Harley Davidson Reviews

The Liberators has got to be the best collection of facts anywhere! The authors knowledge of military Harleys could only be serpassed by the factory and good luck getting anything from them! I have found the information contained to be of the utmost importance to my restoration. Thank You, David Sarafan for this work !

Seventy-eight crisp black and white Harley lover photos seduce the reader's attention from the start. Philippe Vermes' artistic camera captures the likes of movie star, Peter Fonda and H.O.G. descendant Willie G. Davidson on their cycles. Vermes' artistry makes celebrities of all subjects as he reveals that special oneness between cyclists and their cycles. The photos make even the non-biker types covet ownership of a Harley.

A readable and informative history of the Harley-Davidson Motor Cycle follows the photographic plates. The history is tastefully concise and a fitting compliment to Vermes' classic photographs. While a special interest, coffee table book today, this text will surely become a sought after collectable in the near future.

Apparently this nifty book has not received sufficient attention yet or been noticed among the dozens of tomes about Harley this year, but in my estimation it is the most coherent and certainly the most wall-worthy. The clever publishers have made the 100 year history into a 15 page fold-out suitable for display on walls in gearhead garages worldwide. On the reverse, the Harley models are summarized. My highest recommendation as an inexpensive yet comprehensive guide to all things Harley. Even the facts and dates about the Hells Angels are correct!

I was hoping for a book that would have some neat ideas on making my Harley zippier. Of the 101 projects,stuff like changing the oil and adjusting the clutch just don't do it for me. But then I have taken Harleys apart and put them back together. The factory manual is your first must have book.

Excellent book on maintaining your Harley. I've owned Harleys for ten years and have done my own work; but I thought I knew it all. The book has glossy pages and clear color photos. It's hard to believe the cost of the book in material to print is less than 20 bucks. I didn't give a 5-star because coverage of advanced topics such as a cam change is an overview. There's more to changing a cam than what's presented in the book or the service manual. Also, there is a handy reference table of all sorts of data. The book covers design changes of the Evolution engine which I found very interesting. So if you have a older Evo bike you might want to start there.

If you can only afford one Harley Book, buy this one. It's the best of it's kind I've yet seen. Just one of the projects is worth the price. It' clear and well written with color pictures that are worth an additional thousand words. Reading this book will get you all fired up to spend some bucks and dig into that machine, so it's fun for the arm-chair mechanics, too. After a few projects you will feel comfortable with the mechanical challenges that a Harley can throw at you. If you do several, you will have a stong, well tended bike. It can save you a bundle if you want to hot-rod that EVO and you get bragging rights along with projects. I can't think of a better way to use twenty bucks.

I was disappointed that my bike, a 1983 FLHTC Shovelhead, was left out. I was further disappointed that the timeline showed the FLHT/FLHTC to start in 1984 as if this version started when the Evolution showed up. My bike has the FLT frame, 1340cc Shovelhead, FLH Fairing with an oil encased secondary chain drive. I believe it came out late in '83 and probably was highly overshawdowed by the Evolution version. Anyhow, thought I'd pass this on to anyone who cares to read this. See ya out there on the Highways and Bi-ways... Shovelheads Rule!!

Over three hundred photos written by the most prolific Harley Writer. Don't miss "THE SECOND COMING OF AGE" by: Vedrine

I very much liked this book. It doesn't go deeply into Harley history, it goes just deep enough so that one feels some sense of how American motorcycles, especially H-D and Indian, evolved. For me what's best about this book are the large beautiful photos of the old Harleys, chronologically organized, in original unmodified condition. The old bikes from the mid 30's to mid 50's are truely gorgeous. I can spend hours admiring and comparing photos. This book gives me the urge to own one of these old Harleys.

This book is lacking in some important areas. No carburetors, no transmissions, no brakes. Need to know how to adjust your mousetrap, change springs on a springer, or fix a leak on your hydraulic front end? You won't find it in this book. The topics it does cover are great, easy to understand, and well detailed. The bottom line is I do use this book and it has become a permanent part of my shop library.

I am looking into buying a Pan, and searching for more than anecdotal information. This book is the best source of Pan info I have read so far. It helped me realize that a Pan wasn't the best choice, and that I would need to spend a lot of time wrenching, instead of riding.

I wish they'd write one for Shovelheads!!

It has taken me close to a year to write this,cause the proof is in the pudding.I know I have done everything short of capital crimes, to get the information this fellow is GIVING you for a mere fifty dollars.From A to Z Kirk gives you ALL. I have restored pans for 20 years,Kirk my hats off to you an all who helped AAAAA+++. This is the book. I have had my nose in an out of it since it arrived.I have found everything to be right on the money. I know that`s the stuff that makes it best. The Truth. this is what it`s all about.Kirt THANK-YOU

Clearly a grand advertisement & a fine way to take a peek at the transformation of The Hog. Along the way you'll catch glimpses of both ten decades of advertising & dressage styles.

