Table of Contents

I. BIKER BASICS. 1. The Motorcycle Mystique. The Thrill of the Open. Road Bikes Are Beautiful. The Tao of Two Wheels. Biker Chic. The Art of Motorcycles. 2. A Brief History of Bikes. Humble Beginnings. The Wild Ones: The Outlaws' Conveyance. The Japanese Invasion. Risen Hog: The Resurrected Motorcycle Market. 3. Street Squid or Dirt Donk? Types of Motorcycles. Split Personalities: Dual Sports. Cruisers: The American Bikes. Sportbikes. Pure-Dirt. Street Standards: A Renaissance. The Ultimate Behemoths: Touring Bikes. II. SO YOU WANT TO BUY A BIKE? 4. Choosing the Right Bike. What Do You Want to Do? Starting Out Small. Starting Out Slow. Best Bets for New Bikers. New or Used? The Costs of Cycling. 5. Anatomy of a Motorcycle. The Nature of the Beast. Meeting the Motor. The Clutch. Rotating the Rubber: Drive Systems. Putting It All Together: Frame, Suspension, Wheels, and Tires. It's Electric. Bodywork. 6. Start Your Engines. Engineering. The Four Stroke. The Two Stroke. 7. Buying Your First Bike. Where to Buy Your Bike. What to Look For. What's It Worth? Making the Deal. 8. Insider Tips on Buying a Bike. Minimizing Maintenance Costs. Getting the Best Deal. To Your Credit: Financing. Getting Insured. Trading Bikes. 9. Getting the Gear. Helmets: Home Is Where Your Head Is. In Style: What to Wear. .Extreme Riding Gear. Accessories: All the Extras. III. ON THE ROAD. 10. Preparing to Hit the Road. Getting in Your Right Mind: Mental Motorcycling Getting Licensed. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation Control Freaks: How to Ride a Motorcycle. The Pre-Ride Inspection. 11. Learning to Ride. Steering Clear. Stopping What You've Started. Shifting Gears. Throttle Control. Taking Turns. Taking the Test. 12. Rules of the Road. Driving in the USA. Jockeying for Position: Lane Positioning. The Three Rs: Riding, Reading, and Reacting. The Safety Zone. 13. Street Survivors: Steering Through Sticky Situations. Intersection Encounters. Freeway Riding. Splitting Lanes. Riding the Twisties. 14. Staying Alive: Special Situations and Emergencies. Riders on the Storm. Night Rider. Two for the Road. Oddball Corners. Crowned Roads. Group Riding. SOS: Emergency Situations. How to Raise a Fallen Bike. 15. Doing It in the Dirt: Riding Off-Road. Form Is Function: Posture. Things That Go Bump in the Road. Surface Conditions. IV. LIVING WITH A MOTORCYCLE. 16. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Tools of the Trade. Keeping the Shiny Side Up: Supporting the Bike. Oil: Your Bike's Blood. Air Filters: Clearing the Sinuses. Batteries: An Electrifying Experience. Keeping Cool. Chain Maintenance. Shaft Maintenance. Cleaning Up. On Ice: Storing Your Bike. 17. Rx: Repair. Take It In or Do It Yourself? Where the Rubber Meets the Road: Tires. A Screeching Halt: Brakes. Chain and Sprocket Replacement. 18. Creative Customizing and Collecting. Why Customize? Comparing Customs. So You Want to Customize Your Bike. Classic, Collectible, or Just Old? Collecting Motorcycles. Collector's Choice. What Constitutes a Classic? Future Classics? V. THE MOTORCYCLING COMMUNITY. 19. Join the Club: Motorcycle Clubs. How Motorcycle Clubs Were Born. Types of Clubs. The American Motorcyclist Association. Finding a Club. 20. The Open Road: Touring and Rallies. Any Bike Is a Touring Bike Planning a Trip Touring Range and Fuel Stops Preparing Your Bike What to Bring? You Can Take It with You: Packing Your Bike. Loading Up Pacing Yourself Motorcycle Madness: Rallies Major Rallies. Other Rallies. 21. Speed Racer: Motorcycle Road Racing. A Brief History of Motorcycle Road Racing. Types of Racing Grand Prix Racing. Grand National Dirt Track: American Racing Production-Based Motorcycle Racing. Other Racing Series. Drag Racing. 22. How to Become a Motorcycle Road Racer. How to Become a Racer. Club Racing. Racing Schools. Preparing a Race Bike. Buying Your First Racing Bike. VI. APPENDIXES. Appendix A. Biker's Buying Guide to New Bikes. Appendix B. Biker's Buying Guide to Used Bikes. Appendix C. Resources. Appendix D. Cycle Babble Glossary.

About the Author

Motorcyclist magazine, the "World's Largest Streetbike Publication," recently celebrated its 85th year of publication. In a concise and amusing style, it focuses on the motorcycles, products, events, and people that fire the passions of streetbike enthusiasts. Motorcyclist has an audited monthly readership of 2.1 million motorcycle enthusiasts. Darwin Holmstrom has been riding motorcycles for 23 of his 34 years. He bought his first dirtbike when he was 11 years old and has owned at least one functioning motorcycle ever since. He has ridden nearly 300,000 miles. The only thing that has remained constant in his life is his passion for motorcycling, and he rides every chance he gets. He now supports his motorcycling habit by working as the Midwest editor for Motorcyclist magazine and by working as a freelance writer. Darwin has worked as a reporter and photographer for a daily newspaper. He won the Associated Press Photographer of the Month award in March 1997. He has also worked as an editor and graphics designer for a variety of publishing houses and periodicals, covering topics as diverse as engineering, liturgical studies, and Western mysticism. In 1997, he won a National Small Press design award for self-help books. Darwin has a Master's degree in creative writing and a Bachelor's degree in photography and graphic design. He currently lives in western North Dakota with his wife and four dogs.