Book Description
Publication Date: May 21, 2010
“The baddest man on two wheels.”
—Rolling Stone
One of the founders and the most famous member of the infamous Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club, Ralph “Sonny” Barger says, “Let’s Ride” with this ultimate guide to motorcycling. With expert co-author Darwin Holmstrom—former writer for Motorcyclist magazine and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles—Barger, “The archangel of all Hells Angels” (New York Post) is ready to take you on the ride of your life with this exhilarating and practical nuts-and-bolts master class in the fine art of freedom. So climb on, start it up, and…Let’s Ride!
—Rolling Stone
One of the founders and the most famous member of the infamous Hell’s Angels Motorcycle Club, Ralph “Sonny” Barger says, “Let’s Ride” with this ultimate guide to motorcycling. With expert co-author Darwin Holmstrom—former writer for Motorcyclist magazine and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles—Barger, “The archangel of all Hells Angels” (New York Post) is ready to take you on the ride of your life with this exhilarating and practical nuts-and-bolts master class in the fine art of freedom. So climb on, start it up, and…Let’s Ride!
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Proffers some of the best advice around … [has] insight into all aspects of motorcycling ... Provides a solid, practical foundation for anyone. But it also has bits of advice that could aid the seasoned rider as well. It’s written in easy-to-understand prose, with Barger’s wit woven in.” (Motorcycle USA )
“Let’s Ride is the new authoritative guide to motorcycling and rider safety from Sonny Barger, the famous ‘leader of the pack.’” (BikerNews.org )
“An incredibly valuable piece of literature that every motorcyclist should read twice! . . . Sonny has an unparalleled passion for motorcycling and a vast knowledge base that makes him the perfect author for this book.” (RoadCaptainUSA.com )
“Let’s Ride is an interesting book suitable for any motorcyclist, primarily because the author provides a broad spectrum of information. Informative, instructive, and entertaining-- there is something for everyone.” (CycleMatters.com )
“Offers up a lifetime of bike-riding wisdom you just can’t argue with” (Biker Chick News )
“Barger [is] an American classic, an individualist who lived by a code” (San Francisco Chronicle )
“Barger’s the hombre who gave you motorcycle culture. . . . The biker style Barger originated remains timeless.” (Chicago Tribune )
“Sonny Barger spreads the gospel of two wheels in Let’s Ride. He is the rare rider who could write such a book with authority. (Los Angeles Times )
“When Sonny Barger enters a bar, men twice his weight back away. Women stare.” (Los Angeles Times )
“The baddest man on two wheels” (Rolling Stone )
“Sonny Barger truly is an American Legend.” (Salon.com )
“Packed with the stories and advice it would take years to hear and learn on the road and should be considered a must for any rider, regardless of their experience.” (Clutch and Chrome )
“Let’s Ride is the new authoritative guide to motorcycling and rider safety from Sonny Barger, the famous ‘leader of the pack.’” (BikerNews.org )
“An incredibly valuable piece of literature that every motorcyclist should read twice! . . . Sonny has an unparalleled passion for motorcycling and a vast knowledge base that makes him the perfect author for this book.” (RoadCaptainUSA.com )
“Let’s Ride is an interesting book suitable for any motorcyclist, primarily because the author provides a broad spectrum of information. Informative, instructive, and entertaining-- there is something for everyone.” (CycleMatters.com )
“Offers up a lifetime of bike-riding wisdom you just can’t argue with” (Biker Chick News )
“Barger [is] an American classic, an individualist who lived by a code” (San Francisco Chronicle )
“Barger’s the hombre who gave you motorcycle culture. . . . The biker style Barger originated remains timeless.” (Chicago Tribune )
“Sonny Barger spreads the gospel of two wheels in Let’s Ride. He is the rare rider who could write such a book with authority. (Los Angeles Times )
“When Sonny Barger enters a bar, men twice his weight back away. Women stare.” (Los Angeles Times )
“The baddest man on two wheels” (Rolling Stone )
“Sonny Barger truly is an American Legend.” (Salon.com )
“Packed with the stories and advice it would take years to hear and learn on the road and should be considered a must for any rider, regardless of their experience.” (Clutch and Chrome )
From the Back Cover
The Ultimate Motorcycle Guide By the Author Of The New York Times Bestselling Memoir Hell's AngelLet's Ride is a nuts-and-bolts guide to mastering the art of motorcycling. From choosing the right bike to sharpening riding techniques, Sonny Barger mines his lifetime of experience to provide advice and wisdom that will help fellow riders—new and veteran alike—survive the dangers of motorcycling.
Let's Ride is the only book of its kind: an essential resource covering every aspect of motorcycle riding and ownership. Chapters include:
- Why Ride?
- Dissecting the Beast: the Anatomy of a Motorcycle
- Types of Bikes
- Fundamentals of Riding
- Evaluating a Used Motorcycle
- Buying a Bike
- Advanced Riding Techniques
- Living with a Motorcycle
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a tremendous volume of Sonny Barger's experience of motorcycles and motorcycling and the BEST read of any rider training book I've seen. I've read Hough, Hahn, MSF, Parks and many other professional riders' and journalists' rider instruction books and while all are helpful none compare with Barger's narrative style and readability.
Let's Ride is like a pleasant afternoon conversation with a wise rider who has clocked more than 1,000,000 miles in safety; it's an honest account of riding, straight forward, doesn't preach, fun and gets the job done.
Let's Ride is like a pleasant afternoon conversation with a wise rider who has clocked more than 1,000,000 miles in safety; it's an honest account of riding, straight forward, doesn't preach, fun and gets the job done.
