Roadside Reading: 'Modern Motorcycle Technology'

I'm not a mechanic and have only the vaguest idea of how an engine works. But I'm curious and want to know about all kinds of things. So I was happy to find this book from the marvelous publisher, Motorbooks.

"Modern Motorcycle Technology" by Massimo Clarke is a compact handbook of parts and systems not to teach you how to build or fix bikes, but to show you inside and out how it's put together and how it works.

Every page includes photos and diagrams of engines, frames, electrical systems, mechanical parts, carburetion/injection, tires, brakes, the whole shebang. It helps a rider understand why they work and what can go wrong when they don't. It includes a limited five-page glossary.

This is a general guide, not intended to replace your owner's manual, but to make sense of the mysterious tubes and wires of modern motorbikes. The color cutaway diagrams here are clean and clearer than most owner's manuals.

If you really want to understand what you're looking at when you look at a Ducati or a Harley-Davidson, this is a good place to start.



"Modern
Motorcycle
Technology,"
by Massimo
Clarke,
238 pages,
motorbooks.com

I give it 5 Revs out of 5

Friday Film: 'Hells Angels '69'

This review comes with a preface -- and a mystery.

This flick was an elusive one, and the one I worked the hardest to obtain. I found it in a three-disk collector set released in 2006 and started drooling. But on Amazon.com it was listed for an incredible $745. I could not believe it. It must've been a mistake.

The "Bikers from Hell Triple Feature" is a collection of old movies -- "Run Angel Run," "Hell's Angels 69," and "Hell's Bloody Devils" -- repackaged by a company called Guilty Pleasures, originally priced at only $19.95. So I looked elsewhere on the net, and ordered it from one of the warehouse dealers; it was listed at the cover price. I waited ... almost a month ... and was dryly informed that it was unavailable; that the item was on "moratorium." I called to see what exactly that meant, and was told the product was issued in limited run, the way Disney does with some of its films then withdraws them from the market.

Someone else must have it, I reasoned. So I tried on another distributor, and ordered again at $19.95. And waited. The online status said it was being processed ... for weeks. I called, and called, and finally found someone who was able to check on it for real and learned that it was unavailable.

So why are they advertising a product they don't even have? The mystery.

Finally, I returned to Amazon, where it was now listed at $74.95, used. Still costly, but you know how it is when you find a "sale." I concluded the first price was a misplaced decimal, and I ordered, concealing the real price from my unimpressed husband. (Don't you tell him how much it really cost!)

Now on to the review. The Hells Angels have been involved with many films through the years — the legendary Sonny Barger has been a consultant and actor in numerous movies, and recently appeared in a key cameo role on "Sons of Anarchy." The Angels even made their own documentary, "Hells Angels Forever" in 1983.

In "Hells Angels '69," two actors who had played in previous biker films of the 1960s, Tom Stern and Jeremy Slate, play brothers with a perfect plan for ripping off Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. They cozy up to the Hells Angels, played by the real Hells Angels, and use them to distract officials while they make a getaway. First they switch out their biker gear for straight suits, do some minor gambling to blend in, then hold up the counting room at gunpoint, call on their new biker buddies in a ruse, change clothes again and stroll out of the casino to the welcoming arms of Sonny and his crew.

But they made one mistake — winning a small amount at a slot machine and drawing attention to themselves. When the Angels learn they've been used, they come for revenge.

Adding to the appeal of this repackaged gem is the historical analysis and humor of drive-in movie king Joe Bob Briggs (aka writer/actor John Bloom), who filmed an introduction and provides commentary on the DVD.

As he points out, the problem with a biker movie is this: Who's the hero? In this case we have a bunch of antiheroes and we're not sure who's side we're on. We could be expected to side with the clever robbers, but they're awful mean to one of the biker chicks (Conny Van Dyke) who just wants to be loved by someone.

"It's unclear whether we're supposed to root for the bikers, or despise the bikers," Joe Bob says in his commentary. "When they're riding down the highway we think yeah, I can get into this — modern cowboys. ... But when they're getting into drunken brawls over who gets to slap around the bimbo next, you kinda flinch."

That's putting it mildly.

