factory suspension components to deliver maximum performance.

The primary message, at the core of this book: "Bikes have a lot to tell us as riders; it's our job to listen!"

Product Details

• Paperback: 163 pages
• Publisher: Brentwood Christian Press (February 18, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556303882
• ISBN-13: 978-1556303883
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,362,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not much for the money, March 25, 2003

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sportbiking: The Real World 2: Rider & Bike Tuning Handbook (Paperback)

Sorry to be the bad guy here, but I felt this was one of the most 'low budget' motorcycling books I have read (literally and figuratively). The editing was EXTREMELY poor - grammar erros serious enough to confuse concepts, wrong words, missing words, etc. The author tries to write in a 'down to earth', conversational-type style, but is only marginally successful.

From a technical standpoint (getting beyond the errors to what he's trying to get across), I did find a few helpful tips. If you don't mind spending the money and the reading time to sort out 3 or 4 items that may help improve your riding, go for it. Otherwise, I'd suggest you save your money and put it toward a better book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great help in suspension tuning!, March 25, 2002

By 

Ian M. Maclean (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sportbiking: The Real World 2: Rider & Bike Tuning Handbook (Paperback)

I haven't read Gary's first volume, but this one is good stuff. Divided into three sections, the first is good information along the lines of Code's book on sportbike riding. The third section is very good information you won't find elsewhere on riding in the rain - not just how to, but why you should. As I say, good stuff.

It's the second section on suspension tuning that is the real gem. You won't believe how much more fun and in control you'll feel by giving your bike a perfect set up. These 53 pages will not only show you how to set up suspension, but explain how the systems work, their design, and the engineering theory and practice behind them. Learning how the systems work is a great help in getting a feel for what you're looking for as you tune your own bike's suspension. I've been riding the bikes and reading the magazines for 20 years, but it's only after learning suspensions from Mr. Jaehne that I really feel I know more about bikes than 99% of any motorcycle enthusiast I'm likely to meet.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Don't expect too much, June 28, 2003

By 

J. Marcio (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sportbiking: The Real World 2: Rider & Bike Tuning Handbook (Paperback)

I was disapointed and could not learn much from it. I didn't like the writing style - very distracting - and concepts - confusing. Try Twist of the Wrist II from Keith Code and/or Sport Riding Techniques from Nick Ienatsch. Those are good investment.