The Art of the Motorcycle

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
Summary: FINE CONTENT MARRED BY FAINT, SMALL PRINT
Review: This is a nice "coffee table" book about their recent exhibit. As a rider since '59, I couldn't wait to get into the text, which is divided by time periods.
Alas, the print is a super thin, "artsy" typeface, very faint and grey colored- not a rich, easy to read, black Courier, for example. And the white space is excessive; they could have increased the typeface size by 4 or 5 points and still have more than enough border on each page!
Conclusion- a fine book marred by it's designers to make it less readable and useable!