6 Great Harley-Davidson Books
You can't ride all the time, and some times it is nice to kick back with a pipe and a glass of something cold and read an honest to god paper book with no buttons or screens. Here's a selection of books you'll like if you like Harley-Davidson.
1. 100 Years of Harley-Davidson - Willie G. Davidson
What better place to start than with the oversize book put together by Willie G. himself on occasion of the motor company's 100th birthday? There are literally hundreds of coffee table books devoted to Harley, but 100 Years of Harley-Davidson is one of the better researched and better written ones. Used hardcover copies of this book are less than $7, and brand new they go for $25, which is a lot of nostalgia and information for not much money.
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2. Complete Harley Davidson: A Model-by-Model History - Todd Rafferty
Todd Rafferty has written numerous book like this, each one about a different brand of bike, and they are all pretty excellent. The only downside to Complete Harley Davidson: A Model-by-Model History is that it was published in 1997 and so much has changed since then. But if you are looking for great pictures and a huge number of facts about nearly every bike built and sold by Harley-Davidson in the 20th century, this is a great place to start. Used copies are just $5, and brand new list for $40.
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3. The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars - Alan Girdler
Alan Girdler has been writing about bikes since the days when an import meant a bike from the U.K. or maybe Italy, and has written many that a Harley fan will enjoy. The Harley-Davidson and Indian Wars just came out last year, and chronicles the history of both brands, and how they competed both in the marketplace and on the race track. It is 180 pages of history and stories you may not have heard before, and the hard bound version is only $18. Alan Girdler by the way, recently turned 80 and not only still rides, but is a regular reviewer and contributor to Cycle World.
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4. The Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Archive Collection - Darwin Holmstrom and Randy Leffingwell
If you live near Milwaukee you maybe want to skip this one and just head to the Harley Museum, but if you want the museum in book form for reference, this is it. The Harley-Davidson Archive Collection is large detailed pictures of every bike in the Harley vault, from the original 1903 serial number 1, to the latest bikes from 2008 when this was completed. There are more than 600 pictures on more than 400 pages, which makes it a bargain with its $18 starting price (flexibound edition).
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5. The Harley in the Barn: More Great Tales of Motorcycle Archaeology - Tom Cotter
Read this book and you may find yourself more interested in the contents of ramshackle old barns and garages you drive by than is healthy. Tom Cotter's Harley in the Barn is just one of his books about the hunt and discovery of derelict and forgotten old bikes and cars around the world. Read this book for the adventure, or read it as a cautionary tale of what may become of your bike if you leave it sitting too long in one place without riding it. Hard cover copies are selling for just $12 brand new.
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6. Hell's Angels - Hunter S. Thompson
Acting crazy, and doing dangerous things is pretty much the Hunter S. Thompson brand image, but perhaps the craziest, most dangerous thing he ever did was ride with the Angels for a year and write a book about it. Hell's Angels was pretty much the first book Hunter ever got published, and as such it is much more straight forward than his later works, but you will find some of the best, poetic, descriptions of riding a bike and the thrill and enjoyment that comes from it in here. You will also find plenty of first hand information on the Angels in the early 60s, before they really became famous, and Hollywood came calling.
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