Topic: The Art of the Motorcycle

[Bob Wessner]

Anyone with an interest in vintage bikes in general, regardless of make, should pick up a copy of “The Art of the Motorcycle.” It is a compendium of photos and text about all the bikes displayed in the Guggenheim Museum exhibit of the same name back in 1999 and 2000. It’s over 400 pages and now, affordably, in a large format paperback of excellent quality. My daughter bought it for me for Father’s Day. Highly recommended.

[6pkrunner]

I see the 1969 cover Kawasaki H1 as a poster on eGouge all the time. I never knew there was a book to cover it off. Color or B&W pictures?

[Bob Wessner]

Both gray scale and color. Very high quality, probably shouldn't have called it a paperback, but rather soft bound. Large format and weighs a ton.

[6pkrunner]

Neat - have to try to snag a copy. Thanks for the heads up. I would have just thought the Mach III poster was all there was to it.

[Uncle Ernie]

I think that book is a seminal tome and ANYone who has the SLIGHTEST interest in mototcycles should be required to have a copy. Similar to the world of insects; strange, unusual, ones you've seen and some you'd never imagine. All are gorgeous.

[Tim.]

Great deal in the US - $23 at Amazon.  Not as good up here - $42 in Canada.  A good 30% more expensive, taking the fx rate into account.

I'd rather spend $50 on a new part for the bike 

[SteveD CB500F]

£18.57 on Amazon UK (US$33.50)

As usual, $ = £ for anything like this.

[Uncle Ernie]

tintin, the mind and spirit needs regular maintenance  too.

[Raul CB750K1]

When the display was showing in the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum in Spain I was not into bikes, and even if I would have been, Bilbao is 300 miles away from my hometown, so I probably would have not gone to see it.

But when I was living in Tennesse in 2002 I happened to take one week vacation in SF and Vegas, so I attended the exhibition in the Venetian. Not being interested in gambling, that was one of the best things to do with my money in Vegas apart from a flight to Grand Canyon (yes, I got a lot of advertising in the streets for more ways to have some fun, but I was not interested...)

I liked the exhibition a lot but didn't buy the book because I recalled having seen it cheaper in Spain. And it definitely was. I bought my hardback edition here when I returned for 30 euro. Back then it was about 30 bucks. And I could buy it either in spanish or english edition. I finally bought the spanish, but I had read the english edition when I borrowed from a library and the translation is not that good.

The picture quality and the paper quality are definitely top-notch. The book in my opinion focuses more on the social aspect of motorcycling, that is cools since most of the books focuse more on the technical aspects.

If you live near Memphis the exhibition is on display now in the Pyramid. If you are into guitar playing as I am you can also visit the Gibson factory. Apart from Beale street and the Lorraine Motel I don't think Memphis have many more things worth a visit (Graceland apart of course). Some people think that visitors pay a visit to Graceland when they travel to Memphis, but I bet many people pay a visit to Memphis when they travel to Graceland.


I have bought recently many motorcycle books. One of my favourites is Roland Brown's "The ultimate history of fast bikes". It gives details of performance bikes from beginning of last century to today (newest crotch rockets and V-Rod are covered). What pisses me off is that many books are just excepts from others, so I have many books that I already had as sections of thicker ones.

Raul

[three sticks]

I was AT that show man...in New York. I saw it with my OWN EYES and it was so very incredible. i was only feet away from the britten motorcycle. they even had my other bike there...a 1963 Honda CA100 Super Cub 50cc stepthrough. although, the one they had was red, i think a '67, and in better cosmetic condition, but mine only has 100 miles on the speedo! beat that!

anyway my dad bought the book, "The Art Of The Motorcycle" at the show.

[Raul CB750K1]

I was very proud that a couple of spanish bikes (Bultaco and Montesa) were included. Of course, as in any list like "The best 100 movies of all time", there would be different opinions on bikes that should be covered and bikes that shouldn't. One thing I didn't like was that there were many BMW's compared with other brands. It's not that I have anything against beemers. In fact I love the R1200C and I believe they are excellent pieces of engineering. But I was pissed off because I discovered that the exhibition was sponsored by BMW, so no wonder they got special coverage...


Raul

[Bob Wessner]

It probably took a great deal of $$ to put the whole thing together so BMW would expect some preferred treatment I would imagine. Besides, $$ talks, always has, always will, ask any politician.

[dusterdude]

raul,as a youngster in the 70`s,the bultaco was the trail bike to have.my brother had one for a brief period of time then,that thing was bad.

[SteveD CB500F]

Sure was.

Cool was my mate with his Bultaco Sherpa 250 trial bike while on the road we all had mopeds.

[Praeliber]

HI, I second you on this one.  I've got a copy of this book, in french thought with a sometime kinky translation (maybe like mine in english  ) and it became a kind of  bible to me !

[Uncle Ernie]

From what I remember from some of my BMW club things, The main museum guy who came up with the idea has a couple of old Beemers, and I think BMW AG contibuted some $.

[historicjake]

I bought that book on deep sale a year or so back, and drove my wife crazy for leaving it around the house.  She hated it for how heavy and clunky it was.  Hadn't looked at it for a bit when my 2 year old drags it over to me and starts flipping thrugh it.  When he gets to page 31 he looks up at me and says "cycle...Cycle...DADDY CYCLE!".  You guessed it, there's a little black and white of a CB750 there.  No prompting, I swear.  Now he knows where all the "Daddy cycle" pictures are.  He also has a thing for the Laverda SFC and the Indian Chief.  Not bad taste, if you ask me.