Legendary Motorcycles The Stories and Bikes Made Famous by Elvis; Peter Fonda; Kenny Roberts and Other Motorcycling Greats

by Leno, Jay; Wasef, Basem

• ISBN13: 9780760330708
• ISBN10: 0760330700
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-10-15
• Publisher: Motorbooks

Summary

Motorcycles are mythic, far more than mere transportation, but some are in a class of their own, truly legendary machines. There are the Triumphs: James Deanrs"s, Marlon Brandors"s in The Wild Ones, the one Steve McQueen took over the fence in The Great Escape. There are Evel Knievelrs"s and Elvisrs"s Harleys, the Easy RiderStars ls"nrs" Stripes bike, and T. E. Lawrencers"s Brough Superior SS100; Von Dutchrs"s Condor, Craig Vetterrs"s Mystery Ship, and Mike Hailwoodrs"s Honda RC162. These are just some of the machines that have made motorcycle history, and that make this book a feast for the eyes and a fact-filled odyssey for the motorcycle aficionado. Illustrated with commissioned photographs and historical images, the book profiles the bikes--not just the models but the actual motorcycles--that have achieved legendary status in the last century. Their stories, told here in detail for the first time, make up the story of the motorcycle in American culture.

Author Biography

Basem Wasef's fascination with all things automotive reaches back to his childhood in London, where he was known to sing Happy Birthday to his extensive collection of Matchbox cars. Though his enthusiasm has taken him from the Arctic Circle to Modena in pursuit of extraordinary and exotic vehicles, he can't imagine living anywhere but car-crazed Los Angeles.                      

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

First and Last Bikes A Fascination with Speed

Yamaha TZ750 Dirt Tracker ldquo;They donrsquo;t pay me enough to ride that thing.rdquo;

The Norton with an Insatiable Appetite for Harleys

Lightning The Bathing Suit Bike

No. 1 1969 Harley-Davidson KR750 Final Victory for a Battle Ax

Easy Captain America The Star-Spangled American Icon

BSA Gold Star and Matchless G50 TT Tools of the Trade

1985 Double Championship Honda GP Bikes Living the Impossible Dream

Mystery Ship The Childhood Fantasy Bike

No. 3 Harley-Davidson XR750 A Transatlantic Sensation

1983 Kawasaki Superbike The Air-Cooled Underdog

Yamaha TZ250D The Bike That Launched a Career

Turnip Eater The 200-mile-per-hour Hog

Brough Superior SS100 Lawrence of Arabiarsquo;s Last Ride

Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide The Kingrsquo;s Blue Bike

Britten V-1000 The Modern Masterpiece

Harley-Davidsons The Original Daredevilrsquo;s Chariots of Choice

Originals Customizing as an Art Form

AMA Racing Contenders The Racing Passion of a Basketball Legend

Comeback Bikes A Herorsquo;s Returns to theIsle of Man

Blue Bike The Irresistible Allure of Bonneville

Munro Special The Worldrsquo;s Fastest Indian

Harley-Davidson XR750 Italo-American Chemistry

MV Agusta GP Bikes MVrsquo;s Last Hurrah

Honda CB77 Superhawk Inspiring Zen and the Art of Motorcycle MaintenanceNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"

Eclectic Palate Riding with the King of CoolTimeline

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.