Great Motorcycle Reading

I like to read, I like good writing, and I especially like reading good writing about motorcycles.   I have three favorites.  Let me tell you a bit about each.

Riding the Edge

The first book I ever read about motorcycle travel was one of the most improbable…it’s Dave Barr’s Riding the Edge, a journey about a trip around the world on an old Harley Shovelhead.  If you’re counting, that’s two HD engine versions back…the Shovelhead preceded both the current Harley twin-cam engine and the one before that (the Evo engine).  I had a Shovelhead Harley back

Dave Barr, With Lake Isabella In The Background

in 1979, and to say it was unreliable would be like saying the sun rises in the east (I could seldom manage much more than about 100 miles on that bike without something major breaking).   Harley got its act together with the Evo engine, the next iteration of its venerable V-twin (the Evo motor was supremely reliable; I rode mine for 16 years).  Dave’s trip, though, was on the supremely unreliable Shovelhead.  All of which makes Dave Barr’s journey around the world fascinating…he started it without any sponsorship, no support vehicles or backup of any kind, close to no money, a motorcycle known for its lack of reliability, and with no…legs.   Yep, Dave is a double amputee (he lost his legs to a land mine in Africa).  He rode that old Shovelhead around the world (it took him 4 years to do it) on artificial legs.  If Dave Barr sounds like a special human being, well, that’s because he is.   I know this to be the case because I know him personally.

Dave Barr's Riding the Edge

It’s hard to say exactly what I like best about Dave Barr’s Riding the Edge – his honest depictions of the daily struggles to keep the Shovelhead running, his descriptions of the people he met along the way, or his refusal to give up.   I’ve had a few times in my life when I faced obstacles, and Dave’s life has always inspired me.  After I read Dave’s book, I saw a telephone number for the publisher, and I decided I wanted to buy several for my friends (the book was that special).   You can imagine my surprise when I called and Dave himself answered.  We had a great talk, and he invited me up to Bodfish for dinner.  When you read Riding the Edge and see the photos of that old Shovelhead, I want you to know that I had the honor of actually riding alongside that motorcycle as Dave and I rode around Lake Isabella.   I can tell you from first-hand knowledge he is a fine human being.  If you’d like to get yourself a copy of Riding the Edge (and trust me, you want to), you can visit Dave’s website or call (760) 379-4941.   Don’t be surprised if Dave picks up the phone himself.

The Perfect Vehicle:   What It Is About Motorcycles

Melissa Pierson’s The Perfect Vehicle:  What It Is About Motorcycles is a sleeper in the sense that I had never heard about it when I bought a copy, and I haven’t heard too many other riders mention

Melissa Pierson's Excellent Book, The Perfect Vehicle

it, either (which is really surprising, especially considering just what an outstanding book it is).  I bought it several years ago when I saw it in the transportation section of our local bookstore.  It was one of the few I had not seen, and it had an intriguing illustration of a Moto Guzzi race bike on the cover.  They say you can’t tell a book by its cover, but Pierson’s writing is every bit the equal of that Moto Guzzi’s engineering.  It’s a classic.  I think Pierson’s book is one of the best I’ve ever read of any kind, not just among books focused on motorcycles. 

The Perfect Vehicle:  What It Is About Motorcycles is a perfect book by a great author; it perfectly captures how I (and I suspect everyone reading this blog) feels about riding.  I’ve read my copy of Pierson’s book several times.  It’s that good.  

Old Man On A Bike

Simon, Somewhere In South America

You’ve heard me mention Simon Gandolfi on this blog once or twice before.  He’s a well-known novelist who also loves world travel on small motorcycles.  Simon Gandolfi’s Old Man On A Bike is a classic in every sense of the word, and it is one of the world’s great motorcycle road trips. The story line in a nutshell is that Gandolfi (a Brit in his 70s) went to Mexico, bought a single-cylinder, 125cc Honda pizza delivery bike, and pointed it south.  “South” as in Tierra Del Fuego, the southernmost tip of South America.

Old Man On A Bike, by Simon Gandolfi

I’ve read every book of this genre, and none is in the same league as Gandolfi’s.  Old Man On A Bike combines first-class writing, captivating story-telling, the excitement of a long distance motorcycle trip, ground-level input on how others outside the US-UK alliance view world events (without Gandolfi injecting his own views), and most significantly, the realization that we can age without losing our enthusiasm for life or our sense of adventure.  The title’s implied oxymoronism may attract readers, and Gandolfi describes himself as an old man, but Old Man On A Bike shows that he is not old at all. His excitement about being alive and out in the world, his curiosity, his willingness to take on what others might not, and his de facto youth are invigorating.

Simon, Somewhere In India

Gandolfi writes in the present tense, which takes the reader into every scene to experience the food, the accommodations, the people, the road, the weather, the fear, the excitement, and the rest of his wonderful journey. His positive experiences refute misinformed warnings about corrupt border guards and officials in a delightful manner, and provide an overall “feel good” experience. I believe I’ve read all of the motorcycle travel stories, and trust me, this is one of the greats.

Simon is a good friend, and I wasn’t surprised at all to learn that after his Americas trip, he is now doing the same thing in India.   He originally was going to do the trip on an Enfield, but they backed out and he again turned to a small caliber Honda.  Well into his late 70s, Simon is over there in India riding right now.   You can read about it on Simon’s blog.  Keep an eye on your watch, though, or else you may see the sun coming up before you realize it.  It’s happened to me a couple of times.