The Hamlyn History of Motorcycles

A history, a reference, a visual powerhouse: if the sound of a motorcycle revving up starts your heart racing, delving deep into motorcycle lore will just add to the excitement. With 200 photos of the models you love to see, a thorough look at the backgrounds of the finest machines, and bios of the great names, here's the definite leader of the pack in motorcycle books. It takes in motorcycling from its early, hesitant start, focusing on all the pioneers of the sport; moves through the war years and after, when Japan emerged as a major manufacturer; presents the thrill of grand-prix and road racing; and checks out today's newest, high-performance road machines and tourers. The makers whose top-of-the-line cycles appear include Harley-Davidson, BSA, Norton, Indian, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Triumph. Also covered: classic retros, customizing, speedway, the TT races, and world speed record machines.