Donning his black attire, Undertaker riding a Harley Davidson down the ramp and beating the hell out of every other fellow wrestler in the ring is one thing that’s ripe in my memory. This was a part of his new WWE gimmick wherein the American badass was portrayed as a big-time motorcycle enthusiast.
A man in black leather, striped jeans, and a bandana on the forehead is not the only image we should paint the riders in. There is so much to motorcycle riding than the appearance. It’s a cult that has kept many motorheads going for years. Here are five books that’ll help you reflect on a motorcyclist’s persona and entice you to get going on an adrenaline-gushing ride on your motorbike.
Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga by Hunter S Thompson
The pioneer of ‘Gonzo journalism,’ Hunter Stockton Thompson deserves tons of respect for bringing out stories that no other reporter would dare to cover. Unfortunately, the author is more infamous for his bad traits than his badass writing. Hell’s Angels is one such work by the author that didn’t garner much attention at the time of launch but is now considered a cult among Hunter fans.
The book is about personal experiences of Hunter with California’s most notorious motorcycle outlaw gang Hell’s Angels. It discusses first-hand account of their daily regime. Hunter spent two years riding with the fabled gang and in 1966 went on to publish the book that takes readers deep inside a subculture that is cut off and obscure to the outside world.
Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M Pirsig
Welcome my personal favorite to the list. This book is a fictional autobiography about a summer motorcycle trip of a father (author himself) and son from Minnesota to California. Well, the publication does discuss the journey of the duo but the book certainly has more to offer.
The book touches on a wide range of concepts from metaphysics to the craft of motorcycle maintenance. Whatever might be the case, this book is for people who love smoking philosophy on two tires while rambling on a journey to the high hills or the countryside.
The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara
There are books that shape a generation and then there are men who transpire them. Not very often do we witness the amalgamation of both. But with ‘The Motorcycle Diaries,’ Che Guevara has done something no other men could possibly think of achieving. The book written eight years prior to the Cuban revolution has shaped a generation of readers, writers, and motorcycle enthusiasts.
The book is about two young men, in their prime, who set out on a motorcycle journey from Buenos Aires to other parts of South America. Riding on 500cc Norton, one of those men is Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara who has now become a symbol of rebellion worldwide. The book became so famous that a film was made on its plot.
Jupiter’s Travels by Ted Simon
Very rarely do we come across books that not only ignite our wanderlust but also make us fall in love with the author. Jupiter’s travel is one such book where readers would be in absolute awe of the journalist, Simon Rode who covered 78,000 miles through 45 countries on his Triumph Tiger100 500 cc motorcycle between 1973 and 1977.
The book discusses his experience with every strata of society. The author takes us through prisons and palaces amid wars and revolutions. The book was published in 1979 and covers man’s appetite to see the world riding his motorcycle.
One Man Caravan by Robert Edison Fulton
The final entry to make the list is Robert Edison Fulton’s solo round-the-world tour. Riding on his two-cylinder Douglas motorcycle, the journey was carried out between July 1932 and December 1933. The author in his book discusses his terrific narratives of motorcycle expeditions and incidents that occurred while riding.
Published in 1937, the book features travel account of a man and the tales of his fascinating adventures. Some of the crazy and absolutely bizarre incidents including his wild encounters with the Iraqi bandits, time in a jail in Turkey, and being a guest to Indian kings all form part of the book.