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Big Sid's Vincati: The Story of a Father, a Son, and the Motorcycle of a Lifetime
Read Matthew Biberman's posts on the Penguin Blog."If you believe it is possible to fall in love with a motorcycle, you will love this book." -Jay Leno When Big Sid had a heart attack and gave up the will to live, his son Matthew Biberman panicked. Impulsively, Matthew promised his father that they would build a Vincati together. This fusion of two legendary motorcycles, the Vincent Black Shadow and the Ducati GT, a Vincati was considered near-impossible to build. But if anyone could do it, Matthew knew his father could. Big Sid was the mechanic to see about repairing Vincents for nearly sixty years. But now, Sid was old, busted up and broke. Matthew, despite sharing his dad's passion, had become a Shakespearean scholar. The two men hadn't spoken in years-but called a truce to attempt a shared dream. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance meets Shop Class as Soulcraft, in this heartfelt memoir that shows how two very different men built a legendary motorcycle, and along the way, discovered what it means to be father and son.
- GenresNonfiction
308 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 1, 2009
In 2005, while surfing the `net, I stumbled upon an upcoming movie called, The World's Fastest Indian. I mentioned the movie to my husband, an inveterate motorcyclist, and suggested we see it. This was intended to be one of those Grand Gestures, one of those things wives do to be nice, not because we actually want to do the thing. So much for Karmic Brownie Points...The World's Fastest Indian is one of my all time favorite movies.
With the same intentions, after reading about Big Sid's Vincati, I managed to snag an early copy for myself. I really intended it to be a book for my husband, although I knew I'd need to read it as well. Once again, I thought I was doing something nice for my husband. And once again, so much for Karmic Brownie Points...
Big Sid's Vincati, The Story of a Father, a Son, and the Motorcycle of a Lifetime is the story of a renowned motorcycle mechanic and his son. Big Sid suffers a heart attack, and like many heart patients, loses his interest in life. His son, Matthew, impulsively suggest they build a motorcycle together. A hybrid, made up of an old Vincent and a Ducati. Vincent motorcycles were produced in Britain from 1928 to 1955. For decades Big Sid was THE guy to see for anything Vincent in the United States. Matthew had taken an entirely different path in life and is a Shakespearean professor.
Authenticity is added to the story by the author as he explores the younger years of Big Sid. He is unsparing in the descriptions of Sid's father, the conflicts of Sid's life and how these shaped his own life. While ostensibly the story of motorcycles, the book speaks more to the relationships between fathers and sons. At times it was as if I was reading about my own husband and his father. Through it all runs the thread of the rides. Motorcycles have an almost mystic pull on the people that ride them.
"The rides out in the midday sun, taking graceful sweepers along Skyline Drive, from Front Royal down to Asheville. All those times, all of it merging into this one road, under this one sun, burning hard in the sublime blue sky, while on either side of this ribbon of road, the trees flashed by, my father in my mirror, behind me."
From the practical standpoint, it was helpful to me that I've spent over thirty years hanging around a man who loves bikes. The vernacular wasn't completely foreign to me, and I had my handy reference guide sitting right next to me. And I'll admit to sort of skimming some of the technical passages about the construction of the bike. In spite of that, you should READ THIS BOOK!! It's a good story. And if you find yourself a bit confused about some terminology, it really doesn't matter. The heart of the book might be the Vincati, but it's the soul you'll focus on. And the soul of the book is Big Sid and Matthew.
With the same intentions, after reading about Big Sid's Vincati, I managed to snag an early copy for myself. I really intended it to be a book for my husband, although I knew I'd need to read it as well. Once again, I thought I was doing something nice for my husband. And once again, so much for Karmic Brownie Points...
Big Sid's Vincati, The Story of a Father, a Son, and the Motorcycle of a Lifetime is the story of a renowned motorcycle mechanic and his son. Big Sid suffers a heart attack, and like many heart patients, loses his interest in life. His son, Matthew, impulsively suggest they build a motorcycle together. A hybrid, made up of an old Vincent and a Ducati. Vincent motorcycles were produced in Britain from 1928 to 1955. For decades Big Sid was THE guy to see for anything Vincent in the United States. Matthew had taken an entirely different path in life and is a Shakespearean professor.
