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Best book I've read in a while

I might have misread the prologue on amazon, but the premise seemed to be that motorcyclists choose to ignore the potential danger of riding a bike. It will never happen to me (the lazarus effect).

It seems to me it's exactly the opposite. Most of the riders I know are fully aware of the potential danger. That's why when we talk about safety, we say things like "I ride like the other person is out to kill me" or "dress for the fall, not for the ride." I think we totally get the risk. We try to minimize it with our behavior to a level that's acceptable to ourselves, but I don't think we blissfully ignore it.
 
I might have misread the prologue on amazon, but the premise seemed to be that motorcyclists choose to ignore the potential danger of riding a bike. It will never happen to me (the Lazarus effect).

I think it's accurate for many cruiser riders. When I see someone grossly under-dressed, it's either a 19 year old squid on a Japanese supersport or someone riding a big cruiser... Usually a HD. I also see it a lot on Goldwings too.
I almost always see people in full armor on BMW, Triumph (non-cruisers), even Ducati!

Oh well. If one reads 'Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance', on would be appalled by how much drinking, they do on the ride. There's no gear to speak of. Perhaps because it is a product of the 70's. Still an interesting book.

My favorite book lately comes from Melissa Holbrook Pierson... She wrote "The Perfect Vehicle: What It Is About Motorcycles".


The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing

It covers John Ryan's record breaking journey from Prudohe Bay Alaska to Key West Florida in just over 86 hours.
More interestingly, perhaps, it catalogs Pierson's own journey back into motorcycling following a divorce, children, etc.

Excellent read!

Jimmy
 
The Amazon preview did not entice me to buy. Can you say a bit more about it?

It's a "little of something for everybody"; talks about pre-ride prep, riding comfort, tires, shocks, brakes, group etc., etc.

A great deal of the book speaks to things that I am already aware of (I've been riding for 37 years), but helpful tidbits in many areas.
 
Little off topic... but the best book I've read about motorcycles/moto culture is Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels.

I always tell people to read it before buying their first motorcycle... Great book!
 
Oh well. If one reads 'Zen and Motorcycle Maintenance', on would be appalled by how much drinking, they do on the ride. There's no gear to speak of. Perhaps because it is a product of the 70's. Still an interesting book.
Jimmy

hmmm. i'd be interested to read this, (NOT Zen & The Art of...) for various reasons. this book the thread is about APPEARS to take an in depth look at being safety minded RE: motorcycling- tho it was hard to tell exactly from the brief Amazon description most of what i got came from the reviews.

i had to chuckle at the comment above... "product of the 70s". it may be more accurate to say that the "Zen" mind-set reflects more of the entire history of the recreational motorcyclist's mentality... seems (to me) that initially, motorcycles came about as a serious means of motorised transportation and morphed into more a recreational game later on. look at any old pix of motorcyclists from the 1940s, 50s, 60s or 70s. nobody was wearing any amount of protective gear at all, off the race track. back in the 60s and 70s, full leather, boots, gloves, and any old helmet was as much protective gear as anyone would be likely to see- on or off the track. in those days, that WAS ATGATT. many times, it was serious HD riders who were sporting the gear. if someone today, produced a brand new line of protective gear based 100% on, say- 1958 standards, folks would laugh at the level of exposure such gear would provide, instead of marveling at its protective qualities. like everything else, things have evolved dramatically, along with awareness, and technology.

i happen to dislike the scaredy-pants mentality of
"that's gonna kill ya, boy", or "you'll shoot an eye out with that thing". i'll give a rock solid nod to realistic dangers of various sporting or recreational activities but refuse to be sold anything based on somebody else fear driven notions of what's best for me... reality is enough, combined with my own (thankfully limited) first hand knowledge of what a crash feels like, to compel me to take motorcycling seriously and dress up accordingly.
 
"Blissfully ignorant", "choose to ignore dangers"; not me. I wear my gear, helmet, gloves, etc everytime I ride, no matter where or how far. I am amazed at people who are ignorant like the folks I see boarding airplanes wearing heels or flipflops. If an evacuation is needed (Yes, its extremely rare), how fast do you think you can run in lousy footwear ? You need all the edge you can get, no matter the endeavor. Now, back to the book.
 
