(Part 2) Best motorcycles books according to redditors

Great advice.

Just be aware- what is taught in the basic rider course is the most basic elementary stuff. It's also not really everything you need to know- it's just enough to give you a fighting chance of not being killed immediately, and hopefully gives you a solid starting point to improve your skills.

It takes conscious effort to learn riding techniques, and it takes continuous practice to improve. Simply putting on miles without understanding that you need to put focused effort into improving will get you miles under your belt without developing superior skills. Staying alive on the street is a combination of riding skill and observation & planning skills. Some of this you can learn from books, I recommend David L. Hough's books "Proficient Motorcycling" and "Mastering the Ride: More Proficient Motorcycling", and also his "Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists" book.

And there are many others who have written good books on riding, but those are the ones I own. When my wife and later our kids decided to ride, those are the books I strongly recommended to them.

Take more formal instruction after you have a little experience on the street. The MSF advanced rider course, or a dirt bike school, a police motor office course, anything with a pro instructor. Track days can be good too, if there is good instruction and coaching available. Right now, you don't really know what you don't know.

Everyone says it, but there's a huge industry in keeping things just as they are while complaining about it.

https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2009/04/25/exposing_the_aboriginal_industry.html

https://www.amazon.ca/Disrobing-Aboriginal-Industry-Indigenous-Preservation/dp/0773534210

> the mysterious "aboriginal lobby,"

Nothing mysterious about it.

http://www.amazon.ca/Disrobing-Aboriginal-Industry-Indigenous-Preservation/dp/0773534210

Your welcome. The Internet is a powerful thing, isn't it? And for a bit of shameless self promotion, check out my eBook on motorcycle photography: http://www.amazon.com/Ten-Tips-Motorcycle-Travel-ebook/dp/B007ZU6DS6/

I'm reading Sonny Barger's book and he says, many times, that he rides a Victory and that it is so much more superior of a bike than a HD.

Get a copy of this book. Cheap these days since they'll all be used. Lots of physics and math. The section on tire slip angles blew my mind at the time.

https://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Design-Technology-Gaetano-Cocco/dp/8879111892

Start by buying this. Then the FACTORY service manual. The older manuals aren't great, but you'll need it. You're also gonna need a few specialty tools that the manual will tell you of, depending on what needs to be gone through- clutch hub puller, transmission sprocket nut socket, 4 speed shifting fork timing tool, timing light for ignition, torque wrenches, a bottle or blue 243 LocTite and a bottle of high-temp anti-seize compound.

After that, it's a matter of good mechanical habits, using LocTite on all fasteners that don't get anti-seize compound, and so on. Read the Donny Peterson book. It's filled with useful stuff you'll encounter.

I have found Zinn's books good for beginners:

Mountain Bikes

Road Bikes

If you're ever wanting to learn more, pick up this

there are only a few parts I do not agree with or are flat out wrong, but it is required classroom material for Students in both major motorcycle training schools in the U.S.

How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles: Key Skills and Advanced Training for All Off-Road, Motocross, and Dual-Sport Riders by Gary LaPlante.

I followed directions in Zinn & the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance, which is a great book for all kinds of maintenance and building tasks.

But here's a great guide I just found, which has as much, if not more, information than the book on the subject: http://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help/hub-overhaul-and-adjustment

Hah nice! I just took my cbr250r to the Gulf Islands for a week! We were practically neighbors. First on and first off the ferries if they load them right :)

Having only 600km or so experience the roads made me nervous. Lots of gravel and deer. I read Proficient Motorcycling over the week and had some extra confidence though.

+1 Kevin Cameron's Sportsbike Performance Handbook is a really good read. A. Graham Bell has written two books on engine tuning (Two-Stroke /Four-Stroke Performance Tuning) which are good companions.

How to Ride Off-Road Motorcycles

I've found this book useful, and when I took a BMW training course they taught the same exercises.

This is a good source for the program: http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/scenic/rusticroads.htm
Also recommended: http://www.amazon.com/Sunday-Rides-Two-Wheels-Motorcycling-ebook/dp/B0078MY12G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396087715&sr=8-1&keywords=sunday+motorcycle+rides

I’m in the same boat as you. I’m looking for more of an ok rider/winter project though. Pick up Donnys unauthorized tech guide. https://www.amazon.com/Donnys-Unauthorized-Technical-Harley-Davidson-Present/dp/1475942826/ref=nodl_

I bought it and have been reading through it and it’s a gold mine. Hope someone can offer more good luck.

I started by doing super basic maint. Following the service manual. Then I studied a textbook Modern Motorcycle Technology, which went over all the basics and into depth on a some important processes. Aside from that I YouTube anything before I do it the first time, so I know what to look out for.

Edit: Also, the more you work on bikes, the easier it gets and the better you get! Even if you think you know a bike, check the service manual for the correct specs!

If you want to know how to mess with suspension, you should definitely juts buy Racetech's book

Nope. No 50cc engine will easily go that fast, but its possible. Requires alot of fiddling with the exhaust timing thou, and you loose basicly all low end power.