The Angels prove to be stiff as actors, but they do a lot of zany, violent crap that doesn't make a whole lot of sense just to show what irresponsible, antisocial jerks they are. Sonny has one important scene where he tells the brothers they're welcome for the rescue at the casino, but that it's time to hit the road and not come back. When Sonny Barger tells you to buzz off, you do not to argue.

It's all rather unpleasant. The movie has more organized plot than most of the bike films made around that time. And it's a chance to see some of the characters made famous in Hunter Thompson's book about the Angels, such as Magoo and Terry the Tramp, back in the day.

The DVD also includes a recent interview with Conny Van Dyke ("Message to Her Fans"), pamphlet with photos and liner notes, a Conny Van Dyke photo gallery and theatrical trailer. The other two films in the set also come with commentary and extras, and Joe Bob does commentary on "Run Angel Run," which I confess I've not watched yet.

So was it worth $75? Not on my income, buddy. But you know better now, doncha? You can find it for only $13.50 without the other two collectible flicks if you want. Go ahead. You know you want to.

 

"Hell's Angels '69"
1969,  starring
Tom Stern, 
Jeremy Slate,
Conny Van Dyke,
Sonny Barger 
and the original
Oakland Hells
Angels
93 minutes
not rated


I give it 4 Revs out of 5.

Roadside Reading: 'Rockers!'

Author Johnny Stuart in his Rocker days.

"Are you a Mod or a Rocker?" a reporter asks in the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's Night." Ringo shows his wit: "No, I'm a Mocker." Zing! Way to avoid contention with a double-entendre.

That's about all many of we Americans knew about the rivalry between Mods and Rockers of the 1960s in England. "Quadrophenia" was Mods, "The Damned" and "The Wild One" were the Rockers, according to the book "Rockers!"

This English book is an oversized softback filled with black-and-white historical photos documenting the phenomenon of a 1950s and '60s youth movement marked by stovepipe jeans, leather jackets and fast Triumph and BSA motorcycles.

With the legendary Ace Cafe front and center, along with the 59 Club and other "caff racer" hangouts, author and former Rocker Johnny Stuart draws the reader into their world with romantic images and descriptive text. It's regarded as the definitive work about post-war British motorcycle culture.

Many of its wealth of illustrations lack captions, however. Song lyrics are placed next to them instead, describing an emotional tie but not actual context. For example, one spread includes a photo of many bikers — four one man with a swastika painted on his forehead —a photo of a man with many emblems on his jacket hugging a pole, and another of a biker wearing Nazi symbolism while working on a bike. The only descriptor placed where the caption should be is "'I got my leather jacket, but I'm walking all the time.' The Clash"

That hardly explains when, where or what I'm looking at. You have to read the book to learn more.

This is a bit of history and a lot of mythology, imagining the lives of the Rockers in general terms rather than focusing on individuals. There's more concrete information about the pop stars they listened to than of the motorcyclists themselves.

As an American, I need to keep the urban dictionary handy. Because it's written for a British audience, I was puzzled by many phrases and terms the author expects readers to understand. Such as "quiff," which I took by context to mean hair. So I look it up to be sure:

"Popularized mostly by 50s Rockabillys, a quiff is basically a forelock that is longer than the rest of one's hair on top, and is usually combed upwards (and back), or to the side, or made to hang over the forehead.
Depending on the wearers hair type a spot of gel or grease may be in order. Very stylish & manly. If done properly.

The quiff is often worn as a variation or 'evolution' on the very simple (and very manly) crew cut, or with the (longer & back-combed) 'duck's arse' or DA hairstyle. A few Famous Quiffs:
Elvis Presley
Travolta in 'Grease'
Morrissey
Chris Isaak"

OK, I get it. Rockabilly. But that's another thing. Greasers, Teds, Bike Boys, Ton-up Kids and Leatherboys are all labels for styles thrown into this mix, and as an outsider, I've little ideas about the differences. The book attempts to explain (Teds dress Edwardian), but I'm still vague on the lines drawn. Probably this has much to do with the importance Brits place on class divisions, not so important on this side of the Pond.


One difference noted in the book between Rockers and other groups is that they eschew drugs, "because they valued physical prowess so highly."

