CSC Blog

Good news for our friends in the Middle East…you can now buy CSC motorcycles!

Yep, Kool Bikes in Beirut, Lebanon, is now our dealer in the Middle East, serving Lebanon, Turkey, Cyprus, and other countries in region.  It’s just amazing how CSC, the little engine that could, has emerged as a source of jobs here in the United States and of motorcycles throughout the world!

The good folks at Kool Bikes have an interest in all of our bikes and they are ordering in quantity…this is definitely not a one or two bike deal…and there’s a particular interest in a our CSC-150P.  This is going to be very interesting, and I am sure hoping I’ll be able to finagle a trip over there to get a firsthand look at our bikes in the Middle East.  I’ve been to parts of the Middle East before, but never to Lebanon.  I know there are some serious enthusiasts in Turkey (I spent a lot of time there), and I think CSC motorcycles are going to make superior urban motos in Istanbul.  I gotta get some photos of that.  And the Turkish countryside…areas like Cappadocia…Ephesus…the Anatolian Plateau…wow!  Folks, this is gonna be good!

These bikes and more are already at Kool Bikes in Beirut, Lebanon! That's Wade on the Kool Bikes Confederate, a vintage BMW R50, CSC motorcycles being loaded for the trip to Beirut, and some of the classic bikes hitching a ride!

One more point on Kool Bikes…they are building a super moto museum with some very cool bikes that we’ve shipped over to them.  In addition to our CSC motorcycles, these guys have a classic and eclectic collection of super machines…including a vintage BMW R50, a Confederate, a Harley V-Rod…and many others.

Hmmm…I wonder what the airfare to Beirut might be…and I think I saw Steve leave his credit card out…

Yep, that’s what we have, and this is the only place you’re gonna see them.  We’re not even advertising this one on Facebook…or anywhere else, for that matter!   Here’s your chance…the next three bikes are…you got it…just $2995!

The sale we ran just a few days ago on our demo bikes was a runaway success…at $2995, those bikes flew out of the factory.  They were gone in hours, as those of you who were quick (and lucky) found out.   All sold essentially immediately except for the two BabyDoll demo bikes, and we felt kind of bad about that.   Those bikes need a home, too.   Hey, no problemo, said Steve and the boys….they just swapped out the tanks and fenders for a set in red and our very last set in gloss blue.

I gotta tell you, these bikes look good!   They’ve both got silver metalflake seats (think “glitter sitter” seats, all the rage back in the late ‘60s).  The silver seats work real well with the bikes’ silver wheels.    And the red CSC with wide whitewalls and that silver seat…wow!   Would you believe both of these former BabyDolls have less than a hundred miles on them?

Silver wheels, silver saddle, silver engine, wide whitewalls, and Wow!

Baby Blue, one of the classiest colors we've ever offered...for $2995!

And, not to leave the Greaser out of the mix, we had one more demo Greaser we had forgotten about at the other end of the factory, and here it is.

The CSC Bad Boy, our flat-black-and-red, white-walled wonderbike! $2995!

You might wonder…can I still get that same deal?

The answer, as we mentioned above just for our faithful blog readers and just on these three demo bikes, is YES!  But you gotta act quickly.   You can call our regular number (800 884 4173), but that’s the factory’s toll free number and we’re not open on the weekends.  We have one sales number, just for this weekend, and we’re not spreading that one around…it’s 909 896 8091.   We’ll have a guy standing by tonight and over the weekend, and if you want to strike quickly, that’s the number to call.  If you wait until Monday morning…well, there’s no telling at this point, but my guess is if you snooze, you lose.

I know, the headline is Four More!  So where’s that fourth bike?  Well, we have another cool opportunity on this one!

Since we’ve been open, we’ve had exactly two bikes come in as used motorcycles, and boy oh boy, have we got a honey of a deal for you….how about a $6,000 CSC motorcycle for $3800?  Check this one out, boys and girls…it’s got a $1500 custom two-tone paint job and a chrome performance exhaust (it’s still in the original box; it’s never been mounted on the bike), and only…get this…53 miles on the clock!    This bike is beautiful, and it won’t be here long!

A factory custom paint job! Just 53 miles! A chrome performance exhaust pipe that's still in the box! $3800!

These bikes are steals, boys and girls!  Do you wanna be telling stories about the one that got away, or do you wanna get out and ride?!?!

