Harley Davidson Reviews

I was introduced to this book by a friend who bought it as a gift for a family member. I asked to borrow it, and to my amazement I could not believe all the information and history the book contained. I immediately started searching the web for a copy. This book is a "keeper" for anyone who owns or has an interest in a Harley! I cant wait to see what Dieter & Oluf write about Harleys next!

This is one of those books that can be identified as the book of books on Harley-Davidson. If you own a Harley, this book is a MUST HAVE. If you don't have a Harley, you will want to get one after reading this bok and after looking at all the terrific pictures. It is a two volume set, now out of publish. To find this may be hard, but check for this with Amazon's serach for books that are out of print. Because this book is two volumes and is coffee table size, it can be read, looked at and studied by many. This is the Bible of Harley. Without a question, if anyone picks this book up with the interst of bikes they will love it. FIVE STARS AL THE WAY!

The Author of this two book set succeeds in something that all Harley-Davidson riders have, at one time or another, tried to do. Explain why we have this love affair with 650+ pounds of oil, steel and Milwaukee Thunder, and a lifestyle of unspoken Brotherhood. Words in themselves would not be enough, but the pictures therein speak volumes to us who, "Live to Ride - Ride to Live. I am sure that they will speak the same to you too.

Real Harley men with eclectic taste who take pleasure in the ancient art of tinkering on mechanical things will love this book. Don't miss the rare Harley Davidson Novel "The Second Coming Of Age" by: Vedrine

Palmer's book has revolutionized Harley-Davidson restoration. Information that was once the province of a few real experts and many would be experts, obfuscated by lots of opinions, myths, and flawed memory masquerading as facts, is now available to anyone who buys the book. Palmer did a good job of using available resources to assemble, in excruciating detail, the data necessary to build these motorcycles as the consensus of the sources he consulted says they were supposed to be when they rolled off the factory's assembly line. That consensus was not always easy to reach, because, for example, the manufacturer itself used retouched photos of older models to introduce new models, and followed various other practices such as running changes, recalls, and using parts inventory from one model year into the next, that make it difficult to know, today, what was "correct" in 1938. Palmer takes us into the world defined by that level of "correctness" that demands that this manufactured product from days gone by be exactly as it was at the point of origin. We can now "know," through his book, what is "correct." More of us can be knowledgeable about the number of cooling fins on a UL cylinder, or the color, width, and placement of pinstriping, or the fact that fender trim for a particular year is polished stainless, not chrome. This is a book about building your bike to original factory specs, and it is the best available for that purpose.

Of course, if you follow this book to its logical conclusion and build a correct motorcycle, don't expect to ride it. It will have decades old tires both too valuable and too aged to ride. You won't want to run it on pump gas, because it needs lead. Taking it out on the road might ding the paint, blue the exhaust, or demonstrate that your assembly procedures weren't quite up to snuff by identifying all of the points where oil can escape. Palmer's approach to the topic seems to hold that these old bikes are artifacts, not transportation. He has affirmed and strengthened a subculture within motorcycling that elevates the machine over the ride. It will be interesting to see if others, such as Kirk Perry's "Mechanics & Owners Guide to 1941-1959 Harley-Davidson O.H.V. Big Twins" will reinforce the ranks of folks who actually want to ride these old hogs.

This is an excellent book for restorers or replicators wanting to get an in-depth, overall view, of OverHeadValve Big Twins. On the critical side, and it's hard to find something to criticise in this book; is the mention of generator testing tools (i.e; an A/C variable speed motor) to facillitate setting the amperage of the 32E generator. The A/C (alternating current) variable speed (rheostat controlled) electric motors do not exist in this day and age, or if they do where can the reader/mechanic find one? This book is recommended as a required tool, because it is stuffed full of Knucklehead technical data not found anywhere else. It is the book I reach for, if I'm trying to find out about "first year" or "last year" changes, on any Big Twins up to 1964 (1965 Electra-Glides; Four-Five & Flatheads included). - Kirk Perry

Not a lot in the way of words, but it kept my attention long enough...

I believe a colleague has this hanging in his office!

Motorbikes are just a drag - smelly, old, oily waste of time but WOW! Just look at the Mama on the front of this calendar! Hot! Hot! Hot! And suspenders!.....Get it!

This is a really fun and interesting book. Well written, highly literate, very informative, it gives you the skinny on the real origins of these bikes, their place in motorcyle history, and their place in American history (grudging acceptance, in both cases.) Not just for bike lovers, this book would be appreciated by anyone interested in popular culture after WW2, especially the beat/hippy generations: what really happened at Hollister, CA? What's the story behind "Easy Rider" and its influence? Also, for the riders in the audience, you get lots of interesting insights into the mechanics of these bikes: what is the origin of the Wide Glide fork? How did bobbers get their name? Why did these bikes take on the unique look they did? It ends with a look at custom bikes today, which is sort of mandatory, but not as interesting as what led up to them, in my opinion. Highly recommended.