Little off topic... but the best book I've read about motorcycles/moto culture is Hunter S. Thompson's Hell's Angels.

I always tell people to read it before buying their first motorcycle... Great book!

wow. who'd a thunk it? i thought it was an interesting read, if not 100% dated by now. it is, however, one book i would never see as a *guide* for a noob motorcyclist!

since you've read HST's Hell's Angels, go now and read Sonny Barger's bio, (also an interesting read) and get HIS spin on HST's involvement with the HA.
just for the added perspective. IMO HST wasn't taking these guys too seriously, and badly mis-read them. he eventually got his @** handed to him for it.
 
The Cruiser Motorcycle and the Lazarus Complex

Guess what.... It's not a book about what you wear when riding. It's a book that could help someone with questions, or as a review, get some basic information in order to form their own opinion about some part or condition of riding a cruising motorcycle.

It answers questions like "why is there a rotation mark on a motorcycle tire?". Do you know why?

It compares components that have their own weird jargon. For example: what does CCA and CA mean when it comes to buying a motorcycle battery and why should I care?. My riding buddy tells me I should be concerned about HCA. Is HCA important in choosing a battery for a motorcycle?

It clarifies abject thinking that mixing "dino" oil and synthetic oil is a no-no when, in reality it should be "Yeah, go right ahead...".

It also explains to cruiser riders who might like to take part in a group ride exactly what a "sweepers" function is.

It might also help someone understand why that white Ford POS pulled out in front of them (since some form of the gestalt principle raised its ugly head) and make suggestions on how to minimize that occurrence.

The main objective is to keep the Lazarus Complex ("a belief by a person or persons that things that can go wrong causing severe injury or death, only happens to other people") in check. I am sorry to say that there are too many folks who "insert the key, throw a leg over and take off"... There are too many people who think they know everything there is to know about their bike... and are sadly wrong when their brakes fail 400 miles from home. And there are too many folks in our community who unjustly criticize the decisions made by others who don't do as they do.

I am not telling you how to ride... I am not telling you what to ride... What I will tell you (more than once in many cases, since repetition leads to retention and retention leads to knowledge) is quite possibly something you may not have known or understood. Perhaps it may be about something you might have known about and since forgot.

In any case, we live each and every day with the Lazarus Complex firmly in control.

In my travels I have told myself one thing: while the Lazarus Complex may creep into my thoughts, itÔÇÖs the appointment that I have with the grim reaper that will always be foremost in my mind and bring caution, focus, and responsibility into the way I ride and what I ride.

After all, the object is to make that son of a bitch wait just that much longer.


Stacking the deck in a game of chance against the grim reaper isn't cheating...


my .02 cents... and I am the author!
 
Guess what.... It's not a book about what you wear when riding. It's a book that could help someone with questions, or as a review, get some basic information in order to form their own opinion about some part or condition of riding a cruising motorcycle.

It answers questions like "why is there a rotation mark on a motorcycle tire?". Do you know why?

It compares components that have their own weird jargon. For example: what does CCA and CA mean when it comes to buying a motorcycle battery and why should I care?. My riding buddy tells me I should be concerned about HCA. Is HCA important in choosing a battery for a motorcycle?

It clarifies abject thinking that mixing "dino" oil and synthetic oil is a no-no when, in reality it should be "Yeah, go right ahead...".

It also explains to cruiser riders who might like to take part in a group ride exactly what a "sweepers" function is.

It might also help someone understand why that white Ford POS pulled out in front of them (since some form of the gestalt principle raised its ugly head) and make suggestions on how to minimize that occurrence.

The main objective is to keep the Lazarus Complex ("a belief by a person or persons that things that can go wrong causing severe injury or death, only happens to other people") in check. I am sorry to say that there are too many folks who "insert the key, throw a leg over and take off"... There are too many people who think they know everything there is to know about their bike... and are sadly wrong when their brakes fail 400 miles from home. And there are too many folks in our community who unjustly criticize the decisions made by others who don't do as they do.

I am not telling you how to ride... I am not telling you what to ride... What I will tell you (more than once in many cases, since repetition leads to retention and retention leads to knowledge) is quite possibly something you may not have known or understood. Perhaps it may be about something you might have known about and since forgot.