"Non-acceptance of drugs, more than anything else, cut Rckers off from everything that was new and exciting in the contemporary pop scene. By the end of the (1960s) decade drugs had become a kind of religion for the hip teenager ..."

I did notice one inaccuracy in the book: Photographer Astrid Kirchherr, famous for befriending the Beatles in their early Hamburg days, is identified incorrectly as Swedish rather than German. Not a huge deal, but this type of error makes one wonder what else is wrong.

All of that said, this is a fun book to peruse, and the photos are priceless, especially the antique ads lining the end papers. Helmets for "Motor Cycling," riding suits, Dunlop tyres, and the Norton and Royal Enfield motorcycle ads reminiscent of mags we read as kids — except prices are expressed in British pounds. Best of all is a skid-lid cartoon in which "Sid" rushes off on his bike to a race, fails to "Mind how you go!" cracks his head on the ground with an exclamation of "Crikey!" — but gets up and makes it to the big race thanks to his Cromwell helmet.

Gotta get me one of those!



"Rockers!"
by Johnny
Stuart,
Plexus London
120 pages,
published
1987

I give it 4 Revs out of 5

Friday Film: "Wild Hogs"

Tim Allen and Walt Becker on the set of "Wild Hogs"

This light, airy Hollywood hit uses comedy and satire to make some points about bikers that other motorcycle movies never touch.

Namely, the differences between "bad" bikers and lame suburban weekend riders.

John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy are the goofy Wild Hogs motorcycle club who have problems with their home relationships and jobs — maybe even a little trouble with their riding skills — but decide one day to pack their smart phones and set off on a weekend run to feel the "freedom' of the road.

Along the way they encounter the Del Fuegos, a rough, tough gang led by Jack (Ray Liotta), who just wants to mess with them.

It's all very silly and slapstick, including a fat bald guy bumping and grinding on stage at a local fair and singing "Doncha wish your girlfriend was hot like me ..."

But it's also hilariously funny and cute, with Macy falling for a local restaurant owner played by Marissa Tomei. In the interest of full disclosure, I must disclose right here my deep and totally inexplicable attraction to William Macy.

So there's a lot of laughs, a little skinny dipping, a little romance, a little rumbling, a little punching and one big KABOOM! with fire. What more can you ask for? Peter Fonda? Well, yes, as a matter of fact. As I mentioned in my review last week of "Easy Rider," he does make a cameo appearance as Jack's old-style biker daddy.


Those who watch carefully will also notice Paul Teutul Sr. and Paul Teutul Sr. in cameos as Del Fuegos. Dr. Drew Pinsky (I love him!) also has a brief appearance as Doctor.

The fun continues with DVD features including "How to get Your Wife to Let You Buy a Motorcycle." It's a good Saturday night comedy that almost anybody can enjoy.



"Wild Hogs"
directed
by Walt Becker,
Starring Tim Allen,
Martin Lawrence,
John Travolta
William H. Macy
Ray Liotta
100 minutes,
rated PG-13



I give it 5 Revs out of 5

Historic MV Agusta motorcycle display in Midland

Gary Kohs kneels next to one of his MV Agusta motorcycles
in Royal Oak, Mich. (The Oakland Press/Jose Juarez)

Here's a chance to see dozens of examples of little-known motorcycles and scooters in pristine condition, displayed in historical context.

More than 75 rare, vintage and contemporary Italian MV Agusta motorcycles, dating from the 1930s and representing every decade since, are on display at the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science and Art of the Midland Center for the Arts in Midland, MI.

The collection is on loan from Gary Kohs of Royal Oak. It went on display Jan. 15 and will remain through April 10.

There has never been a larger or more comprehensive collection amassed to illustrate the history and breadth of MV Agusta in all its forms and functions and in complete chronological accuracy, said museum Communications Manager Julie Dukes.

It traces the evolution of the motorcycle that served a post-war transportation need for the Italian people, when fuel was expensive and hard to come by, and evolved through its later racing roots to its role as a sporting machine today.

Its development followed the regulations of the Italian roadways, the exhibit shows. Smaller vehicles that did not require registration were immensely popular until 1959 when the Italian highway code banned anything less than 150cc machines, putting 125cc "at a disadvantage," and necessitating larger engines for average commuters. 