Thursday already!  Wow, this week is flying by!  It’s been a great week, and boy oh boy, great things are happening at a rapid clip!

I met Melissa Pierson in person, along with John Ryan, The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing.  I’ve been a fan of Melissa’s for more than a decade after first reading The Perfect Vehicle, another great motorcycle book (actually, I’m convinced it’s one of the best I’ve ever read).

I’m just about at the end of Melissa’s latest book, and boys and girls, it’s a must read…a great look into a very unusual form of riding…the long distance ride.  These are folks who routinely do a thousand or more miles a day (for days and weeks on end).

I did a thousand miles in one day just once (on a Harley Softail coming back from Mexico; you can read about that adventure here), and that was enough for me.  I felt that one for a week.  My neck, my wrist, my back…everything was sore.   The guys in Melissa’s new book do that kind of riding all the time.   Wow.

John Ryan was there, too, and he also signed my copy of The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing.  Ryan is larger than life (literally, he’s a giant of a man and a giant of a rider), but he was a very low-key nice guy.   Much of Melissa’s book is about John, and it’s fascinating reading.   This guy is a committed rider, way more so than most of the folks any of us will ever meet.   I felt fortunate that I was able to meet him.

It wasn’t long before the inevitable occurred.  You guys and gals who ride CSC know what I’m talking about. As I was reading the paper, I heard someone say, “Excuse me, is that your motorcycle?” and I made a new friend, a real nice guy named Ron.

Ron wanted to know all about my bike, and it wasn’t long before he and his friends were outside checking out the bright red California Scooter.  Ron had a lot of questions, he asked for a brochure, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing him again.  You know the story…it’s the rock star business.  It happens nearly everywhere I go on my California Scooter.  I love it!

After enjoying the morning newspaper, a great cup of coffee, and that super cheese-and-onion bagel, I rode over to see my friend Bob Brown at Brown’s BMW in Pomona.

I hadn’t seen Bob in a while, nor had I been to his BMW store recently, so I thought I’d stop by, say hi, and check out the latest toys from Germany (except that a lot of them don’t come from Germany any more, but that’s another story for another time…the global economy, and all that).

Bob likes classic as well as modern stuff (just like we do at California Scooter), and he’s got some very interesting classic BMWs on display in the showroom.

When I left Brown’s, I took a putt over to the CSC plant, and classic things were hopping there, too. Let’s just say it was one of the coolest encounters I’ve ever had.  How cool?  Well, let me take you back to a blog we did a while ago on the The Mustang Story, and in particular, this excerpt from that story…

Just after the Mustang Motor Products Corporation started making motorcycles, a young 14-year-old Eddie Seidner wanted a Mustang so bad he could taste it. Eddie’s friend Billy Buster had a Mustang, and Ed wanted one, too. From its chrome headlight to its black peanut tank, everything about it was cool. Ed Seidner grew up and literally created a motorcycle business empire, but he never got his Mustang. He still wanted one.

Steve Seidner (Ed’s son) started as a mechanic’s helper in his dad’s service department in 1969 and worked his way through every position in his father’s dealership. Steve learned well. The apple doesn’t fall very far from the tree, and like Ed, Steve is an entrepreneur. Steve opened Pro-One Performance Manufacturing in 1989. Pro-One builds some of the most exotic performance V-twins on the planet. Steve’s a builder and creative genius, and his new business was a runaway success.

Steve grew up hearing stories from his father about the Mustang, what a great machine it was, and how he always wanted one. Steve listened to stories about Billy Buster’s Mustang for decades, and in 2008, he did something about it…

Billy Buster.  The guy who inspired Ed, who inspired Steve, who started it all.  I’d heard the name, and just the sound of it seemed mythical, like something out of a novel Melissa might write.  Billy Buster.  I never imagined the guy was real.  Billy Buster.  The name sounded like a character in a movie from the 1940s.

Ed’s a pretty cool guy, and I always enjoy chatting with him.  He’s a true success story, a self-made man, and being around folks like Ed is inspiring.  Somehow, though, this day felt a little different, like it was going to be even better than usual.  There just seemed to be a charge in the air.  I didn’t know what was going on until one of the attractive young ladies who works in our plant came over to me and said, “Billy Buster’s here!”