...Recognized by their long forks and chopped frames, choppers have found new appeal among today's motorcycle enthusiasts and continue to inspire motorcycle customizers around the globe. Choppers takes a unique look at these classic pieces of twentieth century Americana.

Written by experienced motorcycle writer Mike Seate, CHOPPERS provides a comprehensive look at how choppers originated and evolved and what has fueled the current resurgence of interest in building and riding custom motorcycles. Early chapters explore the post-World War II bob job Harleys that predated the chopper. Interviews and historical photos detail the development of the chopper from its earliest days, through the outlaw longbike period of the 1960s and 1970s, to the twenty-first century chopper renaissance.

There are a plethora of vintage photos from the 60's through today by renowned photographers Guiseppe Roncen and Dain Gingerelli as well as a forward by Easy Riders Magazine Editor Dave Nichols. Also features on today's top builders such as Billy Lane, Indian Larry, Jesse James, and "Chopper" Dave Freston amoung others...This book is a treasure for those who love vintage old school and new cutting edge custom motorcycle creations.

TB

CHOPPERS
BY
MIKE SEATE

Recognized by their long forks and chopped frames, choppers have found new appeal among today's motorcycle enthusiasts and continue to inspire motorcycle customizers around the globe. Choppers takes a unique look at these classic pieces of twentieth century Americana.
Written by experienced motorcycle writer Mike Seate, Choppers provides a comprehensive look at how choppers originated and evolved and what has fueled the current resurgence of interest in building and riding custom motorcycles. Early chapters explore the post-World War II bob job Harleys that predated the chopper. Interviews and historical photos detail the development of the chopper from its earliest days, through the outlaw longbike period of the 1960s and 1970s, to the twenty-first century chopper renaissance.
There are a plethora of vintage photos from the 60's through today by renowned photographers Guiseppe Roncen and Dain Gingerelli as well as a forward by Easy Riders Magazine Editor Dave Nichols. Also features on today's top builders such as Jesse James, Billy Lane, Indian Larry and "Chopper" Dave Freston.
This book is a treasure for those who love vintage old school and new cutting edge custom motorcycle creations.

Wow ! That is the first thing that comes to mind when going through this book. Although I have quite some books about HD I'm very impressed by this huge book.
Written by the best authors around, with stunning photographs that you haven't seen in other books and printed on thick high quality paper this book is great value for money.

The book describes all the different parts of HD history by going through all the models that have been produced the last 100 years. Not so much the technical descriptions are to be found but more the stories behind the models. The TC-88 story as an example is like a fairy tale if you're a HD-lover. How did they come up with the idea, what did they do and what problems they encountered, how they solved it and why certain things are the way they are is all in this story.

If youre looking for a book that describes all the different colours, serialnumbers and options for each modelyear than this is NOT your book, but if you like the story of HD, beautifull pictures of almost every model and good stories and tales by the best writers that don't hesitate and order this heavy book.

I would still buy it if it was twice the price! It's absolutely fantastic!

I compared this book to the other Harley books out there, and this is the one to buy. The story here is not the "canned" story put out by the factory, but the true story as told by real Harley aficionados. And, this book has writing from Hunter S. Thompson, you can't get him in the "factory" book! The photos are great and the writing is interesting and concise. By the way, this is a BIG book, so clear space on the coffee table. If you are a Harley fan, you are going to love this book.

This is the ultimate Harley book. It includes tons of photos that I have never seen before and there are 10 or 20 authors who contributed, each in an area of expertise. Very cool concept! If I had a coffee table, this would be the centerpiece. It is a huge book in both pounds and inches, so beware.

I think this book is perfect if your looking for a history of the Harley Davidson Motorcycle and the company. This gives great dates and also tells what was happening in the world beyond harley davidson.

I received this book as a gift several years ago and have enjoyed it each time I've flipped through its pages. It mixes american nostaliga with Harley history giving you a point of reference. It's a great timeline book. If you want to understand the mindset of america when certain Harley-Davidson models were around, then get this book.

If you love Harleys, then this book is an absolute must for your bookshelf. Great historical treatment of the company with plenty of pictures to satisfy even the hungriest eyes. Plenty of cultural references, too. If you saw the TBS special on Harley-Davidson, this will take you one step further.

This book is an excellent source of information about the wonderful world of Harleys. It's also compact enough so that you can take it anywhere. It's for the Harley lover in us all.

Although this is a very small book (size that is) the contents are fantastic. For a low price, you get a book with nice photo's and details about the changes from year to year about the different models. Very nice for your library and somehow you keep grabbing the little book...

the old pictures are fist class and this book belongs on the den table for all to see.

Most of the Harley-Davidson memorabilia books I have read do a fine job of either showing all of the models over time or telling the story of how the product has developed from the beginning. This book also does well in those areas. This Old Harley has the additional benefit of containing fine writing by many of the best authors who have ever written on the subject.