The exhibition show the leading-edge design of every MV Agusta machine from the 48cc moped to the world championship racing race bike. And the one dominant underlying theme in the show is that racing was always part of the story from the first day of production in 1946 to the present. This is a rare examination of design, function, aesthetics and sheer excellence of the finest motorcycle ever manufactured, Dukes said.

We took the drive up to Midland on Sunday to see them, and found it well worth the trip. We'd never been to the museum before, and were delighted to see in addition to the motorcycles a small but comprehensive collection of natural science and industry exhibits designed to entertain and educate adults and children. Fossils, including a mastodon — and a T-Rex exhibit coming Jan. 20 — as well as groups of smell stations, sound stations and visual displays teach principles of chemical and biological interactions.

The museum aims to show the connection between the arts and sciences, for example displaying musical instruments juxtaposed with explanations of wave forms. If you go, plan to stay an extra hour or more for these as well.

Oh, and there will be an acoustic evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt Feb. 9

The Agusta show is in the galleries of Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art, Midland Center for the Arts, 1801 W. St. Andrews Road, Midland, MI 48640. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday (Thursday until 8 p.m.), 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday and on major holidays.

Tickets are $8 adults, $5 children, free to museum members. Call the ticket office at (989) 631-8250 or (800) 523-7649, or visit www.mcfta.org.

ALSO ON DISPLAY:

• Legendary Italian Automobile Photographs by Michael Furman. For more than 25 years Michael Furman’s studio imagery has revealed the Italian passion for stylish performance in automobiles. This exhibit includes 30 photographs of legendary Italian vehicles. Furman’s signature style brings to life the enchanting forms and awesome power of superb machines from pre-war Alfa Romeo to the iconic Ferrari and Lamborghini.
• Italian Master Drawings from the Northwood University Tamassy Collection Italian drawings selected to complement the museum’s winter celebration of Italian art and design. Featured are works by Raphael, Bernini, Guardi, Tempesta, Carracci and others from Venice, Florence and Rome. AB Dow Museum thanks Northwood University for the long-term loan of The Tamassy Collection of Master Drawings.

Roadside Reading: 'Journeys Two-Up'

Ray Uloth

"Journeys Two-Up" is a touching journal of grief and deliverance.

Ray Uloth, a retired educator and corporate director of executive development for Honeywell and Abbott Laboratories, lost Markie, his wife of 40 years, to cancer in 2008.

In his desire to heal the pain in his heart — or perhaps to bury it — the bought a new three-wheel Honda motorcycle that he named Gladys, and set off on a long-distance solo trip. The spirit of Markie rode with him "two-up" on his journey.

Motorcycle riding for him is a "positional fix for the soul." "Something spiritual happens" as he takes Sunday morning rides when the traffic is light, but he knows that in the light of his loss, a Sunday morning sabbatical will not be enough. "I want to discover ... what? A reason to leave."

He misses his life partner even as he plans the journey.

"I can make the smallest detail so large that the future of humankind will hang in its balance," he writes of his efforts to pack for the trip. "By the time I was done fretting and fiddling, I'd delayed departure a full day. And now I can't remember where anything is, to boot. ... If Markie were alive, she'd have prevented me from spinning wildly into this pointless Never Land of details and unlikely possibilities. She was ruthless but effective in keeping me grounded. It's your fault, I told her last night as I passed her urn before going to bed. If you hadn't died, this wouldn't have happened."

So typical of married couples.

After driving Gladys from the suburbs of Chicago to Montana, Washington and Oregon, he takes a long-delayed trip to Egypt of which he dreamed since his childhood. There he finds more ghosts of the past that bump against the reality of modern survival.

Uloth writes with elegance and precision, imagining ridiculous fantasy scenarios (buffalo going to church) juxtaposed with nuggets of historical and geological background along the way.

Among these tales, he describes the flight of the Nez Perce Indians in Montana and Chief Joseph's famous "I will fight no more forever" speech as his people surendered to U.S. soldiers just 40 miles from the Canadian border. "It is cold and we have no blankets; the little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills. They have no blankets, no food. ... I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. ..."

"Now THAT is loss and grief," Uloth comments.