Billy Buster.  For a second or two I drew a blank.  Where had I heard that name before?

Then I realized. “You mean the Billy Buster?” I asked.  “The one who had the Mustang that Ed always wanted as a kid?  That guy is real?  And he’s here?”

She just smiled.

Billy Buster.  I couldn’t believe it, but there he was.  Billy Buster.  Checking out a dark blue CSC motorcycle.  Billy Buster.  I walked over to Ed, who was taking it all in with a huge smile.

“You know, when we were 14,” Ed said, “Billy bought that Mustang and he was Marlon Brando…I was still just me.”  Ed and I had a good laugh.  I had a good conversation with Mr. Buster.  I shot a few photos.  Wow.  Billy Buster!  Folks, things like this just don’t happen in other motorcycle factories!

Hey, one last note for today, folks:  Keep an eye on the blog!   We’ve got a great story coming up…and it involves your favorite motorcycle making inroads in a new sales territory:  The Middle East.  Yep, you read it right.  Stay tuned!

Steve on his '53 Mustang Pony

No, were not gonna run out and buy a beret for Steve, but I’ll bet a lot of you don’t know just how firmly grounded we are in the big bike and custom bike scene. Quite a few of you may know that Steve founded Pro-One Performance Manufacturing, and maybe you know a bit about our Pro-One heritage.  When I saw this video, though, I knew I had to put it on the blog. 

Steve’s actually a bit shy and I’ve never heard him brag, so he doesn’t know I’m doing this.  But I’m doing it anyway!  It’s a cool YouTube that I just uploaded a short while ago.

Most people who don’t know anything about CSC Motorcycles assume our bike is just another cheap econobike. It’s anything but that, and that’s because the same guy who designed our Pro-One line of high-end performance V-twins designed our California Scooters. Take a look at this Pro-One video and you’ll understand the origins of our California Scooter’s billet aluminum, chrome, show quality paint, all metal construction, and stunning styling. 

When you buy a California Scooter, you’re not just buying the world’s premier high-end small motorcycle…you’re investing in American style, a motorcycle heritage that goes back to the 1940s, the US economy, and Steve Seidner’s design and manufacturing genius!

Yep, I’m getting the urge to get my knees in the breeze…

And Tecate with lime…condensation forming on the outside of the can…with sea salt around the rim…

And delicious Baja shrimp sauteed in garlic butter…

And incredible lobster burritos at Mama Espinosa’s…

And all the other good things that go with a ride in Baja…

I know, you’re thinking…oh, I don’t know…it might not be fun…it might be dangerous…it might…

Hey, put your fears and doubts aside…and take a look at our last big Baja ride…

And when you’re done with that, read our trip report from the last ride….

Folks, you could be in on this, and have an adventure you’ll remember for the rest of your life!

I’m thinking maybe December for this one…

So who’s in?

Lots of good stuff going on, folks…tomorrow I’m heading over to Melissa Pierson’s book signing, I’m gonna get on my red Classic and ride over to the plant a little later this afternoon, and things are popping at the scooter factory! There’s lots of exciting things happening there, including bikes flying out of the plant. While the rest of the world is talking about reviving the economy, Steve, CSC Motorcycles, and you (our loyal riders) are actually doing something about getting the money flowing again and putting people back to work. We sold a bunch of new bikes and all but the two Babydolls last week during our demo bike blowout.

If you still want to get in on that demo bike sale, give TK a call (tell him Joe sent you) and see what he’ll do about changing the colors on those last two Babydolls…you might be surprised. I’ve toyed with the idea of buying one myself and painting the tanks and fenders ivory white with black pinstriping to match the gangster whitewalls, but I’m having too much fun on my red Classic. And that bike is calling me right now…adios!

Think about December, great riding, and the next grand adventure!

We have a once-in-a-lifetime offer for you!

We have a fleet of demo and press bikes that we are going to replace with newer bikes, and we are selling them at absolute blow-out prices!

How low?

How’s $2,995 sound to you for a bike that is near new, has never been registered, and carries a factory warranty? The prices will vary a little bit based on the accessories we have on each bike, so call us to discuss the particulars (our toll-free number is 800 884 4173), and we’ll give you the exact price. Just check the photos below, and when you call us, have the number of the bike you want handy.

