In 1947, 4,000 motorcycle hobbyists converged on Hollister, California. As images of dissolute bikers graced the pages of newspapers and magazines, the three-day gathering sparked the growth of a new subculture while also touching off national alarm. In the years that followed, the stereotypical leather-clad biker emerged in the American consciousness as a menace to law-abiding motorists and small towns. Yet a few short decades later, the motorcyclist, once menacing, became mainstream. To understand this shift, Randy D. McBee narrates the evolution of motorcycle culture since World War II. Along the way he examines the rebelliousness of early riders of the 1940s and 1950s, riders' increasing connection to violence and the counterculture in the 1960s and 1970s, the rich urban bikers of the 1990s and 2000s, and the factors that gave rise to a motorcycle rights movement. McBee's fascinating narrative of motorcycling's past and present reveals the biker as a crucial character in twentieth-century American life.

What is it about bikes that leaves so many of us powerless to resist? This entertaining guide charts the history of the bike from its origin as a cheap means of transport to its modern incarnations: a symbol of rebellion, a high-tech racing machine and the rich kid's plaything. Richard Hammond, passionate biker and collector of bikes, looks at the machines that have propelled people across the world to work, to school - and occasionally to their doom. With his trademark expertise and wit, Hammond examines bikers of every type, from the happy farmer trundling through fields on his Honda Cub to the Hells Angel terrorising towns on their hog.

For the past three years Aaron Heinrich has interviewed over fifty motorcyclists for his popular web magazine, asphaltanddirt.com, dispelling the myth of the stereotypical "biker." As these stories reveal, there is no one definition of what a motorcyclist is and that any description is as varied as the riders who make up the motorcycling community--no two are alike, other than their shared love of two wheels. Here are the stories of motorcyclists that run the gamut of the motorcycling world, from well-known and famous to unknown and obscure, from builders and tinkerers to racers and tourers. Here are world travelling adventurers and local riders, collectors and icons in the industry, motorcycle clubs to lone riders. Some are single, others are fathers or mothers, and still others are grandparents, and their passion covers from vintage days to modern times. Their stories are meant to inspire, amuse and shed some light on this world, and dispel society's myopic stereotype of what it ultimately means to be a biker.

This is the inspiring story of how a young school-leaver with no academic qualifications and low expectations built a successful career based on an apprenticeship with Associated Motor Cycles Ltd, and eventually became Managing Director of his company.It describes the very personal story of the ups and downs of factory life in the 1950s and 1960s. In particular, it conveys the unique atmosphere and excitement that surrounds the manufacture of motorcycles, an atmosphere that for those who have experienced it is like no other. The excellence of the training that was provided by the company enabled the writer to achieve far more than he ever anticipated.The journey through the factory, starting with the lowliest of duties in the machine shops and ending as personal assistant to the top motorcycle designers of their time, is described in detail. It gives a rare insight into working practices within the different departments and the characters that were employed.Supported by a host of period photographs and rare documents, it provides a unique record of work within the British motorcycle industry in the final years of its decline into oblivion.

Complete year-by-year history of the Trophy (and unit construction Tiger) twins from 1949 to 1983. Includes original factory model photos, technical specifications, colour schemes, engine & frame numbers, model type identification and details of Trophy & Tiger achievements. The complete source book.

Bikers' Britain - The Tours is all about the best touring routes in the UK handpicked and written by the Deputy Editor of immensely popular RiDE magazine. The book includes more than 40 of the best touring routes for motorcyclists which have been pre-ridden by experts. It features practical advice on preparing for a long trip, sights to see and things to do along the route as well as an overview of touring from outside the UK. Each ride will have a clear route map and colour photos and can be used as a top box essential or bedtime reading. The book is designed to be durable and fit snugly into a tank bag for use during a ride.