Authenticity is added to the story by the author as he explores the younger years of Big Sid. He is unsparing in the descriptions of Sid's father, the conflicts of Sid's life and how these shaped his own life. While ostensibly the story of motorcycles, the book speaks more to the relationships between fathers and sons. At times it was as if I was reading about my own husband and his father. Through it all runs the thread of the rides. Motorcycles have an almost mystic pull on the people that ride them.
"The rides out in the midday sun, taking graceful sweepers along Skyline Drive, from Front Royal down to Asheville. All those times, all of it merging into this one road, under this one sun, burning hard in the sublime blue sky, while on either side of this ribbon of road, the trees flashed by, my father in my mirror, behind me."
From the practical standpoint, it was helpful to me that I've spent over thirty years hanging around a man who loves bikes. The vernacular wasn't completely foreign to me, and I had my handy reference guide sitting right next to me. And I'll admit to sort of skimming some of the technical passages about the construction of the bike. In spite of that, you should READ THIS BOOK!! It's a good story. And if you find yourself a bit confused about some terminology, it really doesn't matter. The heart of the book might be the Vincati, but it's the soul you'll focus on. And the soul of the book is Big Sid and Matthew.
December 4, 2009
Think of a Vincati as a three-dimensional puzzle assembled from pieces of not one motorcycle but two or more. The real challenge to the puzzle lies not just with completing it so it looks sharp, but making a masterpiece. One that its rider can speed down the road, wind whipping, handle bars gripped and body melded to roaring machine whilst the landscape flashes past and only memory is left in its wake.
Big Sid’s Vincati by Matthew Biberman is the account of a father and son building their intricate Vincati puzzle. This opus takes them years to create and years more to enable them the tools to understand one another as only a father and son can.
Truthfully, much of the technical information in this book was beyond my comprehension because I am one of the least mechanically-inclined people you could meet. That said; it didn’t stop me from wanting to read more. I sought to learn more about the struggle Sid and Matthew bear to make their imagining of this legendary motorcycle into a sturdy reality. The hardship-filled journey they and their families endure leaves you crossing your fingers and routing for them to have a happy ending.
Motorcycle enthusiasts will sing praises for Big Sid’s Vincati. Those, like me, who are not bike fanatics, will gain a new respect for the passions and dreams that men hold dear.
Bravo to Matthew Biberman for pouring his life and heart onto the page for us to share.
This review was written for Armchair Interviews at http://www.armchairinterviews.com/
Big Sid’s Vincati by Matthew Biberman is the account of a father and son building their intricate Vincati puzzle. This opus takes them years to create and years more to enable them the tools to understand one another as only a father and son can.
Truthfully, much of the technical information in this book was beyond my comprehension because I am one of the least mechanically-inclined people you could meet. That said; it didn’t stop me from wanting to read more. I sought to learn more about the struggle Sid and Matthew bear to make their imagining of this legendary motorcycle into a sturdy reality. The hardship-filled journey they and their families endure leaves you crossing your fingers and routing for them to have a happy ending.
Motorcycle enthusiasts will sing praises for Big Sid’s Vincati. Those, like me, who are not bike fanatics, will gain a new respect for the passions and dreams that men hold dear.
Bravo to Matthew Biberman for pouring his life and heart onto the page for us to share.
This review was written for Armchair Interviews at http://www.armchairinterviews.com/
May 26, 2009
I met the writer last week when I got a random facebook invite to a motorcycle event at a bookstore in my neighborhood (of all places). That happened to be a reading/signing event for the book, which was just released. It's an interesting read on a father/son relationship but not so hokey as to leave out all the cool motorcycle stuff as well. And the bike IS that impressive. I got to see it (read drool over it) twice in the last few days. The two build an amazing bike through multiple challenges: physical, emotional, technical, professional, geographical, etc. It is not a travelogue and does not try to be so deep as the front-runner of MC books, Zen and the Art of MC Maintenance, but more than holds it own within the genre. I couldn't put it down and stayed up all night this Sunday reading and finishing it.
