The Art of the Motorcycle (Guggenheim Museum Publications) [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

~ Thomas Krens (Author), Matthew Drutt (Editor), Guggenheim Museum (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The Art of the Motorcycle begins with a serious preface by Guggenheim director Thomas Krens, who calls the motorcycle "a quintessential symbol of the insecurity and optimism of our time." At 411 pages long (an ll-page, single-spaced bibliography of motorcycle books carries it over the top), it is a hefty compendium of motorcycle history, culture, design, and science. While the essays range from treatises to such fun stuff as "Bikes were always work for me," a long poem by Dennis Hopper, this thoroughgoing tome is above all a meticulous catalogue of the 96 motorcycles exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum during the summer of 1998, with details about engine design as well as esthetics. "Another significant innovation is the machine's throttle-controlled oiler," we read of the 1911 electric-orange Flying Merkel Model V. "Lubrication was a continuing problem in the early days ... but Merkel's system ... preceded by nearly two decades both Indian's as well as Harley-Davidson's adoption of this feature." The bikes are documented with crystal-clear photographs in this precision-built book. --Peggy Moorman

Product Description

Capturing the spirit of the motorcycle and the passion and excitement it has aroused, this book brings together 100 spectacular motorcycles from the first--the 1885 Daimler Einspur--through the latest in cutting-edge concept bikes. This book is published in conjunction with a major exhibition at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. 600 illustrations, 400 in color.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 427 pages
• Publisher: Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation; illustrated edition edition (September 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810969122
• ISBN-13: 978-0810969124
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 10.2 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #719,164 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #11 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Museums & Collections > Museums > Exhibition Catalogs > Guggenheim Museum
  #96 in	Books > Nonfiction > Automotive > Motorcycles > Pictorial

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Anyone who loves motorcycles will love this book., April 7, 1999

By A Customer

Don't let the price put you off. This book is well worth the price. The color pictures alone are worth it all. The century of motorcycle development is well illustrated and the essays complete the story of the motorcycle. Your favorite bike may not be here (mine's the German Horex which Honda copied) but you could visit dozens of museums and never see the selection that was gathered for the Guggenheim Museum Exhibit.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A CLASSIC, May 25, 2001

By	Richard E. Finger (Manchester, MI United States) - See all my reviews

If you can only have one book of this type, this is the one to have. The photos alone are worth the cost and the thoughtful commentary and essays are an added bonus. A carefully crafted book that is the result of an historic exhibition of machines as art. I have perused this book over and over again and think that anyone interested in motorcycles will do so as well. Highly recommended.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars FINE CONTENT MARRED BY FAINT, SMALL PRINT, April 21, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of the Motorcycle (Paperback)

This is a nice "coffee table" book about their recent exhibit. As a rider since '59, I couldn't wait to get into the text, which is divided by time periods.
Alas, the print is a super thin, "artsy" typeface, very faint and grey colored- not a rich, easy to read, black Courier, for example. And the white space is excessive; they could have increased the typeface size by 4 or 5 points and still have more than enough border on each page!
Conclusion- a fine book marred by it's designers to make it less readable and useable!