The common thread of the following books is a passion for motorcycles and adventure. Adventure can be found in riding great distances and crossing state and national borders and finding yourself. Adventure can be more localized and involve urban turf wars against other clubs and law enforcement agencies and finding yourself in jail or prison. What is it about the two wheeler that attracts the outsider, the weird, the loner and the misfit? Does the general dislike and mistrust of the motorcycle and its rider by normal society push the outsider into the motorcycle fold or do they naturally go there on their own? Is it a conscious decision or a process of elimination? Is it a fascination with the mechanical aspects of the machine itself? Is it an early imprint of a parent’s reaction to a loud machine on a child’s developing psyche? Is it a case of: My parents hate motorcycles therefore, to bother the shit out of them, I will like motorcycles? I don’t know. Maybe I just think too much.
Soul On Bikes The East Bay Dragons MC And The Black Biker Set – Tobie Gene Levingston- with Keith and Kent Zimmerman– A car clubber turned motorcycle clubbers life story. Starting in the fifties, Tobie relates the trials and tribulations of guiding a group of black Harley riders through the turbulent sixties and into the funky seventies and beyond. Soul relates the philosophies and insights of the founding member and president of The East Bay Dragons MC.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Paperback: 272 pages. (Black and white and color pictures.)
Phil Cross Gypsy Joker to a Hells Angel by Phil and Meg Cross.
The life and times of Phil Cross. An attractive collection of black and white and color photographs interlaced with tales of fightin’, fuckin’and bikin’. The photographs really make this book interesting with tons of pics from the old days. Phil relates his life story from the streets of San Francisco to a spot on the FBI’s most wanted list.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Hardcover: 240 pages.
Down and Out in Patagonia, Kamchatka, and Timbuktu – Greg Frazier’s Round and Round and Round- the World Motorcycle Journey by Dr. Gregory Frasier.
Down and Out is a long and rambling narrative from Dr. (of Economics ) Gregory Frasier’s tales of his endless round the world motorcycle journey. Beginning with his recollections of riding in a push car as a one year old and ending with fond memories of bullying his only round the world passenger (who suffers from Parkinson’s) the weird Dr. Greg makes his way around the world in his own unique way; Self admittedly the hardest way possible. Plan ahead? Why? What fun would that be? The self-described ‘eccentric elitist’ relates his life story in clunky prose in chapter after chapter after chapter that made me not want to continue reading. But I did. It is full of color pictures of exotic lands captioned with an annoying cursive style print. If you enjoy reading about another’s misfortune and want to learn from his mistakes, grab Down And Out off the shelf. If not there are plenty of books out there that will offer advice about motorcycle touring.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Hardcover: 224 pages.
The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Travel Second Edition Planning, Outfitting And Accessorizing by Dale Coyner
The title says it all. The Essential Guide To Motorcycle Travel guides you on the path to an excellent motorcycle journey. Dale Coyner starts out with three questions relevant to any journey: Where to? How long? How much? From the answers to those questions he proceeds to lay out how he plans his trips. Dale goes into gear for the rider and bike in great detail, keeping up with the newest developments in material and technology for the ride. Full of color photos of people, places and things related to the text and plenty of illustrations. Motorcycle Travel is a great book for touring pros and beginners alike.
Publisher: Whitehorse Press.
Paperback: 189 pages.
Hell On Wheels An Illustrated History Of Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs -Bill Hayes.
From the first organized motorcycle club in America in 1903 to the outlaw clubs formed in the forties and fifties to the televised saga of SAMCRO in the oughts Hell On Wheels is a comprehensive history of outlaw clubs worldwide. Packed with color and black and white pictures of outlaw bikers riding, partying and getting arrested. Bill Hayes does a good job of cramming a lot of facts into a readable format. There are plenty of movie posters, news clippings, police reports and memorabilia between the covers of Hell On Wheels. From Hollister to Altamont to Laughlin, Hayes chronicles the bad boys of the motorcycle world in one easy to read and easy to look at book of knowledge.
Publisher: Motorbooks.
Softcover: 192 pages.
(Photos from www.amazon.com)
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