April 21, 2013
To be honest, this was one of those books that just hovered near the top of the pile I'm always working through. It got passed over more than once as I thought, I'm not in the mood for non-fiction, or Motorcycles are cool, but do I really want to read a book about them? I finally managed to get to it and I knew in about 10 pages that I probably should have never demoted this book.
Yeah, it's about motorcycles, but that's more of the backdrop for an amazing story of Big Sid and Matt working through their imperfect relationship. It reads like a novel, but it's ten times as moving since it's firmly rooted in reality. You don't have to know a thing about motorcycles or even really care much about them to enjoy this read.
I highly recommend this one.
Yeah, it's about motorcycles, but that's more of the backdrop for an amazing story of Big Sid and Matt working through their imperfect relationship. It reads like a novel, but it's ten times as moving since it's firmly rooted in reality. You don't have to know a thing about motorcycles or even really care much about them to enjoy this read.
I highly recommend this one.
April 21, 2009
I found this book to be highly enjoyable, and while I am not a motorcyclist, my husband has a Triumph bike and enjoys it. Because my husband is an automobile mechanic, much of the trade lingo is now embedded in my brain. Thus I got a thrill when I could relate and/or comprehend the trials and tribulations of putting together the Vincati! I will be passing this along to my husband next and he will be sure to talk it up at the next British Iron gathering. What fun.
June 9, 2009
This is a memoir of about a father and son building a "dream motorcycle." I am not a huge motorcycle buff, and portions of the book talking about the more technical aspects did get a bit dry. The overall story is more about the father-son relationship and how this joint project brought them back together. A truly heart-warming read.
March 4, 2009
Learned lots of motorcycle terminology with very little effort. Biberman's story of transforming a motorcycle as well as his relationship with his father shows lots of talent and made for a good (reading) ride.
February 25, 2022
You don'[t have to know a lot about motorcycles to appreciate this story. It is more of a memoir of Matthew Biberman and the relationship with his father, Sid.
Sid Biberman was a legendary motorcycle mechanic who loved vintage English Vincent racing bikes. After Sid suffered a heart attack, Matthew, in an effort to motivate his father to recovery, concocted the idea of building a Vincati, a bike made up of a Vincent motor in a Ducati frame. Apparently, it's one of the grails of motorcycling.
The story follows the origin of Big Sid, his love of motorcycles and his uncanny ability to tune them to perfection. Matthew details the rough relationship he had with his father and the journey toward realizing a dream.
An easy and enjoyable read about a bond between father and son rekindled and fortified over the love of motorcycling.
Sid Biberman was a legendary motorcycle mechanic who loved vintage English Vincent racing bikes. After Sid suffered a heart attack, Matthew, in an effort to motivate his father to recovery, concocted the idea of building a Vincati, a bike made up of a Vincent motor in a Ducati frame. Apparently, it's one of the grails of motorcycling.
The story follows the origin of Big Sid, his love of motorcycles and his uncanny ability to tune them to perfection. Matthew details the rough relationship he had with his father and the journey toward realizing a dream.
An easy and enjoyable read about a bond between father and son rekindled and fortified over the love of motorcycling.
December 2, 2023
I'm biased because it involves classic motorcycles, but this was more of a father/son redemption story that most people could enjoy, even if they aren't into bikes. Good memoir about learning to better love and understand those with whom having a relationship is difficult.
December 3, 2017
Excellent!
A great read, even if motorcycles aren't you love. Just a wonderful story with bikes in it. I love this book!
A great read, even if motorcycles aren't you love. Just a wonderful story with bikes in it. I love this book!
August 28, 2012
I've been riding motorcycles for 45 years, so I don't think I can offer a review that isn't colored by those experiences.