So, what’s the story on these bikes? We have a small fleet of California Scooters to showcase our accessories, to use as press bikes, and to use as demo rides when folks want to ride in the mountains with us. Most of these bikes have less than a hundred miles on them, and they’ve all been meticulously maintained right here in our factory. Some of the bikes may have smudge or a paint chip here and there, but it’s nothing more than you’d put on your own bike the first time you’d ride it.

Folks, this is a marvelous opportunity to get on a CSC motorcycle at what is below a bargain basement price. We’ve got several colors available and we’re not going to repeat this offer…when these bikes are gone….they’re gone. And we’re not advertising this special anywhere else other than our Blog and our Facebook page. It’s our way of giving our loyal followers a first (and only) shot at this tremendous opportunity!

Arlene is one of our most dedicated riders, and she sent this movie to us a few days ago…

Arlene is the CEO of Go Go Gear, an award-winning motorcycle apparel manufacturer.   Check out these photos of Arlene wearing a couple of her different Go Go Gear jackets…

On the way to Mt. Baldy...on a borrowed bike...Arlene wearing her Go Go Gear jacket

Arlene on her Go Go Gear bike in Mexico...that's the Sea of Cortez in the background!

And here’s another video showing Arlene out in front somewhere deep in Baja!

Thanks for the movie, Arlene…and we’ll see you on the road!

I’m a workaholic.  I’ve been that way ever since I was a teenager.  It all started with one of the two best jobs I’ve ever had and a traffic citation (more on that in a minute), and somehow, even though I grew up in New Jersey, California already had its tentacles into me (more on that in a minute, too). 

Let’s get this story started with a dynamite photo I found of Joe Barzda on the Internet a short bit ago…

Joe Barzda, my boss at the California Speed and Sport Shop...RIP, Joe, and thanks for all you've done for me!

So who’s Joe Barzda?

Joe Barzda and his brother Eddie were two of the coolest dudes I’ve ever known, and they both were strong positive influences in my life.  The Barzdas ran the California Speed and Sport Shop in New Brunswick, New Jersey.  This place was Mecca, the promised land, the holy of holies for teenagers like me back in those days.  It was the premier speed shop in the northeastern United States.  They were the east coast distributors for all of the big performance brands, and it was cool. Way cool.

The California Speed and Sport Shop in New Brunswick

So, one day, I stopped in the California Speed and Sport Shop.  The place was beyond cool…mag wheels, big dual pumper Holley carbs, headers and aluminum manifolds, and cams…all with exotic names like Weiand, Iskenderian, Edelbrock, Hedman, Cragar…you get the idea. I’m not sure what got into me, but when one of the crusty old dudes behind the counter asked what I wanted, I asked if they had any openings.  I had a dinky little job as a stockboy at W.T. Grant (a department store), and it was boring.  I would have worked for free in a place like the California Speed and Sport Shop.  The guy who asked if I needed help at the California Speed and Sport Shop?  Well, I didn’t know I was talking to royalty, but that guy was none other than Joe Barzda.  I filled out an application and left.  And I forgot about it.  I had no relevant experience, and I couldn’t imagine a place that cool wanting to hire a stockboy like me from a five-and-dime store.

A 1965 Pontiac GTO...Richie's was the same color!

Okay, more background information and let me back up another three years….Paul Berkuta was my next door neighbor in those days.  He’s a cool guy.  You know the routine…we were always getting into some kind of trouble or another. It was a grand time and a great place to grow up.  Pauly’s cousin Richie lived in New Brunswick, and he was way cooler than either of us.  One day, Richie rolled up in a 1965 Pontiac GTO.  GTOs were beyond cool back then (and now, too, in my opinion).  The GTO was the original muscle car.  Literally.  When John DeLorean shoved a big block Pontiac motor into a Tempest back in 1964, he single-handedly started the muscle car era.  The GTO was the original.  It was awesome.

I was 14, and Richie’s GTO was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.  He gave me a ride, and when he floored that thing, he floored me, too.  I was hooked.  If there was one thing I knew with certainty at the age of 14, it was that someday I was going to own a GTO.

For the next three years, I saved.  I scrimped.  I found every nickel I could.  I spent nothing.  I had a little less than half of what I needed when I was old enough to drive to buy a GTO, but that didn’t slow me down.  I went to work on my parents, and being the persuasive and annoying little dude I was (some folks would say I still am), I talked my old man into springing for the rest.  I bought a GTO.  I had reached Nirvana.

