LOOKING FOR A RAD PRESSIE FOR YOUR MOTO MAD PEEPS?
Maybe you wanna brush up on your chopper history knowledge or start to build your own custom bike?
We’ve complied a list of our fave moto books for everyone (including your moto littles, ok ok , for you to read to your moto littles so you don’t have to read that boring kids book they’ve got you repeating every night!) to hunker down and get inspired by!
CHOPPER - THE REAL STORY by Paul D’Orleans
The chopper is a quintessentially American invention, rivaling jazz and abstract expressionism as one of the country s most emblematic cultural exports of the twentieth century. Choppers have deep roots in the origins of American motorcycling, flourishing after the Second World War out of a heady mix of personal mobility, an identification with the legends of the Wild West, and an interracial cross-pollination simultaneous to the creation of rock n roll. With its own system of unspoken rules for both machine and rider, the chopper has a special status in the motorcycle world a position it earned despite being actively discouraged by the professional motorcycle industry for decades. By the time the film Easy Rider was released, the chopper was firmly established as an icon of the American dream.
Choppers are instantly recognizable the dangerously stretched forks, crazy paint jobs, and feet-forward riding position are an outrageous statement of freedom, which sprouted in California and spread like a weed to the rest of the world. Since the 1920s, an independent scene of riders and builders from around the world has continuously evolved the canon of the chopper. What began as the ultimate American folk art movement, with a self-identified outsider status, has now been marketed and commercially exploited for generations by pop culture, television shows, and print media, while government agencies use choppers as symbols of crime and anarchy.
Despite the fact that the chopper s real story is much more complex and thrilling than the stereotypes that surround it, it has never been told until now. In this book, leading motorcycle journalist and vintage motorcycle expert Paul d Orléans tells the chopper s true story, from its origins to its renaissance today. He provides insight into legendary builders such as Arlen Ness, super-cool riders both male and female, patch club motorcycle gangs, ingenious Japanese workshops, and the young enthusiasts who are now reviving the chopper s popularity. With its well-informed texts and showcase of historical and contemporary photographs, this book finally gives the chopper the respectful attention it deserves.
LONE RIDER - By Elspeth Beard
In 1982, at the age of just twenty-three and halfway through her architecture studies, Elspeth Beard left her family and friends in London and set off on a 35,000-mile solo adventure around the world on her 1974 BMW R60/6.
Reeling from a recent breakup and with only limited savings from her pub job, a tent, a few clothes and some tools, all packed on the back of her bike, she was determined to prove herself. She had ridden bikes since her teens and was well travelled. But nothing could prepare her for what lay ahead.
When she returned to London nearly two and a half years later she was stones lighter and decades wiser. She'd ridden through unforgiving landscapes and countries ravaged by war, witnessed civil uprisings that forced her to fake documents, and fended off sexual attacks, biker gangs and corrupt police convinced she was trafficking drugs. She'd survived life-threatening illnesses, personal loss and brutal accidents that had left permanent scars and a black hole in her memory. And she'd fallen in love with two very different men.
In an age before email, the internet, mobile phones, satnavs and, in some parts of the world, readily available and reliable maps, Elspeth achieved something that would still seem remarkable today. Told with honesty and wit, this is the extraordinary and moving story of a unique and life-changing adventure.
THE RIDE - By Chris Hunter
The motorcycle is back! Similar to the fresh contemporary scene that has established itself around bicycles in the last few years, the motorcycle is currently undergoing an aesthetic rebirth. A young subculture worldwide is discovering the motorcycle as an expression of its personality and creativity. The Ride explores motorcycle riding as it is meant to be: as a means of getting around with attitude, as an extension of one s own body, as an expression of personal freedom, but also as a significant challenge to technical expertise, craftsmanship, physics, discipline, and driving skill. In the motorcycle scene of 1960s Britain, it was frowned upon to drive a motorcycle as it was produced in a factory.
Following in this historical tradition, The Ride focuses on those who are creating customized motorcycles that come as close to one s own vision of how pure riding should be as possible. For example, the creative young people who are buying old, wrecked bikes on eBay, removing everything but the motor and frame, and then rebuilding them in ways that are as radical and subversively creative as they are knowledgeable and respectful of tradition. The archetypes of the new motorcycles created in this way classic board racers, bobbers, café racers, and choppers may very well be 30-50 or even 80 years old, but what is made out of them is new, not retro. Decked out with state-of-the-art disk brakes, LED lights, gears, and drive components, these machines are more agile, faster, more radical, and therefore more fun than anything produced in the past. The Ride features transformations such as a boring plastic motorcycle made in Japan in the 1990s turned into a slick café racer with an Italian feel, a soulless neo-baroque machine turned into an in-your-face scrambler, or an old find from grandpa s barn turned into a absolutely comfort-free hardtail with the coolest of sounds.