He describes his own grief as a cat that rises in an instant when he least expects it, leading to a breakdown in Crater Lake, Ore., two months after Markie's death. A song playing in a restaurant reminds him of her funeral, and he stumbles out of the restaurant to find a boy sitting on Gladys, his father having taken liberties with Uloth's possessions.

" 'Off the trike,' I scream, 'you SONOFABITCH!' " he writes. "I advance on the man and his son. My mind is blind with fury. My fists are clenched. Tears flood my vision and stream down my face. I'm trembling so badly I nearly fall off my high-heeled cowboy boots.
"I'm not a violent man, and am disgusted by by this kind of language, but I cannot help myself."

A stranger tries to comfort him and stays with him for a moment, recognizing his pain.

Later, he encounters a "gang of gregarious Canucks from Calgary," coming back from a run to the Sturgis motorcycle rally. They welcome him to their fire and "conversation turns, as it always does on nights like this, to bikes and that icon of motorcycles, Harley-Davidson."

"My new best friends all ride them. ... One of the men wanders over to Gladys and traces a hand over the titanium-colored covers on her flank.
" 'Why do the Japanes hide their machines under all this stupid plastic, eh?' he wants to know, teasing, 'Can't get at anything to fix it.'
" 'Why do Harleys always need fixing?' I reply, returning the friendly barb."

Like "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance," "Journeys Two-Up" isn't about motorcycles — the cycle is merely a framing device in a deeper story of what it means to be human.

Uloth's book is a rich, vivid literary narrative full of sorrow and joy. It is a beautiful book.

You can find his blog at http://backstairs.wordpress.com/




"Journeys
Two-Up:
On the
Road
Through
Grief to
Renewal,"
by Ray Uloth

I give it 5 Revs out of 5

Friday Film: 'Easy Rider'

Writer-director-star Dennis Hopper (from left), biker icon
Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson hit the road in
"Easy Rider," 1969.

"Easy Rider" is either the biker movie, or a druggie film that happens to have a couple of bikers in it. That's pretty much the two camps of thought regarding this iconic road picture, which so strongly reflected the generation gap of the late 1960s.

The late great Dennis Hopper (he died in 2010 of prostate cancer) co-wrote and directed the film along with playing “second bike to Peter Fonda.” Fonda, now 70 years old, is most identified with the film, which his father, Hollywood legend Henry Fonda, hated.

Hopper gives a wealth of information about the making of the film in his feature-length commentary on the DVD. He described it as a fable of what was happening politically at the time. Both actors had appeared in motorcycle movies prior to that — Fonda in B-movie king Roger Corman's "Wild Angels," Hopper in the 1968 "Glory Stompers," and their co-star, Jack Nicholson, in “Hells Angels on Wheels.”

"We didn’t want to be the John Wayne and Gabby Hayes of bike movies,” Hopper quipped.

"Easy Rider" was one of the first movies to use contemporary pop music for its soundtrack, underscoring the events with the Band, the Byrds, Bob Dylan and, of course, the classic theme, Steppenwolf's "Born to be Wild."

Karen Black and Toni Basil, the choreographer who became famous with her early MTV video "Hey Mickey," play prostitutes in New Orleans in some of the weirder scenes in an already impressionistic movie. The two travelers and their dates drop acid and watch Mardi Gras celebrations, then walk through a historic graveyard, where they alternately babble and sob incoherently.

"Wall of Sound" music producer (and later woman killer) Phil Spector, who was a friend of Hopper's, also appears in a cameo role as “The Connection” — the guy who pays the men for drugs they carry from Mexico at the beginning of the film. Fonda, as Wyatt, rolls up and places the bills inside a tube in his motorcycle gas tank. The money sets the story in motion as what Alfred Hitchcock referred to as a MacGuffin — the motivating factor driving the characters.

Although the two travelers think this fortune will guarantee their freedom, it proves to be their doom. The symbolism was deliberate, Hopper explains in the DVD commentary.

"I was conflicted at this time about the symbolism of America, and against the war in Vietnam, so the idea of putting all the money in a gas tank that had an American flag on it, and the idea that we were destroying ourselves and this beautiful chrome machine, that we lived in the United States and if we weren’t careful we could explode and blow up and implode."

