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Summary: Terrific photography makes this book worth the price
Review: A fine selection of motorcycles, excellent photography and interesting essays make this a book that will keep you warm all winter. The descriptions of the bikes and why they were important to motorcycle development are accurate and well written. The selection of essays reflect riding culture well and present it in a way that shows how motorcycles have reflected the values of society. It is unusual for me, a motorcyclist, to think of bikes as works of art. However, the photography of this book focuses my eyes and brain in new directions. After all, they didn't have to make that AJS clutch look like that, nor did the cases on the Italian bikes need to have that sensuous curve. Such is the Art of the Motorcycle and it is presented well here. If you missed the show at the Guggenheim or want to relive your visit, this book will suffice. Keep it on your coffee table.
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Summary: Wonderful, but where is the Kawasaki Z1A or B?
Review: A wonderful book that documents the history of changes in the motorcycle world. A quick glance shows unfortunately the most glaring omission. There is no mention of the Kawasaki Z1A or B which was the most revolutionary machine of its time. In terms of engine design it was copied by many, inparticular Suzuki. The DOHC layout of the 903cc engine was the standard on which a whole generation of bikes was based. The styling was also a departure from anything that had been seen before. If you need space dump the MV its a non-entity. I have only ever seen 2 on the road in Europe and neither was a 750. A good picture book with some interesting documentation.
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Summary: this is the only way to take the bikes home
Review: After have the privilege to view this marvelous display that the Guggenheim has put together you want to go back again & again to go over details you may have missed. Since this is not always possible why not have the next best thing. The photos alone are worth the price of the book especially as you can NOT take any pictures while viewing the bikes in their museum setting. Not all of them were on display in Chicago so for us it is the only way to see the ones that weren't there. But not only that to be able to go back & say remember that one, you know the one with the wooden wheels, the one that guy rode laying down on his stomach in a swimsuit, the Brittan....Thank you Thomas & crew for an excellent job.
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Summary: Anyone who loves motorcycles will love this book.
Review: Don't let the price put you off. This book is well worth the price. The color pictures alone are worth it all. The century of motorcycle development is well illustrated and the essays complete the story of the motorcycle. Your favorite bike may not be here (mine's the German Horex which Honda copied) but you could visit dozens of museums and never see the selection that was gathered for the Guggenheim Museum Exhibit.
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Summary: Incredibly true to the actual exhibit!
Review: I attended the "Art of the Motorcycle" exhibit at the Guggenheim while on vacation in NY. I drooled and "ooh-ed" and "ah-ed" at every turn. My only regret was the fact that I would have to rely on my feeble memory to recount to all my friends at home the wonders of the experience. Then I received this book for Christmas. WOW! every detail, every motorcycle, every nuance of the real thing, faithfully reproduced in a series of stunningly artistic photographs. A number of interesting and well written articles and essays round out the volume. All in all, a very satisfying read. I recommend it highly if you have any liking for two wheel transportation.
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Summary: A CLASSIC
Review: If you can only have one book of this type, this is the one to have. The photos alone are worth the cost and the thoughtful commentary and essays are an added bonus. A carefully crafted book that is the result of an historic exhibition of machines as art. I have perused this book over and over again and think that anyone interested in motorcycles will do so as well. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A CLASSIC
Review: If you can only have one book of this type, this is the one to have. The photos alone are worth the cost and the thoughtful commentary and essays are an added bonus. A carefully crafted book that is the result of an historic exhibition of machines as art. I have perused this book over and over again and think that anyone interested in motorcycles will do so as well. Highly recommended.
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Summary: A truly artistic representation of Motorcycles as art.
Review: If you didn't get to the Guggenheim Museum to see the Motorcycle as Art exhibit, or did and want a great book showcasing this historic event, and the artistic contribution that motorcycles have made to the modern age, this is the book to have. The opening text, composed of observations of the motorcycle as an art form and reflection of the dawning machine age, through the present and even into the future, is written (mostly) by obvious non-motorcyclists and it shows in their sometimes incorrect facts and inane assumptions. Dennis Hopper wrote a long poem that is simply drivel. But the photos, and text that accompanies them, is superb and the choice of bikes to represent the history of motorcycles is near flawless. There are a few types of bikes or special individual motorcycles missing, that such a collection should have had. Something from Arlen Ness, maybe Russ Collins' triple engined top-fuel bike and even a Harley Davidson "Rat". But the entire collection from the exhibit is here and the photography is beuitiful. Non-motorcyclists will appreciate what the Guggenheim has set out to do and succeeded brilliantly at... to show that motorcycles have been a real contribution to the world's art and technology, despite whether you ride or not. There is surely no better book to place in your motorcycle library or on your coffee table, even if your not a motorcyclist. I bought mine at the museum, for $75, and it was worth that much and more.
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Summary: this is a mental not a manual
Review: more than onehundred pages of motorcycle history, culture and sport,hundreds of high quality pictures with more history on specific makes & models. this book 'll look very "chic" on your coffeetable. . must be the finest in it's kind. ( & at 1/2 the expo price. .)
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Summary: Essential reading for enthusiasts
Review: Museums, exhibits and the books devolving from them only hint at the mysteries they purport to show but rarely reveal. This is particularly true of exhibits of things that move, whether airplanes, cars and motorcycles on one hand, or people on the other. Once mummified via restoration and encapsulated in historical review, these lively subjects lose their kinesthetic value and become dessicated.
Within the limitations of those realities, here is a book that is endlessly fascinating and pleasing, replete with photos that while technically excellent are for the most part static and thus devoid of context. The essays, although pleasant, lack edge and passion, thus failing to evoke the adrenal glands (which operate at high levels when pushing a motorcycle to the limit).
The descriptions of the machines, from knowledgeable masters such as Kevin Cameron, capture the essence of what the designer tried to do and how well he (no known female motorcycle designers, but correct me if I'm wrong) hit his target.
This is a book to which one can return again and again with pleasure. For a rider who has survived (I confess, in context, that I'm the survivor of 1.6m miles on two wheels) and ridden any of these wondrous devices, the book is a channel back in time that the book conveys magnificently.
It is to the credit of the Guggenheim and the sponsors, such as BMW, that the show/book could be produced and could demonstrate to a wide public the fascination of motorcycles and riding them.
Even non-riders, who have seen motorcycles on the road or who may know motorcycle enthusiasts, will start to comprehend the addictive fascination that possesses riders who can't stop. If you are persuaded to ride, please wear the best gear you can afford, get training and realize that roadcraft only comes from mileage undertaken humbly but decisively, the kinesthetic realities no book, however good, can convey.
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