In any case, we live each and every day with the Lazarus Complex firmly in control.

In my travels I have told myself one thing: while the Lazarus Complex may creep into my thoughts, itÔÇÖs the appointment that I have with the grim reaper that will always be foremost in my mind and bring caution, focus, and responsibility into the way I ride and what I ride.

After all, the object is to make that son of a bitch wait just that much longer.


Stacking the deck in a game of chance against the grim reaper isn't cheating...


my .02 cents... and I am the author!

Mark,

thanks for the clarification! sounds dead on.
 
Lazarus Complex? Cruiser Motorcycle?

I do little posting in these forums, And less reading of these threads , other than the tech threads and only post when I think I can help with a problem someone is having . But reading this I see I have been sheltered or blissfully ignorant of what other riders think of other bikers. And I guess I've been guilty of judging a man by his choice of ride. I grew up riding and always considering it a life , not a recreational past time. I'm new to BMW and always held beemer riders in high regard as they seemed to have alot of long distance riders as dedicated to their rides as we to our Harley's But the I also believed that all Native Americans were spiritual and all bikers were righteously outside the law. I know that if you ask a skydiver why he or she jumps, you will get as many different answers for as many individuals as you ask. And it's probably true for riders too. I and others I called brother always went with the attitude that if you had to ask you couldn't understand.
I thought Lazerus was the man Christ rose from the dead , not a psycho babble term used by a wannabe or non rider to make himself sound like he was the end all authority on cruiser bike riders. To form an opinion on the mindset of as diverse a group by a read , is like watching the sons of anarchy and thinking it reflects what all cruiser riders are about.
What I started this reply with was I never thought of my self as a "cruiser rider" I always thought riding was in every one elses blood too and I didn't affirm myself by bashing another guys ride. I learned from those who were here before me and have tried to pass it on there's freedom out there on those roads but it's not for everybody. I'm not as excited by fishing as some of my good friends are but I don't feel like I have to justify that by telling every fisherman I meet about the terrible boating accident I saw or heard about. So If you want an opinion get out and earn it by experience , its alot more fun than reading a book. I do see reading a shop manual about my specific bike as neccesary, but that is so I know what i am riding, and believe with all my being that my appointment with the reaper is not going to effected by all the leather, kevlar or full face helmets in the world. ..
And when I'm riding I don't think I ever thought about what was being said in a forum thread. I've said too much already, Good night and ride free.
 
I might have misread the prologue on amazon, but the premise seemed to be that motorcyclists choose to ignore the potential danger of riding a bike. It will never happen to me (the lazarus effect).

It seems to me it's exactly the opposite. Most of the riders I know are fully aware of the potential danger. That's why when we talk about safety, we say things like "I ride like the other person is out to kill me" or "dress for the fall, not for the ride." I think we totally get the risk. We try to minimize it with our behavior to a level that's acceptable to ourselves, but I don't think we blissfully ignore it.

Fully aware, yet you ride anyway. I think that was the point the author was making. Regardless of the gear, if hit head on by an automobile going fast enough,(think drunk or texting driver) I don't think it's gonna matter what you wear.
 
The Man Who Would Stop At Nothing

Another vote for Melissa Pierson's book about John Ryan as an accomplished icon and herself as a riding aficionado incidentally comparing their motives and character. I am on my third reading, and I keep finding more depth to the characters of John and Melissa.

The book is not about the nuts and bolts of riding. It's about the perceptions, incentives and mandates real riders might feel.

John currently rides a Yamaha and a BMW. Melissa rides a Moto Guzzi and a BMW.
 
Running with the Moon

Best I've read in a while is Running with the Moon by Jonny Bealby. No agenda, no preaching this or that, just a great African adventure ride, solo.
 
And when I'm riding I don't think I ever thought about what was being said in a forum thread. I've said too much already, Good night and ride free.

Two things... When I am riding, I am not thinking about what I read in forums either. And thinking you have said too much already is not even a option. It's this kind of feedback I need and I thank you for the input. What you were thinking IS important. While it may not be important to others, it's important to me and that's why I appreciate your response.