Hmmm.  17 years old.  A GTO.  You can probably guess where this story is going…

So, late one night I ran my car through the gears on Route 130.  I saw a set of headlights way in the background, but they were so far back I ignored them.  For a while.  A short while.  Then I noticed the lights were bearing down on me.  Hmmm…the guy probably wants to run me, I thought.  No way he’s gonna beat my GTO.  Then he pulled up alongside me and turned on his interior lights.  A NJ State Trooper.  Yikes.  A speeding ticket.  My first.  Oh, man, I was in trouble. That ticket was tough to explain to my folks, but a 17-year-old kid in a GTO…what would you expect?  To say my parents were upset would be an understatement.  You’ve probably been through this…lots of promises…I’ll be a good boy…I’ll never speed again…

Right.

Exactly one week later, I was stopped at a light on Route 1.  Late at night.  A guy pulled up next to me in an SS 396 Chevelle.  Oh boy.  It’s funny how circumstances can focus the mind.  I literally forgot everything else.  The light changed and we were off.  I was smoking that Chevelle, too, feeling like the 17-year-old badass I knew I was, right up until the moment I spotted the cop.  He saw us about the same time we saw him.  Uh, oh.  Racing on the highway.  That was a big one…an 8-point ticket with a mandatory court appearance.  My folks were about as angry as I’d ever seen them.  And right in the middle of one of the worst “counseling sessions” I’d ever experienced from my old man, the phone rang.  It was Joe Barzda at the California Speed and Sport Shop, wanting to know when I could start.

Now, you gotta picture this.  Here I am, one step away from a life of crime, holding a traffic ticket for racing on the highway.  My folks were mad as hornets, giving me hell for what was an admittedly boneheaded move.  I’m wondering if I should run away or maybe join the Army (which I eventually did a few years later, but that’s another story).  My parents were upset with the whole hot rod/muscle car thing, they were mad at me, and at that precise moment, the phone rings with a job offer to work at a place that’s smack dab in the middle of the whole car craze and performance movement.

The man himself...

I took that job, and it was one of the best breaks I ever had in my life, even though it turned me into a workaholic.  I routinely worked 70 hours a week.  At first, I put in those hours mostly because I was afraid to go home (my folks stayed mad for a long time about that racing ticket), but I loved the work and the California Speed and Sport Shop experience.  It was the coolest place.  It was one of the main places in the country for anything having to do with high performance automobiles.  One day I looked up and my boss was talking to a guy with an Italian accent who looked vaguely familiar.  When I asked Joe who it was, he told me:  Mario Andretti.  It was just that kind of place.

All of my friends knew I fell into clover working at the California Speed and Sport Shop.  I worked there all through college, and for many years I stopped in to visit whenever I was back in NJ.  The Barzdas are all gone now, but the shop is still there.  A very cool place and a very cool job.  It was just one of those lucky breaks, and I’ll be the first to admit I’ve had way more than my fair share of those in my life.  Come to think of it, the parallels between that job and this one with the California Scooter Company are interesting…knowing I hit the jackpot landing this gig…working around ultra-cool high performance stuff…getting to work with cool and fun people…doing something I love…and more.

Well, that’s it for today, boys and girls. I’ve got a cool video from Arlene to show you in another blog or two, an amazing purchasing opportunity for you that’s coming up real soon (watch for it early next week), and lots more…so stay tuned!

Jimbo's updated CSC motorcycle...the second CSC bike we ever built!

As you know, Jimbo was the production superintendent at the original Mustang Motor Products Corporation, and he’s been a great advisor and sounding board for us here at CSC.  Jim owns the second bike that ever left the CSC factory, and he recently delivered it to us for a few upgrades, including the ultra spiffy wire wheels you see in the photo above.  Jim’s bike is actually one of the pre-production models, and we incorporated a few changes as we transitioned from the pre-prod bikes to our current production.  We incorporated all of the production changes in Jim’s bike, and it’s ready to roll!

So, back to another topic…the Reno Air Races.  A lot of you have called and asked about that event, the crash, etc., so here goes…

I didn’t go to Reno due to other commitments, but Steve and TK did, and it was a miracle that they’re here with us now.  If you own a television or you use the Internet (and if you’re reading this, you obviously do), you know about the horrible accident that occurred last Friday.  Our CSC Motorcycle display (and Steve and TK) were literally only about 200 feet from the impact point.  They were so close that the FAA and NTSB impounded our trailer for a few days until they were convinced it was okay for us to leave.