Get this book, it helps alot: https://www.amazon.com/Two-Stroke-Performance-Tuning-Bell/dp/1859606199


I know theres a pdf around somewhere, but i cba to google-fu it. Your mileage may vary, and i absolutely love my ref literature i have in my shed.

I highly, highly recommend the book "Sportsbike Performance Handbook" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058M79U4) - just thinking about it makes me giddy. It's got some of the best explanations and diagrams covering how everything in a motorcycle works, and it's what really made me understand how 4-stroke engines operate as well. The author's writing style is also top notch, he's got a bit of sarcastic humor that slips in there every know and again. Don't be put off by the title if you're not in to sports bikes, there's really only a little bit that's specific to high performance sportsbike stuff at the end, and even then it's really interesting to learn about.

Happy learning!

These parts fiches show non-adjustable suspension.

https://www.ajsutton.co.uk/genuineparts/12788/C25/sinnis%20stealth%20125%20(qm125-2d)/shock%20absorber%20(c25)?uid=0

https://www.ajsutton.co.uk/genuineparts/12788/C26/sinnis%20stealth%20125%20(qm125-2d)/front%20fork%20(c26)?uid=0

If you want to learn how to figure out what springs you would need to make the bike ride softer find a copy of Paul Thede's book.

https://www.amazon.com/Techs-Motorcycle-Suspension-Bible-first/dp/B004SDDN2W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499373211&sr=8-3&keywords=paul+thede

But remember, suspension tuning is labor intensive and time consuming if you're going to start swapping springs and fork oil.

The rear shock is probably a De Carbon single tube design which is full of nitrogen gas.

UPDATE: the book is no longer available for free. But it is dirt cheap and the content inside is well worth it. https://www.amazon.com/Motorized-Bicycles-101-Ultimate-Beginners-ebook/dp/B079WRHW37/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519129969&sr=8-1&keywords=motorized+bicycle+101

That must have been incredible -- great pics!

I just finished the book Zen and Now, in which the author traces Robert Pirsig's famous motorcycle trip in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Cool book!

I hope you recorded your trip in words as well as pics! Did you keep a diary or blog or anything?

You cannot control someone else's feelings and emotions, is it guns or motorcycles, but what's really important is the safety of both the rider and other drivers. Physical safety applies to the rider obviously, but there's also mental safety. If you're hit by a car and die, it's going to be a nightmare for the driver even if it was your fault. For this reason I only split when both cars in both lanes stand still. Period. If they're in motion, even 5mph, I'm too - with them in a lane.

I don't remember how I learned it but I guess it's either from Proficient Motorcycling or Street Strategies.

I'm going to recommend something a little unconventional around here: an actual paper book.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760313318/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_6wgwybXHCREVS

I bought this sort of on a whim when I started riding and was in the same position as you, and it was unbelievably informative and interesting to read. Its slightly out of date in that it precedes the advent of common electronic aides, but 100% of the stuff in the book is useful.

Also, while I'm recommending books for new riders, Lee Park's "Total Control" (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760343446/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Mxgwyb3MVM3CF) is an absolutely brilliant book. Its specifically about street riding (as opposed to track) and is targed towards newish riders. This book basically singlehandedly changed me from a hesitating novice to a confident (though a little reckless, it taught me to ride well but doesn't teach thoughtfulness the way Keith Code does) rider.

And, of course, the great grand daddy of them all, Twist of the Wrist 2 (https://www.amazon.com/dp/0965045021/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_aygwyb1BB573F). This book is so good and so dense that I still find new things to practice every page or two. The definitive riding technique book for good reason. No, you don't need to read part 1.

Here is some more info - https://www.denniskirk.com/learn/how-to-diagnose-motorcycle

Testing a stator is done with the ohms setting of your multimeter, testing the rectifier/regulator with the diode setting.

If it’s not the stator or the rectifier then you might want to look into buying a service manual for your bike to get a look at the wiring diagram and get more ideas what to look for.

Clymer manuals are usually pretty good - https://www.amazon.com/Honda-Shadow-1998-2006-Clymer-Manuals/dp/1599690837

you really too cheap to pay $26 for the thing? http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-1998-2006-Clymer-Motorcycle-Repair/dp/1599690837/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312651904&sr=8-2

I did a quick web search for a Nighthawk service manual PDF but couldn't find it. I would check the Nighthawk Forum as Jamulous mentioned. If you can't find it there, just buy one! :D
http://amzn.com/0892877502

Nighthawk is a great first bike due to it being shaft drive. My bike is a shaft drive and they require, basically, 0 maintenance. Idk what year your bike is, but get a Clymer's manual. This will give you a maintenance schedule as well as illustrate how to do EVERYTHING on the bike. Seriously, get this book today.

I've used this one as a guide for upgrading the suspension on my motorcycle and many more projects to come.

http://www.amazon.com/Sportbike-Performance-Projects-Motorbooks-Workshop/dp/0760313318/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279671110&sr=1-1