What is it about bikes that leaves so many of us powerless to resist? This entertaining guide charts the history of the bike from its origin as a cheap means of transport to its modern incarnations: a symbol of rebellion, a high-tech racing machine and the rich kid's plaything. Richard Hammond, passionate biker and collector of bikes, looks at the machines that have propelled people across the world to work, to school - and occasionally to their doom. With his trademark expertise and wit, Hammond examines bikers of every type, from the happy farmer trundling through fields on his Honda Cub to the Hells Angel terrorising towns on their hog.

Haynes disassembles every subject vehicle and documents every step with thorough instructions and clear photos. Haynes repair manuals are used by the pros, but written for the do-it-yourselfer.

A celebration of motorcycle culture and of lives recovered from active addiction Before Easy Rider, there was The Wild One. From these films sprang the indelible image of the American biker-wanton, daring, and lawless. Seemingly dedicated only to their own freedom and pleasure, these road rebels tore through the complacency of the suburban American mid-century, with a roar that has yet to die down. Yet something has changed. Author and avid motorcyclist James Hesketh takes you with him on the 'straight and twisty' road he's traveled from addiction to recovery-his motorcycle with him every inch of the way. Drawing from archival information, cultural references, and interviews, Hesketh chronicles the changing history of motorcycle culture, beginning with the infamous 1947 Hollister Rally that inspired the 'biker image,' and progressing to the recovery lifestyle and motorcycling. Featuring 'insider' accounts by clean and sober riders, and illustrated with vivid photographs, this book is a must-read, not just for those who ride, but for anyone interested in recovery.

Researched by the master of the sporting factoid, this title intends to bring hours of sporting pleasure to every fan of motor racing on two wheels.

An unconventional guide to life by the best-selling author of Ridin' High, Livin Free draws on the writer's hard-won experiences as a Hell's Angel and former prisoner, sharing his philosophies as gleaned from his survival efforts and years on the open road. 50,000 first printing.

Go on a 60-year ride with Harley-Davidson's Sportster Things got a little weird in the American motorcycle industry after World War II. People hungered for new motorcycles, buying just about everything manufacturers could build. But on rare occasions a manufacturer produced a machine that nobody wanted. Such was the case with the Harley-Davidson Model K. The Model K had most of the features buyers wanted in a modern machine, like hand-operated clutches, foot-operated shifters, and cool-running aluminum heads, but it lacked perhaps the most important technological upgrade: a modern overhead-valve valve-train design. The Model K retained the antiquated side-valve design because of arcane AMA racing rules written when Harley-Davidson and Indian competed head-to-head on American racetracks, but by 1952 Indian was on its last legs. This should have made the Model K a massive sales success. What nobody counted on was the British bike invasion. Thanks to their modern overhead-valve engines, the lightweight British bikes humiliated the side-valve Harleys on the track and on the street. Upgrades to the Model K didn't help; Harley finally relented and introduced a new overhead-valve middleweight for the 1957 model year. Dubbed the Sportster, it was everything the Model K was not. More importantly, it was faster than the British competition. Thus began the Sportster's sixty-year reign. Harley-Davidson Sportster: Sixty Years tells the complete Sportster story. Noted Sportster expert Allen Girdler covers all the bikes--the XLCH, Café Racer, XR1000, XLX, 883, Iron, Forty-Eight, Seventy-Two, and Nightster--that have made the Sportster one of the most iconic motorcycles on earth.

An extensive reference features a photograph gallery of classic motorcycles, a manufacturer listing that profiles every maker in the industry, design blueprints for special models, and production histories. 40,000 first printing.

A freewheeling essay on mortality and freedom at the intersection of ancient philosophy and biker culture After my accident, I thought I was done with bikes. Until a few years ago—I was lying in bed having trouble sleeping when I heard a voice say to me, “Alan, get a Harley and ride to Death Valley.

Photographs depict the motorcyclists who flock to Sturgis, S.D., every August for the Black Hills Motorcycle Classic race