I happened to be on Facebook Friday afternoon (that’s when the crash occurred), and about 4:30 I received a Facebook message from my good friend Cathy (who leaves just outside of Reno) asking if I was okay.  I thought the request was a bit odd, so I asked why she asked.  She told me about the accident, which occurred just after 4:20. While we were talking, I Googled it, and to my great surprise, it was already posted on YouTube (somebody who caught it on video had already put the footage on the Internet…I don’t think 10 minutes had elapsed from the time the airplane crashed).  I immediately called Steve and my call went to his voicemail.  I then sent an email to Steve.  A nervous hour went by before Steve was able to respond.  He told me it had been close, but both he and TK were okay.  Whew!

My January 2000 photo of Mark Madden, who died minutes after I took this photo

Prior to the accident, Steve and TK were doing pretty well up there in Reno…the line that comes to mind is “other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?”   Things were going well, but the event came to a sudden and horrific end.

The Reno Air Race crowd was a good one for us.  We sold a few bikes, but the event ended when the accident occurred with the two busiest days still in front of us.  

Our hearts go out to those who died or were injured in Reno, and to their friends and family.

A weird footnote to all of this…the last airshow Steve went to prior to Reno was at Cable Airport down here in Upland about 10 years ago, and I happened to coincidentally be at that airshow, too.  Steve and I didn’t know each other yet, but we were both there, and at that airshow, we witnessed another fatality.  A young fellow named Mark Madden, the world’s record holder for flat spins in a dive, died when his stunt biplane crashed right in front of us.   Another footnote…that same year, I went to the Reno Air Races as a guest of my good friend Larry Rowe, and our box seats were almost exactly where the P51 Mustang crashed this year.

Melissa Pierson's newest motorcycle book

You may remember our blog entry on Melissa Pierson’s newest book, The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing, and our earlier blog entry on her first motorcycle book, The Perfect Vehicle.  That first book was perfect itself…a magnificent read that captured the essence of what it means to ride.   That’s why I was so excited about Melissa’s newest book. I ordered an advance copy even before it was available.  

A couple of weeks ago, I learned with great pleasure that The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing was going to ship a few weeks earlier than planned (how perfect is that!) and that Melissa would be in southern California for a book signing!  You can bet I’m going to be there!

The book signing I’ll be attending is at JC Motors on 16591 Noyes Avenue in Irvine, California (it’s on 2 October from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.), but if you can’t make this one, there are a whole bunch more book signings planned (you can see the list at the bottom of this blog entry).  

I’ve included Melissa’s press release here in its entirety so you can learn a bit more about the new book and see where some of the other signings are going to be.

My advice?  Buy this newest book from Melissa, and while you’re at it, pick up a copy of The Perfect Vehicle, too.  It’s that good!

The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing

Long-Distance Motorcycling’s Endless Road

By Melissa Holbrook Pierson

“Eloquent and probing. . . . A beautiful story of passion and reclamation for anyone who has ever lost the way.”

—Susan Richards, author of the best-selling Chosen by a Horse

“Pierson’s marvelously engaging account of her resumption of long-distance motorcycling after years of hiatus proves pure pleasure for the aficionado. . . . Her stately, lyrical prose, profound respect for the machinery, and sympathy for the extreme adventurers will transport even the most unlikely readers.”

—Publishers Weekly, starred review

“With a lively style and plenty of insight, Pierson produces a must-read for both hands-on and armchair cyclists.”

—Booklist

For the 50,000 members of the Iron Butt Association—also known as the “World’s Toughest Motorcycle Riders”—long-distance motorcycle trips are not a pastime but a way of life. These men and women push the limits of human endurance, often in rides of more than one thousand miles a day, and form a cult within the motorcycling community. Now Melissa Holbrook Pierson, veteran rider and author of the acclaimed chronicle The Perfect Vehicle, portrays with wit, insight, and quirkily perfect turns of phrase an insider’s view of this curious group and one of its most remarkable members, John Ryan. THE MAN WHO WOULD STOP AT NOTHING: LONG-DISTANCE MOTORCYCLING’S ENDLESS ROAD [W. W. Norton & Company; October 3, 2011; $24.95 hardcover] describes those for whom long-distance riding is not an interest but an obsession—in order to understand obsession itself. Pierson gives readers an intimate glimpse (from the seat of her BMW bike) of a singularly independent yet supportive community of people who strive to reach a goal for the simple reward of having done it.

