Five Best Motorcycle Books Ever

Listicles, Gresh calls them…articles based around the (fill in the number) best things to do, worst things to do, motorcycles, movies, and more.  One of Gresh’s friends told him that lists get more hits than any other kind of Internet article.  I was a bit skeptical when I first heard that, but Google Analytics doesn’t lie:  When we do a listicle, our hits go up big time.  And comments, too.  We like comments.  And a lot of this blogging game is about the hits and comments.  Gresh’s The 5 Stupidest Ideas in Motorcycling, my recent The Big Ride: 5 Factors Affecting Daily Mileage, and other ExNote listicles…they’ve all done extremely well.

This listicle thing has me thinking in terms of the five best whatever when I’m spitballing new blog ideas, and the list du jour is on motorcycle books.  It’s a topic near and dear to my heart and one we’ve touched on lightly before, although the emphasis in the past has usually been on a single book.  I think I’ve read just about every motorcycle book ever published, and I particularly like the travel stories.  That said,  I think this introduction is long enough.  Let’s get to it.

Riding the Edge

Riding the Edge, in my opinion, is the greatest motorcycle adventure story ever told, made all the more significant by two facts.   The first is that Dave Barr, the author, did the ride after losing both legs to a land mine in Africa; the second is that Dave did the ride on a beat up old ’72 Harley Super Glide that had 100,000 miles on the odometer before he started.

I know Dave Barr and I’ve ridden with him.  I can tell you that he is one hell of a man, and Riding the Edge is one hell of a story.  The ride took four years, mostly because Dave pretty much financed the trip himself.  He’d ride a country or two, run out of money, get a job and save for a bit, and then continue.  I read Riding the Edge nearly two decades ago, and it’s the book that lit my fire for international motorcycle riding.  None of the rides I’ve done (even though I’ve ridden through a few of the countries Barr did) begins to approach Dave Barr’s accomplishments.  The guy is my hero.

Riding the Edge is written in an easy, conversational style.  I’ve probably read my copy a half-dozen times.  In fact, as I type this, I’m thinking I need to put it on my nightstand and read some of my favorite parts again.  If you go for any of the books on this list, Riding the Edge is the one you have to read.

The Longest Ride

Emilio Scotto.   Remember that name, and remember The Longest Ride.  This is a guy who had never left his native Argentina, thought it might be cool to see the world on a motorcycle, bought a Gold Wing (which he named the Black Princess), and then…well, you can guess the rest.  He rode around the world on a motorcycle.

Emilio took 10 years for his trip around the world, and he covered 500,000 miles in the process.  He’s another guy who is good with a camera.  I thoroughly enjoyed The Longest Ride.  I think you will, too.

Two Wheels Through Terror

Glen Heggstad…that’s another name you want to remember.  Mix one martial arts expert, a Kawasaki KLR 650, a kidnaping (his own), a trip through South America, and a natural propensity for writing well and you’ll have Two Wheels Through Terror.  I love the book for several reasons, including the fact that Mr. Heggstad used a KLR 650 (one of the world’s great adventure touring motorcycles), the way he tells the story of his kidnaping in Colombia (a country I rode in), and his wonderful writing.

I’ve met Glen a couple of times.  The first time was at a local BMW dealership when he spoke of his travels; the second time was at his booth at the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show.  Glen is a hell of a man, a hell of a writer, and a hell of a fighter (all of which emerge in Two Wheels Through Terror).  He is a guy who just won’t quit when the going gets tough.  I admire the man greatly.

Jupiter’s Travels

Ah, Ted Simon, one of the granddaddies of adventure motorcycle riding.  I’d heard about his book, Jupiter’s Travels, for years before I finally bought a copy and read it, and then I felt like a fool for not having read it sooner.

Jupiter’s Travels was one of the first books about riding a motorcycle around the world, and what made it all the more interesting for me was that Simon didn’t do it as a publicity stunt.  No big sponsors, no support vehicles, no nothing, a lot like the other great journeys on this list.  It was what the guy wanted to do, so he quit his job and did it.  Simon’s bike was a 500cc air-cooled Triumph, and I liked that, too.  I’m a big fan of the old British vertical twins (the Triumph was a state-of-the-motorcycle-art when Ted Simon did his ride).  Trust me on this, folks:  Jupiter’s Travels is a motoliterature classic, and it’s one you need to read.

10 Years on 2 Wheels

Helge Pedersen is another name you want to know.  He is a phenomenal world traveler, writer, and photographer, and 10 Years on 2 Wheels is a phenomenal read.

What sets 10 Years on 2 Wheels apart is the photography, and you get a sense of that just by seeing the cover (this is one of those rare books that you can, indeed, judge by its cover).  10 Years on 2 Wheels is what inspired me to get serious about capturing great photographs during my travels, and Helge’s photos are fabulous (they’re art, actually).  This is a physically large book, and that makes the images even more of a treat.

Next Up:  The Five Worst Motorcycle Books

Look for a blog in the near future on the five worst motorcycle books I’ve ever read.  That one will be tough, because I pretty much like any book about motorcycles, but I’m guessing it will elicit a lot of comments.

So that’s it: Our list of the five best motorcycle books.  What do you think?  Leave your comments and suggestions here.   We want to hear them!

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