Legendary Motorcycles Book Review

Dustin Woods
by Dustin Woods

Celebrity bikes and their owners

For every rider who has ever thrown their leg over a bike, there is surely one particular model that they can recount as being responsible for infecting them with the contagious riding bug. While some were fortunate to have biking in their blood and Hogs in their garage, others have undoubtedly become acquainted through the various forms of media within popular culture. Whether you caught the itch from seeing Marlon Brando in The Wild Ones, or Erik Estrada in CHiPs, many riders were inspired by images that shone upon the silver screen or appeared on their television sets each week. Not simply reserved for bikes from the entertainment industry, many a rider has become infatuated with the two-wheeled world through motorsport.

While some bikes can been seen as strictly transportation, there are those that are able to transcend the ordinary and reach a status of epidemic proportions. There are surely many hard-working acting professionals that would covet the sort of notoriety attained by scene stealers like Captain America’s chopper and the Billy bike from Easy Rider or even some of the Harleys jumped by Evel Knievel. Such motorcycles, among others have infiltrated mainstream culture and captured the imagination of millions. Other examples include the personal bikes owned by T.E. Lawrence, Elvis Presley and a young James Dean, all of whom shared a great passion for motorcycles

Boasting a foreword by comedian and renowned gearhead Jay Leno, Legendary Motorcycles boasts 26 chapters on some of the most historically significant bikes in existence. Highlighted by original photography and rare historical images of the actual bikes, this book profiles motorcycles that have become legends in their own time. Certainly a compliment to the significance and quality of the book, LM was a finalist for the Dean Bachelor Awards, which are given out each year by the Motor Press Guild for exceptional achievements by automotive journalists.

Motorcycle journalist Basem Wasef provides well-researched, in-depth descriptions about a carefully chosen selection of bikes and the stories behind their notoriety. Those stories, recounted in fascinating detail, make Legendary Motorcycles an interesting read for anyone with an interest in the relevance of historic motorcycles and the people who rode them.

Dustin Woods
Dustin Woods

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