Wyatt throws away his watch as they set off on their cross-country trip. "The idea (is) of taking time and throwing it away because now we made our score we're rich and could retire in Florida ... was the dream," Hopper explains.

Fonda later echoes this moment in a line from the recent "Wild Hogs," when he tells a group of bikers to "lose the watches."

The budget of this loose-jointed flick was estimated at less than $350,000, but through the years it brought in around $42 million. Its impact on American pop culture may be unmeasurable, however. One of the first widely seen counterculture films, it starkly demonstrated the generational and cultural divide between hippies and rednecks who tried to destroy them. It also inspired thousands of young viewers to chop their own motorcycles, and taught naive viewers how to smoke a joint.

If you haven't seen the film, you really should push it to the top of your viewing list — if for nothing else than the cultural significance.

"Easy Rider,"
1969,
starring
Peter Fonda,
Dennis Hopper,
Jack Nicholson
Run time:
95 minutes
Rated R

I give it 4 Revs out of 5

'Stealth Riders' motorcycle stunt show

Here is a little video I shot at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show last Sunday in Novi, Mich. To those with very short attention spans, my apologies: It runs slightly longer than 8 minutes.

"Stealth Rider" star Jason Britton and Eric Hoenshell performed on custom Kawasakis, and they are GOOD. Would that I had that kind of strength and balance. I've never seen anyone ride on one wheel with no hands. While turning, no less!

At the beginning, the announcer notes that the "boys are out there warming up the bikes" and that the floor is very slick. Later, he introduces "Miss Fay," a gorgeous brunette in red tank top and leather chaps. The "Boys" do a little show-off for her.

I hope you enjoy it.

 

Roadside Reading: Motorcycle Owner's Manual

Here is a handy guide to understanding how a motorcycle works and how to maintain it.

As with all of the beautifully designed DK books (published in the UK), it is lushly illustrated on every page — ideal for people who are visual learners.

An "important notice" inside the front cover warns that this book should be used WITH the owner's manual and shop manual for your own motorcycle. That's because details and advice given in the book are general to cover just about any motorcycle. So it's an excellent introduction for anyone who has never worked on one before, or who knows little about mechanics.

It begins with the "anatomy" of a motorcycle, pointing out the major parts, then covers the basics  such as adjusting the controls and suspension, lights and fuses and checking the tires and chain — if you have one. Next it moves on to the simple service jobs, such as lubrication, changing the oil, air filter and spark plugs and aligning the wheels. More complex tasks come next, with a tutorial on changing a camshaft belt, adjusting timing, maintaining the clutch and overhauling the front fork. The final section deals with unexpected electrical problems, tire and tube removal and how to repair minor accident damage.

Each section outlines tools you'll need to make repairs and perform maintenance.

For the uninitiated, each part of the motorcycle has introductory pages: "Suspension explained," Lubrication explained," "Transmission explained," etc.

The final section of the book includes a maintenance chart, glossary and index for greatest ease of use.

It's a fantastic resource for the beginner or intermediate motorcyclist, and proves that any biker can do her own wrenching.




"Motorcycle
Owner's
Manual: A
Practical
Guide to Keeping
Your Motorcycle
in Top
Condition"
by Hugo Wilson,
DK books

I give it 5 Revs out of 5

Friday Film: Indian Motorcycle Memories

Public TV station WGBY in Springfield, Mass., produced this old-timey documentary about Indian motorcycles, which were manufactured in that city for 42 years.

The TV program — available on DVD — runs only 40 minutes, and focuses specifically on the local interests of the Springfield audience. It begins with general history of the Indian Motocycle Company, as well as the many uses of these bikes, with archival photos and film, and closes with a rally of modern Indian owners. And a whole lot of beautiful bikes.

One piece of obvious Indian lore is ignored: the land speed record that New Zealander Burt Munro set on a 1920s-era Indian, dramatized in the film "The World's Fastest Indian."

What you do get are personal recollections of historians, early riders and collectors of the historic Indian bikes — the ones manufactured before the company went bankrupt and was later revived — in name only — by several other companies. The nameplate is still used today.

A 1913 board racer

Hill climbing, road racing, stunt riding and cross-country endurance runs were perfect for Indian riders, as the doc shows. Racers attained speeds of up to 90 mph on banked board tracks called motodromes, riding on tires no fatter than a bicycle's.