Much of the weight of this story for me came from the resonance of the bikes themselves, and of my own memories of seeing them at shows, rallies, museums as well as beside me on the road.
The casual references to rides through tall trees, dappled sunlight and rural scenes all trigger memories from my own collection of similar journeys.
The struggles to build a machine and then solve the niggling problems therein all fill me with intense reliving of those same experiences.
Apart from my reverence of most of the machines involved in this book, I don't honestly know if I can tease out the remaining narrative enough to offer an unbiased appraisal.
Without the motorcycle aspects, it's a story of an estranged son and father rebuilding a relationship via a quest to build a particular and very special machine.
Being both a biography and autobiography as well as a prodigal son/father hybrid story, there's a lot going on between the covers. And, I didn't even mention the dissolution of one marriage and the near-dissolving of another. Drama? Yes, plenty to go around.
But, that human drama is upstaged and dominated by the mechanical quest. When the human drama is revealed and retold, it's not all that well written, in my opinion. It is mostly raw, and not subtly formed, revealed or resolved.
That's a bit of a surprise from an author who is Ph.D. in literature, but it is probably another example that it's one thing to be a music critic, and entirely another to be a musician.
Nonetheless, it's a solid work for the general reader.
For a motorcyclist, it's a must-read.
Much of the weight of this story for me came from the resonance of the bikes themselves, and of my own memories of seeing them at shows, rallies, museums as well as beside me on the road.
The casual references to rides through tall trees, dappled sunlight and rural scenes all trigger memories from my own collection of similar journeys.
The struggles to build a machine and then solve the niggling problems therein all fill me with intense reliving of those same experiences.
Apart from my reverence of most of the machines involved in this book, I don't honestly know if I can tease out the remaining narrative enough to offer an unbiased appraisal.
Without the motorcycle aspects, it's a story of an estranged son and father rebuilding a relationship via a quest to build a particular and very special machine.
Being both a biography and autobiography as well as a prodigal son/father hybrid story, there's a lot going on between the covers. And, I didn't even mention the dissolution of one marriage and the near-dissolving of another. Drama? Yes, plenty to go around.
But, that human drama is upstaged and dominated by the mechanical quest. When the human drama is revealed and retold, it's not all that well written, in my opinion. It is mostly raw, and not subtly formed, revealed or resolved.
That's a bit of a surprise from an author who is Ph.D. in literature, but it is probably another example that it's one thing to be a music critic, and entirely another to be a musician.
Nonetheless, it's a solid work for the general reader.
For a motorcyclist, it's a must-read.
March 8, 2015
The book I bought was an incomplete-reject printing that ended on p238 so I can't say that I finished the book. I would like to though.
I wanted to really like this book. Why not? A guy working on PhD and a motorcycle! Two endeavors we share.
As a literary work, the writing kept me reading, but I am a tenacious reader. He does teach creative writing so I expected it to be good at least but it does not strike me as "beautifully written" as reviewed by Peter Eagan (Cycle World). Melissa Pierson remains the unassailed standard in my books. Fred Haeffle's memoire seemed more genuine.
I had never heard of Big Sid (heresy perhaps) and Matthew, "Sid-the-younger" does a good job of describing his life, although he assumes we know the legend. I frequently got lost in the details of this model/variant of the Vincent or that. I don't mind that. It means I have some homework to do on the Vincents.
The more I read, the more I wanted to know more about Sid, and the less I cared about Matthew. He seemed to lack any passion for his chosen academic field and mostly interested in tenure. One book is all that he needed? Not in every academic field. The narrative left me cold. It lacked sincerity.
My favoutite quote: "You can't eat chrome." Don't I know it!
I wanted to really like this book. Why not? A guy working on PhD and a motorcycle! Two endeavors we share.
As a literary work, the writing kept me reading, but I am a tenacious reader. He does teach creative writing so I expected it to be good at least but it does not strike me as "beautifully written" as reviewed by Peter Eagan (Cycle World). Melissa Pierson remains the unassailed standard in my books. Fred Haeffle's memoire seemed more genuine.
