Born to Be Wild: A History of the American Biker and Bikes 1947-2002

This is a breezy look at the mystique as well as the myths surrounding the love affair between motorcycle enthusiasts and their machines, and its publication is perfectly timed to coincide with the 100-year anniversary of the Harley-Davidson company. As the premier American cycle, the Harley and its various permutations grab a sizable amount of the book's pages, and the book provides an excellent short history of the most storied of motorcycles. But the authors are not uncritical of the company's ups and downs--they mention the company's poor quality during the 1970s. The author's real subject is much grander than just a history of technological developments: they want to capture how""the concept of the motorcycle outlaw was as uniquely American as jazz."" Decade by decade, the book details the""evolving history"" of the cycle, from""cut-down to bobber to custom chopper,"" at the same time as it connects cycle culture to mass culture, from Brando's movie The Wild One (Brando rode a Triumph) and the history of the leather biker jacket to an excellent critical look at current helmet laws. Readers not familiar with the rough-and-ready style of the popular Easyriders motorcycle magazine may bristle at the authors' unbridled love of the wild side of biking when there were""no multimillion-dollar R&D facilities required, no patents, no DMV rule books, no smog certificates, and no limits."" But there is no doubting this is an essential new classic in the field of books on motorcycle culture in general.