Among events highlighted here is the 1916 transcontinental trek undertaken by Adeline and Augusta VanBuren on Indian Power Plus motorcycles. They famously were first women to ride solo across the continent, and to climb Pike's Peak on motorcycles. In their quest to prove that women riders were tough enough to serve as dispatch riders for the American military, they endured "hazardous road conditions and several arrests in Midwest towns for wearing men's clothing."

The VanBuren sisters and their Indians

Despite their joyous success in crossing the country, the military remained unmoved on the matter of women in service.


Riders in their golden years were interviewed for this show, looking back at the rivalry between Indian riders and Harley-Davidson riders, especially in the 1930s.

"Back in the '50s I had engine problems with one of my Indian race bikes," relates Jack Armstrong, whose father was an employee of the Indian Motocycle Company. "A gentleman out of Providence offered me a Harley to ride. And I needed some money, so I rode and took a second place, and came home and my dad said to me, 'Did you ride this weekend?' and I said yes. He said, 'I thought you had engine problems.' I said, 'I did, I rode a Harley for such-and-such.' He said, 'WHAT?' He turned around and he walked away and he wouldn't even speak to me for a week."

New York City was the first of a number of Indian-only police departments, including the Massachusetts State Police. The Indian squeezed out its competition by offering a left-hand throttle, which allowed right-handers to fire a weapon while driving, or motion with the right hand for a driver to pull over.

Collectors also describe why no other motorcycle on the planet compares to the Indian. If you love antique bikes, this will be fun viewing.

Here's a lengthy transcript of an interview with historian Jerry Hatfield, associated with the documentary film.

Jim Seidell rides an Indian
Chief with Princess sidecar

"Indian
Motorcycle
Memories"
(as seen
on Public
Television)
1997
WGBY TV,
Springfield,
Mass.

 I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars

Motorcycle Show this weekend in Novi

Here's something sure to lift the post-holiday blues: A nice, warm motorcycle show. I didn't write the following ... I just edited and cut some of the hyperbole.

(For those of you who don't live in Michigan, the name of the City of Novi is pronounced "NO - veye" — rhymes with "GO by." The name, according to local legend, came from a defunct train system that stopped at station No. VI.)

Progressive International Motorcycle Shows rolls nationwide tour into Suburban Collection Showplace

Novi — Hundreds of the latest motorcycles will pack the Suburban Collection (formerly Rock Financial) Showplace Friday, Jan. 7 through Sunday, Jan. 9, for the all-new Progressive International Motorcycle Shows nationwide tour.
In addition to the street bikes, dirt bikes, cruisers, scooters and ATVs on display, vendors will offer aftermarket parts and accessories. But the events are the real reason to attend.

Highlights of the show:

• Women Ride Experience lets women riders try on gear and attend seminars presented by experts from the Women’s Motorcycling Foundation to introducing new riders and give tips to longtime riders. 