I had never heard of Big Sid (heresy perhaps) and Matthew, "Sid-the-younger" does a good job of describing his life, although he assumes we know the legend. I frequently got lost in the details of this model/variant of the Vincent or that. I don't mind that. It means I have some homework to do on the Vincents.
The more I read, the more I wanted to know more about Sid, and the less I cared about Matthew. He seemed to lack any passion for his chosen academic field and mostly interested in tenure. One book is all that he needed? Not in every academic field. The narrative left me cold. It lacked sincerity.
My favoutite quote: "You can't eat chrome." Don't I know it!
July 8, 2014
I took this book away on holiday with me (Bali since you ask, and yes very nice!) anyway. This is a great book. A story of a Father, a Son and a Motorbike. When his father had a heart attack and seemed to have lost the will to live his sons plan to get him back into the world was to suggest they build a Vincati (A Ducati/Vincent hybrid). The Father Big Sid was a well known motorcycle mechanic who specialised in Vincents. The British bike that for many years in the 60/70's was the fastest road bike available. The book follows the pair as they work out all the complexities of building this rare hybrid and at the same time work on their relationship wish from Childhood had always seemed to be a bit if a mess. It's a warts and all story of these two rebuilding the father, son relationship and the sadness of a big man losing the power to even ride motorcycles the vehicle that he had dedicated his life to. It's an interesting read and for anybody that loves motorbikes it is full of much interest. It really is a love story to a brand of bike and the story of one special customised machine that brings people together and gives a father the will to live again.
July 11, 2009
The sub-title of this book does a wonderful job describing this story "The Story of a Father, a Son, and the Motorcycle of a Lifetime". In some ways this is a very common story; a father and son, who never quite seem to understand each other while the son is growing up, struggle to find common ground on which to build a relationship once the son becomes an adult. However, along with that very human drama, comes the absorbing tale of both men's passion for the motorcyles that passed through their lives and for finally creating the ultimate rare custom hybrid - the Vincati.
April 18, 2012
Good story about important relationships while displaying the love of machines and the technology behind the machines. This has more meaning to me since I used a motorcycle rebuild/hop up to engage my son and teach him about tools and mechanical things. I think the younger generation in this book had much displaced anger and self-inflicted much of his own pain. While it is easy for me to relate to the machines because I did similar things myself, it is hard for me to relate to the extremely poor relationship between family members.
October 18, 2009
Well - I couldn't put it down.
This is a beautifully written book; engaging and poignant.
Motorcycle buffs will revel in the subject matter - legendary Vincents and the Men (ahem!) who still ride 'em . What gives the book real depth and dimension, however, is a thoroughly honest and utterly engaging father/son storyline.
A real gem; please read it.
john
This is a beautifully written book; engaging and poignant.
Motorcycle buffs will revel in the subject matter - legendary Vincents and the Men (ahem!) who still ride 'em . What gives the book real depth and dimension, however, is a thoroughly honest and utterly engaging father/son storyline.
A real gem; please read it.
john
August 26, 2010
A father-son story about building a mythic roadster. Author doesn't have the credibility with the reader to be believed about the father's history in the beginning, but the story wins you over by the end. Poignant.
April 13, 2012
Great read into a true motorcycle family. I learned so much of not only the Vincent motorcycle but the dedication people have for their motorcycles. As an avid motorcyclist I really dove into this book. Probably need to be a motorcycle person to appreciate it but also a good father son book.
December 4, 2012
One of the most moving stories I've read about a man, his father and their bike.
September 16, 2013
Great book about the growing relationship between father and son, based around the restoration and modding of a Vincent and Ducati.
March 28, 2012
Good read. Of course it helps if you LOVE motorcycles!!
April 27, 2017
I am not into motorcycles or doing mechanics, although I do a little of the latter. I was not expecting much beyond a quick and easy read. It certainly was that (I did not attempt to follow all the mechanical details) but it was much better than I expected. I even consider it the high on the high side of 4 stars.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews