Biker's Handbook: Becoming Part of the Motorcycle Culture

by Jay Barbieri, Jay Barbieri

There are millions of new motorcyclists hitting the blacktop every year. But being part of the American motorcycle culture takes more than just wanting to be cool. It takes a passion for the open road, freedom, and a lifestyle that even the best financing cant buy. This book, by someone who knows motorcycles as few do, provides a road map to biker culture for anyone new to the experience. Jay Barbieri explains everything a new rider needs to know to become a real biker. He begins with a brief history of motorcycles, and draws on his twenty-five years of riding experience for examples of what works and doesn't in this heady world. Most of all, he aims to spare new bikers the bad decisions neophytes typically make. With hundreds of motorcycle trips under his belt, there is not a mistake Barbieri hasn't made or a situation he hasn't encountered. By sharing the sometimes comical outcomes, he gives the new biker a head start to become more comfortable, credible, and knowledgeable about joining a community that is as much a part of American culture as baseball, hotdogs and apple pie.

Genres: Motorcycle

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Mike Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this book purely for entertainment and set your expectations low. Thats what made it enjoyable. Like a long magazine article really, it provides a humorous look into the biking culture, but really only the part that hangs out in bars at rallies. Valuable to read if you'd prefer to avoid the actual experience. Loads of one sided opinions about which bikes to ride and what to wear while riding them. If you already think bikers are ego centric drinkers that enjoy the freedom of the open air as much as smoke filled bars and strip clubs, there will be no surprises. Too bad today's professionals, who also ride, were not represented but that was clearly not the purpose.

[E. Paul Whetten · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great introduction to biking and the biker lifestyle. I enjoyed reading it, it made me laugh and gave me some valuable pointers about things to do and not to do as a member of this community. There is a lot of crude language and a couple of suggestive stories in the book, so I no longer have it. Not for kids.

[Stephen Melkanos · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little preachy in the beginning, and largely an advertisement for Harley-Davidson motorcycles, this book still contains some good true-life stories and some useful knowledge. I've given this one as a gift to biker friends.

[Terry Priddy · Rating 1 out of 5]

A total waste of the paper it was written on.