The book also presents small, local custom motorcycle workshops from around the globe that have established themselves with sought-after products that inspire other builders worldwide. It features extensive profiles of pioneers including Walt Siegl, Wrenchmonkees, DP Customs, Cole Foster, Deus, Shinya Kimura, Ian Barry, and Uwe Ehinger and their very different ideas of how a motorcycle should be. The unique bikes created in their garages sometimes made-to-order, sometimes in a limited series are often technically superior, better thought-out, and simply more radical than those produced by larger manufacturers who need to appeal to a broader audience. The spirit of this young motorcycle scene is reminiscent of that of current bike frame builders or even today s new food subculture. It s about making, transforming, or designing something with your own hands. In this case, something that will get a person from A to B, that makes noise, smells, vibrates, and comes to life. What could be more exciting, more analog, and more satisfying?
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOTORCYCLE CAMPING - By Tim Collins
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOTORCYCLE CAMPING Motorcycles and camping go hand in hand. This comprehensive, practical guide—perfect for novice and pro motorcycle campers alike—outlines all you need to know to prepare for, survive, and enjoy the great outdoors on your motorcycle. The Fundamentals of Motorcycle Camping covers how to make wise riding and camping gear choices to meticulously assemble your perfect motorcycle camping setup, avoid common pitfalls while planning your trip, master all the logistics, and implement wilderness survival tactics to deal with potential hazards in the wild.
Learn everything you need to know to maximize your motorcycle camping adventures:
*Route planning and finding campsites
*Intricacies of riding and camping gear
*Techniques for loading a motorcycle properly
*Food storage, filtering water, and cooking at camp
*Weather issues: thunderstorms, rain, wind, and cold
*Dangerous plants and animals in the wild
*Equipment storage and care to extend the life of your gear
*Getting the most enjoyment out of your motorcycle camping
MOTORCYCLES I’VE LOVED - By Lily Brooks-Dalton
At twenty-one-years-old, Lily Brooks-Dalton is feeling lost; returning to New England after three and a half years traveling overseas, she finds herself unsettled, unattached, and without the drive to move forward. When a friend mentions buying a motorcycle, Brooks-Dalton is intrigued and inspired. Before long she is diving headlong into the world of gearheads, reconsidering her surroundings through the visor of a motorcycle helmet, and beginning a study of motion that will help her understand her own trajectory. Her love for these powerful machines starts as a diversion, but as she continues riding and maintaining her own motorcycles, she rediscovers herself, her history, and her momentum.
Forced to confront her limitations—new and old, real and imagined—Brooks-Dalton learns focus, patience, and how to navigate life on the road. As she builds confidence, both on her bike and off, she begins to find her way, ultimately undertaking an ambitious ride that leaves her strengthened, revitalized, and prepared for whatever comes next.
THE BUILD - By Robert Hoekman
In The Build, Robert Hoekman Jr compiles insights from today's best builders to help you plot out your own beautiful beast. Loaded with photos, The Build features firsthand advice from the masters of moto design, including John Ryland (Classified Moto), Alan Stulberg (Revival Cycles), Jared Johnson (Holiday Customs), Jarrod DelPrado (DP Customs), and the legendary Max Hazan (Hazan Motorworks).
The Build is as much a 192-page motorcycle art book as it is a blueprint to building the perfect custom bike. The book is the bible of custom motorcycle design, starting with an explanation of all the different bike styles, and then moving into a concise, easy-to-read guide that takes from finding a donor bike to figuring out how to alter the lines to your liking. The book also covers selecting and building parts, painting and finishing, and what kind of performance modifications might be appropriate.
It's time to do it yourself. Get The Build.
HOW TO BUILD A MOTORCYCLE - By Gary Inman
A firm fave over at VC - How to Build a Motorcycle leads you through all the key stages of bike building - from initially finding the right project for your skill level, to sourcing a base bike and safely taking on some full-on bike-building tasks. With clear, easy-to-follow instructions, proper advice and specially commissioned step-by-step illustrations throughout it is an ideal aid to getting your hands oily. Written by Gary Inman, the co-founder of independent motorcycle magazine Sideburn, and illustrated by Adi Gilbert who is best known for his bicycle and motorcycle drawings whose clients include Harley-Davidson, Guy Martin, Wired magazine, Sideburn magazine and Nike, this is a must-have for all motorcycle lovers.
Read this book, even dip in and out where relevant. If it makes sense, schedule some time, clear your mind, pull on some old clothes, grab your toolbox and get going. The chapters in How to Build a Motorcycle will tell you how to complete a huge variety of tasks that will allow even the greenest of novices to get their hands dirty and start modifying with purpose. If you belong to this camp, start with some of the low-input, high-reward jobs, such as fitting bars, swapping the rear shocks or wiring in a new tail light. Even though these require relatively little work, they'll transform the look of your bike, and completing them will fill you with confidence to undertake the more difficult jobs, such as fitting more modern front forks or even making your own frame.
MCQUEENS MOTORCYCLES - By Matt Stone
Well we had to didn’t we?! Even thirty years after his death, Steve McQueen remains a cultural icon. His image continues to appear in advertising and pop culture and his fan base spans from car lovers to racing enthusiasts to motorcycle obsessives.
In his movies, McQueen's character always had an envy-inducing motorcycle or car, but in his personal life, motorcycles were always McQueen's first true love. McQueen's Motorcycles focuses on the bikes that the King of Cool raced and collected.
From the first Harley McQueen bought when he was an acting student in New York to the Triumph "desert sleds" and Huskys he desert raced all over California, Mexico, and Nevada, McQueen was never without a stable of two wheelers.
His need for speed propelled him from Hollywood into a number of top off-road motorcycle races, including the Baja 1000, Mint 400, Elsinore Grand Prix, and even as a member of the 1964 ISDT team in Europe. Determined to be ahead of the pack, McQueen maintained his body like it was a machine itself. He trained vigorously, weight lifting, running, and studying martial arts.
Later in his life, as he backed away from Hollywood, his interests turned to antique bikes and he accumulated an extensive collection, including Harley-Davidson, Indian, Triumph, Brough Superior, Cyclone, BSA, and Ace motorcycles.
Today, McQueen still has the Midas touch; anything that was in the man's possession is a hot commodity. McQueen's classic motorcycles sell for top dollar at auctions, always at a multiple of what the same bike is worth without the McQueen pedigree. McQueen's Motorcycles reveals these highly sought-after machines in gorgeous photography and full historical context.
AND SOME FOR THE MOTO LITTLES IN YOUR LIFE ……
GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE - By Amy Novesky
Following the amazing true story of the legendary Anne France- Dautheville “Girl on a Motorcycle” a children’s picture book biography by an award-winning team about the first woman to ride a motorcycle around the world
One day, a girl gets on her motorcycle and rides away. She wants to wander the world. To go . . . Elsewhere. This is the true story of the first woman to ride a motorcycle around the world alone. Each place has something to teach her. Each place is beautiful. And despite many flat tires and falls, she learns to always get back up and keep riding.
Award-winning author Amy Novesky and Governor General's Award-winning illustrator Julie Morstad have teamed up for a spectacular celebration of girl power and resilience.
MY PAPI HAS A MOTORCYCLE - By Isabel Quintero
A celebration of the love between a father and daughter, and of a vibrant immigrant neighborhood, by an award-winning author and illustrator duo.
When Daisy Ramona zooms around her neighborhood with her papi on his motorcycle, she sees the people and places she's always known. She also sees a community that is rapidly changing around her.
But as the sun sets purple-blue-gold behind Daisy Ramona and her papi, she knows that the love she feels will always be there.
With vivid illustrations and text bursting with heart, My Papi Has a Motorcycle is a young girl's love letter to her hardworking dad and to memories of home that we hold close in the midst of change.
Rabbit and the Motorbike By Kate Hoefler
Rabbit isn't sure he'll ever be brave enough to go on an adventure. He's a homebody who lives in a quiet field of wheat he dreams of leaving every night. His world is enlarged by his friend Dog and Dog's tales of motorbike adventures. But one day, Dog is gone, and with him, go the stories Rabbit loves so much. Dare Rabbit pick up the motorbike and live his own story? This timeless fable of the journey from grief to acceptance will touch every reader. For those confronting loss and those eager to explore and experience, Rabbit's bravery in the face of sadness will console, nurture, and inspire.