Here are the chapters and the key essays:

1: In the Beginning . . .
"What My Folks Didn't Know, Didn't Hurt . . . Me" by Allan Girdler (former editor of Car Life and Cycle World, and executive editor of Road & Track)
"No Motorcycles Allowed" by Arlen Ness (with Timothy Remus) (Arlen is one of the best-known Harley artists in creating custom machines)
"First Harley" by Peter Egan (columnist and writer for Cycle World)

2: Making History
"My First Motorcycle . . . and What It Led to" by Harry Sucher (well-known motorcycle historian)
"Catching Up on History by David Wright (author of The Harley-Davidson Motor Company: An Official History) (Be sure to catch the photograph of Jayne Mansfield at the beginning of the essay and the "unauthorized" out-takes from the original book)

3: On the Road

"In Pursuit of the Unholy Grail" by Cook Neilson (editor of Cycle magazine from 1970 to 1979)
"A Work in Progress" by Timothy Remus (author of motorcycle art books)
"Riding Through Time: A Knucklehead Returns Home by Buzz Kanter (motorcycle racer and publisher of motorcycle magazines) (This is a great story of riding a cherry red 1947 Knucklehead from Connecticut to Milwaukee in the mid-1990s)

4: Daredevilry

"Hell Driving" by Lucky Lee Lott (motorcycle stunt star)
"Evel Ways" by Evel Knievel (no introduction needed)

5: Legends

"Once Upon a Time in the Wild West" by Michael Dregni (book author) (describes the outlaw imagery of early motorcyclists)
"The Billy Bike: Re-Born to Be Wild" by David Edwards (editor-in-chief of Cycle World) (how the Easy Rider bikes were re-created)

6: The Mystique

"V for Victory: How Harley Conquered the World by Ciara Fox (dedicated Irish motorcyclist)
"This Motorcycle Way" by Dr. Martin Rosenblum (the historian for the Harley-Davidson Motor Company)
"The Perfect Vehicle" by Melissa Pierson (author of a road-trip travelogue)

Along the way, all of my favorite memories of Harleys are recaptured, both visually and in discussions about sound. How many young people today know that the reason that all of those valuable baseball cards got shredded against the spokes of bicycles in the past was to imitate the sound of a Harley?

After you finish enjoying this wonderful book, take the time to make a long road trip on your favorite Harley!

Pure and simple and beautiful and well writen and and good book. Don't miss a rare Harley Davidson Novel "The Second Coming of Age" by: Vedrine

This really is a beautiful book. Lots of great pictures and the explanations to back them up. If you want a good introduction to learning the world of Harley, this is a great place to start.

Wonderful pictures and great engine exploration photos. Well done!

Great read, inspiring inside and out. If you read for pleasure you will also enjoy a Harley novel "The Second Coming Of Age" by: Curtiss de Vedrine

Historical account of the men and machines of yesteryear. This book is not layed out as a technical or motorcycle repair manual. It's straight forward and addresses the evolution of the Harley Davidson flathead design from it's inception to the end of production. Chronologically laid out it glides you through the changes in attitude and design. A must read for the true enthisiust. A fine job by the author of keeping the subject readable and understandable.

A historical tale (from the factory workmans' point of view) explaining the deco-design of the first 61 cu.in. Knucklehead motor. In my opinion, Mr. Wagners best work. If you own an original; or you're building a V-Twin (Tedd Cycle,Inc.) Replica Knuckle, you will need this book for stoke. A chronicle of club-life in Wisconsin, before the 2nd World War, there are family names repeated in this text (i.e; Kokesh; Knuth; Deckert; Ulicki; Beguhl; and Matheus) connected with Harley-Davidson, that you still hear about today. An insight as to the working conditions at the factory (in the best of times) can be read in this excerpt: "The founders had divided their responsibilities early and stuck with them. They demanded top quality work and usually got it. They desired to build things correctly-they only accepted what they knew was right. For that reason there weren't many surprises around Harley-Davidson. The atmosphere was predictable, calm, and relaxed. So many guys had worked there all of their lives, that some referred to the company as the "Old Soldiers' Home". It was the last place you'd expect a crisis.-
If you were known around the factory, like Frank Matheus was, they didn't care much where you went or what you saw. That's how Frank saw the prototype Sixty-one Overhead two years before the rest of the world".
As this book illustrates, Wisconsin had their own scene. They didn't need California. This is a darn-good read and once you start building a machine, a re-reader. Those people lived a life back then. The pictures prove it.© Kirk Perry 2001

The book gives a refreshing view of incredible machines and what they were truly designed for. The author describes, in depth, how the machines were used for everything from the sublime to the rediculous on a daily basis. He walks the reader into a time that is long gone, dwells there with him (or her) in the legendary Visitors' Room, then races the reader onward to the swamps and backlands that earned the cycles' reputation. He illudes to a peaceful, contented feeling that can only be shared, alone, on a quiet hidden roadway that only the rider knows exists. He shows just how a cycle was meant to be ridden by the men who refined the machine, not the men who designed it. I can't say enough about this book. NOTE: If you believe that a motorcycle is a work of art and should be kept spotless and under glass, don't purchase this book. You'll be sorely disappointed.

JB#52