Melissa Pierson's Excellent Book, The Perfect Vehicle

After a decade away from motorcycling, Pierson was in the throes of a divorce.  She downloaded the sound of her former motorcycle and cried with joy. She knew it was calling her as it does the men and women of the Iron Butt Association. Theirs is a fixation to get on a motorcycle and not get off until it is impossible to stay on any longer. Devout and determined, these riders persist through every discomfort to break a record: they sleep on the roadside; eat and drink on the bike; go long hours without rest; and power through rain, heat, and blizzards. They cross forty-eight contiguous states in fewer than ten days, or ride around the Great Lakes in under fifty hours. The initiation into the association is the “SaddleSore” (the completion of 1000 miles within 24 hours) with the goal being the “Iron Butt Rally” (11,000 miles in 11 days). As Pierson explains, one of the greatest challenges and virtues of long-distance motorcycling is the long hours of solitude while biking. And yet Iron Butt motorcyclists have formed a close, intimate, and supportive group, despite the members’ vastly different backgrounds.

Perhaps the most striking of these remarkable riders is a motorcyclist whom Pierson describes as “determination in the form of a man”: John Ryan, a thirty-year veteran of the road who has broken almost every long-distance record imaginable. Comparing him to a Charles Lindbergh or George Mallory, Pierson explains that Ryan pursues adventure for its own sake: he thinks he might someday like to average 550 miles every day of the year on a bike, including holidays. Having done stints as a basketball player, painting contractor, nightclub bouncer, and postman, he gave up alternative pursuits almost as soon as he discovered the world of long-distance riding. He has no other career, no wife, no house of his own, and—despite being diabetic—no health insurance. In the few hours he is not on the road, he modifies his famous bike for upcoming challenges or posts to his blog entitled “There’s Absolutely No Excuse for the Way I’m About to Act.” Shy but willful, Ryan embodies the spirit of long-distance riding and the pursuit of a singular passion.

Pierson’s close friendship with Ryan provides the backbone of The Man Who Would Stop at Nothing; as Pierson explains, Ryan contacted her in 2008 to encourage her to return to motorcycling after an eleven-year hiatus during which she married, had children, and pursued a literary career. In the wake of her divorce, Pierson hesitatingly renews her interest in the open road. Soon, feeling the warmth and encouragement of Ryan and his fellow riders, she finds in motorcycling the means of healing. In frank, lucid prose, Pierson describes her own long road from heartbreak to freedom and a sort of contentment. Both the solitude and the camaraderie that Pierson finds within the biking world allow her to conquer old sorrows and embrace new possibilities for adventure and achievement. THE MAN WHO WOULD STOP AT NOTHING is not just a description but a testament to long-distance motorcycling’s power to open people to themselves and others.

Pierson confronts the sorrows and longings we all have and moves through them to expose a world of roads and new possibilities for living. This is a book about nothing so much as life and how we choose to live it, and it is sure to fascinate all readers interested in living with a passion.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melissa Holbrook Pierson is the author of The Perfect Vehicle, The Place You Love Is Gone, and Dark Horses and Black Beauties. She lives near Woodstock, New York.

TITLE: THE MAN WHO WOULD STOP AT NOTHING: LONG-DISTANCE MOTORCYCLING’S ENDLESS ROAD

AUTHOR: Melissa Holbrook Pierson

PUBLICATION DATE: October 3, 2011

PRICE: $24.95 hardcover

ISBN: 978-0-393-07904-3

TOUR

October 3:  Los Angeles, CA – Yellow Devil Gear Exchange

October 8:  Chatham, NY – Columbia County ArtsWalk, 5pm

October 15:  Fredericksburg, VA – Morton’s BMW Oktoberfest, 9am-4pm

October 23:  Woodstock, NY – Golden Notebook (at Kleinert/James Arts Center), 3pm

October 27:  Brooklyn, NY – Word Bookstore (at Brooklyn Moto), 7pm