Look, you and I both understand that every time we jump on and turn the key, we put ourselves "out there". We are subject to the laws of nature, the stupidity of those who think driving a vehicle is a god given right instead of a privileged and our own private perception of how and what we ride. The point of the book is to help some riders (newbies or old pharts) get a little bit of a better grasp on what can make them a bit safer when they ride by understanding those things which may not be totally apparent. The overall objective is to help them get home safely from the ride. I am sure you agree that this is a good thing...

It sounds like you and I (like many of the guys on this site) learned from the school of hard knocks... the "get yer ass out there and learn from experience" school. I've dropped a bike twice at speeds over 65 mph. Guess what? I learned... and both times they were one hell of an education. I also wish someone had the guts to tell me the things that I know now, early on in my schooling. Then, maybe the learning process would have been a little bit easier to take.

I also realized that had I done my homework, I may not have had to drop the bike... twice. I might have learned a little bit about tires, had I asked the right questions or studied with the right group who was willing to share what they knew. I might have learned something about being a little bit more than just "haze" in the traffic pattern had I just figured out early on that extra lights might have helped a lazy brained person wake up and see me as I was getting on the freeway.

So I read and hear questions like this that crop up from time to time. I'm not forming an opinion about the person asking. It's a legit question, and I think someone should stand-up and answer it.

"I was told that XYZ tire is better then ABC tires, should I try them?"

"The seat on "Rocket Ship" is hard as a rock. Can I do something about it?"

"My buddy just had someone turn in front of him and he rides a megalith cruiser. How can I avoid that happening to me?"

"Isn't a ride leader on a group ride supposed to tell you something about the rules and regulations of riding in the group?"

Here's the thing. Riders on two wheels are taking chances the moment they clear the drive-way. Making the percentage of failure on that ride as small as possible should be the game plan of every rider. I mean, you don't think to yourself, "well, my tires are bald, the brakes haven't worked in 3 months and the foot pegs are just about rusted through... But I am damn sure, at least I'm 65% positive, that I will return from this 100 mile tour."

I doubt that you would get on and ride any bike that's not as close to 100% ready to make the trip. I also doubt you would carry a passenger on any road when you have a sever medical condition that could jeopardize your trip. That's the premise of the book. You can lessen the chance of the Lazarus Complex taking a much larger part in your ride... or you can just jump on, turn the key and wonder "Did my tire guy put the tires on with the arrow in the right direction? Aw, it's OK. That kind of thing only happens to other people, not to me. And if it does happen to me? Well... I'll be just fine. They will fix me up or bring me back from the dead and I'll be riding again in a couple of days." (sort of sound familiar?)

I started riding on 2 motorized wheels before I could drive a car. There is no doubt in my mind that over 25% of the folks on these forums have probably been in the same early learning school of hard knocks. I have ridden in snow, sleet and the kind of rain and hail you see in Texas on a really bad day. I have been in the softest of sand and the harshest of temps. I truly hope that others will have the same "safe" experience on the road (any kind of road or weather) that I have had. In no way do I wish a problem or accident on any one. And that's why there is "The Cruiser Motorcycle and the Lazarus Complex". If I have been able to impart a small portion of knowledge that could save them from harm or headache at some point down the road, then I like who I am and what I have done. I don't care if you ride a Harley or a lawn mower.

To know something and not impart that knowledge for the benefit of others... is, well... just plain selfish.
 
Huh?

What exactly inspired this diatribe (look it up)?

Two things... When I am riding, I am not thinking about what I read in forums either. And thinking you have said too much already is not even a option. It's this kind of feedback I need and I thank you for the input. What you were thinking IS important. While it may not be important to others, it's important to me and that's why I appreciate your response.

Look, you and I both understand that every time we jump on and turn the key, we put ourselves "out there". We are subject to the laws of nature, the stupidity of those who think driving a vehicle is a god given right instead of a privileged and our own private perception of how and what we ride. The point of the book is to help some riders (newbies or old pharts) get a little bit of a better grasp on what can make them a bit safer when they ride by understanding those things which may not be totally apparent. The overall objective is to help them get home safely from the ride. I am sure you agree that this is a good thing...
 
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