• Ultimate Builder Custom Bike Competition will feature elite-level custom motorcycles competing for a piece of a $90,000 cash purse prize and a chance to compete in the American Championship finale set to take place at the Daytona Progressive International Motorcycle Show in March. Affiliated with the AMD World Championship, the competition will feature three classes and a “people’s choice” winner. 
• Team No Limit Stunt Show features Team No Limit star expert stunt riders Jason Britton and Eric Hoenshell from the Speed Channel’s hit show “Stealth Rider.” They will ride custom Kawasaki motorcycles, performing wheelies, acrobatics, stoppies, burnouts, endos and more. Stunt show hours are 5:30 and 7 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m., 2, 4 and 6 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. Sunday.
• Progressive Insurance Open Road Experience is for bikers dreaming of hitting the road with Progressive’s cheery sales clerk, Flo. Hop on a bike next to a virtual Flo at the Progressive booth, have your photo taken and instantly share the photo with friends on Facebook. Fans also can compare with other riders’ favorite riding routes, bike shows and tattoos; get answers to most pressing motorcycle insurance questions and kick back in the Progressive lounge.
• The DIY Garage Presented by Allstate Motorcycle Insurance is a new learning environment hosting seminars on do-it-yourself motorcycle topics such as how to install exhaust systems, set bike sags, wire GPS devices and more.
• Giveaways! Everyone gets a chance to win prizes from the mobile swag wagon, cruising through the show spreading laughs and moto-product giveaways, motorcycle oriented games, contests, prizes and music.
• The Hub Presented by Allstate Motorcycle Insurance is a high-energy stage filled with speakers on a variety of topics for new and experienced riders, including motorcycle suspension workshops, long-distance touring tips, accident scene management and new rider seminars. Seminars will be led by industry experts including Lee Parks, Lee Parks Design; Bruce Porter, Arai Helmet Company; and Adam Redford, Twisted Throttle.
• Sit back and relax in the new MotoFlix theater to view highlights from motorcycle films and cult classics including “Take It to the Limit,” digitally re-mastered for the first time since its big-screen debut 30 years ago. Meet director Peter Starr and see famed movie motorcycles up close.
• The Welcome Center distributes info for new riders as well as motorcycle safety, the Ride for Kids charity and local riding clubs, exhibitor lists and seminar schedules.
• Free motorcycle parking will be available for all riders willing to brave the Michigan winter and ride their motorcycles to the show. Riders may invited check their helmets, jackets and other gear at the main entrance.

For the first time, Progressive Insurance is the title sponsor for the 12-city tour.

Friday, Jan. 7-Sunday, Jan. 9, at the Suburban Collection Showplace, 46100 Grand River Ave., Novi (click for map). Show hours are from 4-9 p.m. Friday, 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 adults, $6 for children 6-11. Children 5 and younger get in free. On Family Day, Sunday, Jan. 9, all children 12 and younger get in free when accompanied by a paying adult. Save $2 off adult online tickets at www.motorcycleshows.com with promo code: TX2. For more information, call 800-331-5706, or visit www.motorcycleshows.com.

Roadside Reading: How to Ride a Motorcycle

Author Pat Hahn is a rider coach for the Minnesota Motorcycle Safety Center and author of "Ride Hard, Ride Smart." He trains sportbike riders in advanced cornering and safety, and commutes on his cycle every day.

He begins this beginner's book asking the reader to consider what his or her motives are for riding motorcycles. This, he says, is essential to knowing what obstacles you'll be up against on the road. Is it for the challenge? The fun? Or simply to look cool?

Next, he suggests buying your riding gear first, and then the bike, so you don't skimp on essential protection.

With regard to gear, he says your concerns should be comfort, visibility and protection, in that order. Because a smart rider knows discomfort will distract him or her from paying attention to the road, and that armor should be your last line of defense after skillful riding.

Choose a bike that fits your skill and the style of riding you plan to do, Hahn says, warning that the bike you lust after almost always isn't the one to learn on. Start with something you won't struggle to control.

Then, of course, he strongly urges every rider to take the basic rider course offered through the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (and at greater expense at Harley-Davidson dealerships).

Afterward, he outlines some basic skills to practice on your own: stopping on a certain spot, shifting without thinking, cornering, swerving around objects, emergency stops. He gives tips to understand what's happening, for instance, noting that as you get better at emergency stops your rear brake will tend to lock up. He explains how to handle stops even on tricky surfaces.

He also warns against thinking you know it all and can just jump on your bike and go after a long period without riding (as in the spring after a cold Michigan winter). Start slow and practice, practice, practice.

His book is laid out in bright, open pages filled with photos, charts and pertinent margin notes, plus cute sidebars describing the differences between what people say and what they mean. Take this one, for example: 

What People Say and What People Mean Number 5: "Laying it Down" 

"I was out riding and this car pulls in front of me. I had to lay 'er down."
I have heard this statement many times, and I can't think of a more moronic thing for a motorcyclist to say. What people mean when they say this is "I don't know how to control my bike, and I'm an idiot, so I locked up the rear brake and crashed on purpose."



Beginner or not, every rider can benefit from this book. No rider knows it all, he says. But if one did, it's probably Hahn.


"How to Ride 
a Motorcycle: 
A Rider's 
Guide to 
Strategy, 
Safety 
and Skill 
Development," 
by Pat Hahn

I give it five out of five Revs.