Books

Books about riding can be a great way to keep your mind on motorcycling in the off-season and learn the theory behind why we do what we do on a motorcycle. This is a collection of the books I’ve found that focus on skills, strategies, techniques, and general advice that will be appropriate for a wide range of experiences and skill levels. I’ve arranged them in order of usefulness/appropriateness for new riders, but you can start with any of them.

Books that tell stories revolving around motorcycles is a whole different post, but that can also be a great way to keep yourself stoked in between rides.

Proficient Motorcycling is based on a series of magazine columns written by the author for Road Rider magazine. It covers topics like defensive riding strategies, handling adverse weather conditions, long-distance touring, group rides, and basic motorcycle dynamics (to name just a few). The book is well organized, thoroughly researched, and incredibly informative.

My only criticism is that the author’s style can definitely come across as a bit old-fashioned and a touch condescending at times, but not enough that it knocks it from being my top general recommendation for new riders.

Lee Parks is an accomplished road racer and instructor, creator of the Total Control rider training curriculum. While this book does include advanced riding techniques that I (and even Mr. Parks) wouldn’t recommend for a new rider, it starts by building a foundational understanding of motorcycle dynamics and the psychological dynamics of fear and concentration as they’re related to riding. If you work your way through the book and start adding in some of the recommended drills, the book can be a great roadmap to progressing your skills.

The author does a great job taking more advanced riding techniques and strategies developed for the track and applying them to street situations; high performance doesn’t necessarily mean high speeds. The increased stability and traction gained by more refined riding skills can help to increase your risk offset when used at reasonable street speeds.

Bernt Spiegel is a behavioral psychologist and approaches the mental side of riding a motorcycle with a scientist’s perspective. The book is incredibly well researched and draws on behavioral psychology, sports psychology, physics, and even anthropology to tell the complex story of what our brains are doing as we ride, from the first tentative rides of a novice to the finely-tuned responses of professional racers.

While this book definitely isn’t light reading, it sheds a great deal of light on how our brains learn physical skills and definitely gave me a new perspective on riding and affected the way that I approach teaching.

The Adventure Motorcycling Handbook is largely devoted to international overlanding, but much of the advice applies to motorcycle travel (and even commuting) in general. If you have questions about choosing a reliable & versatile bike, luggage & loading, roadside repairs, or just want to fuel your wanderlust it’s a wonderfully concise guide full of practical tips & tricks.