If you're expecting to see the development of the mystique we've come to associate with The Hog, you will be disappointed for those who make The Hog are not necessarily those with whom it is associated. I don't think I've seen so many squeaky-clean, carefree people up close, sans helmets too!

Actually, a fascinating book & certainly one any lover of motorbikes, the open road & social styles will enjoy.

First class work from the top-shelf Harley Davidson Guy, grandson of the founder. If you buy any Harley book in your life get this. Don't miss the chance to read the rare Harely novel "THE SECOND COMING OF AGE" by: Vedrine. These books will be collectable classics; highly treasured and read at the next centennial celebration.

This book is written from the heart and soul of the one and only Willie G. It has great pictures and great stories. No one can tell them like the people who experienced it from within.
An absolute seller, and when you want to collect some 100th Anniv. books this year: this one may not be missed on your shelve.
Get it now!

Pass on the hype.....this book is a soft general overview. However it lacks on technical details. It focuses mainly in two areas, 883 coversion and history. Again the 883 conversion IS NOT TECHNICALLY DEEP and I would even venture to say lacking. I was disapointed in this book. Not recommended.

Great book to get your mind on sensible tuning your Sportster. The book describes all possible good and not so good ways to tune the engine, but is mainly focussed on tuning the 883 and converting an 883 to an 1200.
If you allready own a 1200 you might be looking for information which is not available in this book.
Still a valuable piece in your library.

I used Buzz's book, with the factory manual, to turn my '93 883 into a perfectly running 1200. Other than the cyl. bore, I did all the work myself with absolutely no problems.

Good "starter" book for historical overview of Harley-Davidson motorcycles and the pictures are excellent. Anecdotal inserts are interesting. It explains the Sturgis for the uninitiated. As a new "Harley chick", I have given several as gifts to the Harley buddies who are introducing me to this new world and they have all enjoyed it.

Being a Harley enthusiast myself, I appreciate the ancestry of my ride. This book is like a family album...proving the good stock my Duoglide comes from (and helped carry on).

If you do, or ever want to, own a Harley...check out their parentage here.

This 100th anniversary edition book is the perfect gift and is pretty as a picture. But if your Harley Davidson rider can read as well as ride check out the Harley Davidson novel THE SECOND COMING OF AGE and the book GROWING UP HD.

I'm not sure most execs would have the patience to stay with this book, but for change agents, team facilitators, and other large-system OD practitioners, this book contains valuable, comprehensive how-to information.

In true STS style, Ozley (the obvious primary author) does a wonderful job integrating Harley's new systems and methods with the real-folks' feelings and reactions as they go through an extensive organisation and culture change.

More Than a Motorcycle could easily be a companion volume to Marvin Weisbord's classic Productive Workplaces, maybe even its sequel.

Rich Teerlink, retired CEO of Harley Davidson, and Lee Ozley, organizational consultant, have teamed up and written about Harley Davidson's transformation from a hierarchical command and control organization to what they call a "Circle Organization". The book primarily focuses on Harley's organizational change from 1987 to present. Many aspects of the organization are covered in good to great detail. In order to survive and meet growing demand and increasing global competition, Harley Davidson had to transform itself and undergo a radical process of organizational change. Attributing the traditional command and control structure to the American railroad empires of the nineteenth century, Harley sought to make change and break from this traditional form of an organization. As the authors' state, "This is a book about planting seeds and encouraging other people to nurture the seedlings". This book reads like it was written about a start up company that was an unexpected overnight success. Harley really had to toss out all of their old ideas on organizational operations and start from scratch. What is amazing is how this was done without creating animosity from within the organization.
The authors take you through the proposed and enacted plans that helped transform Harley. The Joint Vision Process was formed so that employees on all levels could share the same goals for where they and Harley wanted to be. Both Rich and Lee believe that the people within an organization have the biggest impact on an organization. They shaped their plans with this as the number one factor and this book gives excellent insight on how they implemented their ideas.

The story (the ups and downs) behind the decade-long change process to move HD from a command-and-control organization to one where employees not only have their say but also their accountability in the overall success of the company.

If you are a consultant, you might learn a trick or two in what to do and not to do in a large change management engagement.

In addition, Lee's (consultant and co-author) move from consultant to Rich's (CEO and co-author) coach/partner in this journey is particularly interesting. Another interesting topic throughout the book is how to deal with unionized workers.

A GREAT BUY FOR ANY CONSULTANT (strategy, change management, operations, etc.). YOU'LL NEVER LOOK AT A HARLEY THE SAME WAY...

The reviewer, is currently a Senior Director of eBusiness Strategy at Xpedior and has worked at Gemini Consulting, IBM, and General Mills. He earned his MBA from York University and completed the Wharton School Multi-National Marketing and Management Program at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering from the University of Toronto.