Favorite Motorcycling Books

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles
A great introduction to motorcycling topics, history and culture. As an added bonus, there's a great overview of available bikes and notations about how appropriate they'd be for new riders.

MSF Guide to Motorcycling Excellence
Every new rider should have this book: it's an incredible technical resource.

The Essential Guide to Dual Sport Motorcycling
This book was released in 2008 and I'm amazed at what a great resource it is. The sections about bike choice informed my decision about which dual-sport to buy last year and the technical topics are fantastic. Further, the introduction to the book was written by motorcycling legend (and star of On Any Sunday) Malcolm Smith. The author has continued the motorcycle tradition of giving back by assigning his royalties to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Buy this book!

Leanings and Leanings 2
Some really engaging and enjoyable writing by a writer with a wide motorcycling background. Great reading!

Jupiter's Travels and its sequel Dreaming of Jupiter
Ted Simon (website) is a motorcycling pioneer and inspiration to countless motorcyclists around the world, including Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman. Ted rode a Triumph motorcycle around the world in the 1970s, when he was in his 40s. And then he did it again a few years ago, when he was in his 70s. Wonderful books and a terrific and engaging author, who I had the pleasure to meet last year at a Touratech event in Seattle. I have spare copies of these books just for lending to friends.

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook
A fantastic resource, I have 3 different editions of it. Unfortunately the author seems to have written a couple section of the latest edition immediately after proctologist appointments: one snarky comment about Ted Simon set my teeth on edge, as did some comments about self defense which I felt were overbearing and patronizing.

Lois on the Loose
Brilliant and crackling writing by an English author who rode her motorcycle from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego inArgentina. In a subsequent book, she rode down the length of the continent of Africa.

Breaking the Limit
More fantastic writing by an author who rode across the US and Canada.

Motorcycle Journeys through the Pacific Northwest
Awesome rides in Washington, Oregon, British Columbia.

The Destination Highway Books
Great rides in British Columbia, Northern California, Washington state.