The gatefold book of Harley-Davidson

If you like images of classic bikes that are large enough to make you feel as though the bike is sitting right in front of you, The Gatefold Book of Harley-Davidson is for you. Compared to many of the books about Harley-Davidson, Gatefold also features a large in format with glossy heavy bond pages measuring 9 inches by 11.75 inches. But each of the 36 bikes included in the collection is displayed in a gatefold page with four panels measuring 9 inches high by 34.5 inches wide in total. Each gatefold page includes a huge image of the bike covering three of the panels and smaller detail images, a listing of selected specifications, and some narrative on the fourth panel. What really makes the book work superbly for use of the gatefold images is how the pages are bound. Instead of the standard book binding practice of bringing the pages together in a semi-rigid binding, the pages are all loosely held in a wire loop-type binding fixed to the back cover of the hardcover. This allows the book to lie flat to allow the gatefolds to easily be fully laid out for viewing. Garry Stuart's high resolution full color images are clear and detailed - if there was a scuff on a tire or ding in the paint, or if the images weren't retouched in editing, it would probably be visible. The collection of bikes range from bone-stock classics like the 1947 61E Knucklehead to mildly modified examples such as a 1976 FLH Shovel up to major customs including a 88 cubic inch Shovel hardtail chopper called "Shovel Trouble Two." The Harley-Davidson book also features a radical dual-supercharged 120 c.i. Harman-powered super cruiser. This book is great archive of images and information that may be best enjoyed in its bound form, but each bike's images make tempting wall poster material, as well.