Menu:

hint: move the cursor over a book cover to display purchase details (when available)


motorcycle literature — fictions

It's quite appealing that the first book of the original (and classic) Tom Swift Series features Tom on a motorcycle. Though often described as an inventor, it's really Tom's father who is the inventor; Tom himself is better described as a talented mechanic with a special love for vehicles. Great reading for the up-to-about-fourteen-year-old, and those with an interest in wonderful nostalgia (the book is set in 1910).

This book is available in several editions, at differing price ranges; the cover show here is of the vintage reproduction printing (hardcover).

Beltz's protagonist, John Calvin, is a man in his mid-forties whose life is in shambles: he's messed up his marriage, his relationship with his kids, his career, and his relationship with God. So he takes an extended road trip on a Harley, in search of some perspective. He initially learns a lot cruising from town to town, but it's the events following a completely disorienting experience that bring him down low enough to decide exactly how to crawl back up.

This is without question a Christian-oriented book, but it's not overly preachy. Many will find great inspiration here.

A funny, fast-paced tale about a young boy who throws caution and the Motor Vehicle Code to the wind during a reckless motorcycle ride is brought to his senses by a Highway Patrol officer, by one of America's most beloved children's authors. J. Winslow Higginbottom's original, detailed pencil illustrations have been brightened with color to give Chuck's bike a clean red shine for this new edition. "Cleary again successfully combines fantasy and reality." —Booklist

"Cleary can't miss with this one!" —Publishers Weekly

"Boy!" said Ralph to himself, his whiskers quivering with excitement. "Boy, oh boy!" Feeling that this was an important moment in his life, he took hold of the handgrips. They felt good and solid beneath his paws. Yes, this motorcycle was a good machine all right. A terrific introduction to the joys of motorcycling for the young reader.

Though offering less of a motorcycle orientation than its predecessor, this is a followup to Cleary's The Mouse and the Motorcycle, above. Almost a counterpoint to that other famous American boy's adventure series (Tom Swift), which began with a motorcycle adventure, the Hardy Boys ended with one, in this its 190th and final volume. Their last outing finds Frank and Joe at a motorcycle rally held to benefit a disabled young woman. Plenty of thrills and mystery ensue: someone breaks into the rally sponsor's office, there's a mysterious fire, a motorcycle is stolen, all in addition to plenty of motocross action (the depiction of which is not always 100% accurate, but close enough for fiction). "... a fun, fast, and fabulous first novel." —The Fresno Bee

Tomato Rodriguez hops on her motorcycle and embarks on the ultimate sea-to-shining-sea all-girl adventure — a story that combines all the best parts of Alice in Wonderland and Easy Rider as Tomato crosses the country in search of the meaning of life, love, and the perfect post office. Flaming Iguanas is a hilarious novel that combines text, line drawings, rubber stamp art, and a serious dose of attitude. The result is a wild and wonderful ride unlike any you you've ever taken before.

First book of the Mad Dog Rodriguez trilogy.

"Jack Kerouac is not dead. He's just not currently working on a project. In his place, I proudly submit the name of Erika Lopez, road warrior of the '90s ... Satisfaction guaranteed." —Kinky Friedman

What do you do when love goes wrong? If you're Tomato Rodriguez, the reigning queen of motorcycle-riding, bicoastal bisexuals, you do every wrong thing there is to do. When Tomato's lover, Hooter Mujer, falls off the fidelity wagon, our biker babe starts by dialing 1-800-REVENGE, performs a kinky little kidnapping, and ends up getting a GO TO JAIL/GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL card while trying to apologize for her bad behavior.

Second book of the Mad Dog Rodriguez trilogy.

Fresh from prison, Tomato "Mad Dog" Rodriguez returns to find her once-bohemian Mission neighborhood overrun by Latte People trading stocks on cell phones while careening down sidewalks in their SUVs. Rents have multiplied to the square root of horror, forcing families, elderly artists, and hippies to flee in droves, leaving behind only those willing to serve noisy coffees and change deadly Firestone tires. A fun romp through the world of gentrification, with a gal who's run over a cat, kidnapped her lover, forged her roommate's checks, slept with married Canadians, ordered Columbia records under dead neighbors' names, tried on numerous occasions to murder Chihuahuas ... and still is easily the nicest person in the whole story.

Third and final book of the Mad Dog Rodriguez trilogy.

""A girl and a boy create a fairy tale in this lively picture book. The girl starts first, with a story about a princess and her eight ponies, while the boy interjects comments: "Please ... don't call [the pony] Buttercup." When the boy has had enough, he steps in with a sword-wielding, motorcycle-riding hero who battles a giant, while the princess is assigned the boring job of making thread. Fed up with these developments, the girl delivers the final plot twist, turning her princess into a warrior who sends the giant scurrying back to his cave. The fun in this picture book comes in the contrasting styles of the illustrations ... The girl's story features bright colors, flowers, and long golden locks, while the boy's story is done in the dark, taut-muscled style of comic books. Throughout, O'Malley depicts the girl and the boy reacting to the twists of the plot. A funny take on the age-old battle of the sexes ..." —Booklist

This is a terrific story for kids.

"Profoundly important ... intellectual entertainment of the highest order" —The New York Times

"It lodges in the mind as few recent novels have ... The book is inspired, original ..." —The New Yorker

"An unforgettable trip." —Time

"Brave wanderings, high adventures ..." —Los Angeles Times

More a philosophical novel than a motorcycling one, but this classic book deserves reading by anyone who revels in the life of the mind.

After you've enjoyed it, you might want to read the Guidebook to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance for some revelatory supplemental material.

This novel, a coming of age story about two teenaged brothers, is targeted at teen readers, though plenty of adults will find it entertaining. It definitely teaches worthwhile values (we are part of a greater planetary environment; responsibility, hard work, and character pay off), and would make a great gift for almost any teen boy (especially one that you'd like to introduce to the joys of motorcycling).