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
. This publication is not about history. This publication is not about philosophy. This publication 'is' about all of the above. This book is a Guide for Riding Motorcycles.
Remember the saying"...Ride hard,Die young,and leave a good looking corpse"? With 'Lets Ride',Sonny gives us a better plan:"Ride Smart, Live Long,and Die from Old Age." Coming from a man that has seen, and experienced just about everything, how can we not take heed.
To quote Sonny," This book will cover the things you need to do to learn to ride a motorcycle, tell you how to buy the right motorcycle, teach you how to be comfortable and safe, and give you advice on what to do once you start riding."(page 17) Sonny begins by "dissecting the beast"( chapter 1). He covers everything from the crankcase to windshields; fuel systems to riding positions. He talks about buying the right motorcycle for you. He stresses the need for proper training. But most of all, He teaches us how to ride safe. He teaches us how to ride for life.
This publication is not a novel. This publication is "Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcycling" A must read for anybody thinking about becoming a motorcycle enthusiast:a reminder for old school.
Live long, Ride Safe
Remember the saying"...Ride hard,Die young,and leave a good looking corpse"? With 'Lets Ride',Sonny gives us a better plan:"Ride Smart, Live Long,and Die from Old Age." Coming from a man that has seen, and experienced just about everything, how can we not take heed.
To quote Sonny," This book will cover the things you need to do to learn to ride a motorcycle, tell you how to buy the right motorcycle, teach you how to be comfortable and safe, and give you advice on what to do once you start riding."(page 17) Sonny begins by "dissecting the beast"( chapter 1). He covers everything from the crankcase to windshields; fuel systems to riding positions. He talks about buying the right motorcycle for you. He stresses the need for proper training. But most of all, He teaches us how to ride safe. He teaches us how to ride for life.
This publication is not a novel. This publication is "Sonny Barger's Guide to Motorcycling" A must read for anybody thinking about becoming a motorcycle enthusiast:a reminder for old school.
Live long, Ride Safe
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
By Rider Boy
Format:Paperback
I wasn't sure if I was going to buy this book because I've been riding so long I figured I pretty much knew everything there was to know about being a motorcyclist. Then I paged through a copy and decided that if I could learn as much as I learned from just reading a few random pages, there must be a lot in this book that I didn't know. I was right. I read the book cover to cover and was blown away. Sure, there was some material aimed at beginners, but even that stuff was informative. A lot of it I knew a little about, but this book really helped me understand it. The buying guide alone was worth the cost of admission. I learned a lot, but what surprised me was how much fun it was to read. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised; I've read all of Mr. Barger's other books, and I've enjoyed them all. Say what you will about the Hells Angels, but Sonny Barger has done a tremendous service for the motorcycle community by writing this book. I predict that he'll save more than a few lives by having done so. Excellent work, Mr. Barger.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Either you are thinking about getting on a bike or you have been riding for years, this is the book that you should be reading cover to cover. Sonny goes over the basics of learning and the basics of buying a new or used bike. He also goes over every little detail you will need to know about your future or current bike. There is no sales pitch on what kind to have, its a basic all round reference for what bike is right for you. Its a the right book to have next to your owner's manual.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By J. Stephens
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Overall, I think everyone that reads this will not only get a better idea of how to choose, how to buy, and how to ride a bike, but will also really enjoy the process. There are a couple mistakes, however, that I'd like to point out; neither are serious, but both are worth noting.
Sonny states that even the largest motorcycles are more efficient than even the most efficient hybrid cars. This just isn't true. My Toyota Prius gets about 48 to 52 MPG (depending on tire pressure and A/C usage) since I bought it in 2006, and you can easily go out and get a Honda Insight (older ones, not the compromised new models) that get 60 to 70 mpg. While there are a few bikes out there that can get 70 to 80 mpg, very few do, and actually very few are rated at 50. Still, the point he makes is that a bike is a lot more efficient that cars, but inaccurate hyperbole doesn't help his argument.
Second, when describing front forks, his geometry regarding "USD" and "standard" forks is backwards. "Normal" forks have the larger, outer cylinder at the bottom, and the pistons are on the top, attached to the triple clamp. "UpSide down" forks have the cylinder on the top - this allows for less "unsprung weight" (the sum of the weight of the wheel, tire, brakes, and all other parts that move up & down below the suspension). Less unsprung weight allows for more responsive handling (all other things being equal). However, having the cylinder on the top means that leaky seals can cause the oil in the cylinders to leak out and drain totally, where "normal" layouts will lose oil over time with leaky seals, but much, much slower. Look at any new sport bike versus an older Cruiser, and you'll see exactly these to layouts (sport = USD).
Anyway, just thought I'd point those out. Buy the book and enjoy it, and ride more.
Sonny states that even the largest motorcycles are more efficient than even the most efficient hybrid cars. This just isn't true. My Toyota Prius gets about 48 to 52 MPG (depending on tire pressure and A/C usage) since I bought it in 2006, and you can easily go out and get a Honda Insight (older ones, not the compromised new models) that get 60 to 70 mpg. While there are a few bikes out there that can get 70 to 80 mpg, very few do, and actually very few are rated at 50. Still, the point he makes is that a bike is a lot more efficient that cars, but inaccurate hyperbole doesn't help his argument.
Second, when describing front forks, his geometry regarding "USD" and "standard" forks is backwards. "Normal" forks have the larger, outer cylinder at the bottom, and the pistons are on the top, attached to the triple clamp. "UpSide down" forks have the cylinder on the top - this allows for less "unsprung weight" (the sum of the weight of the wheel, tire, brakes, and all other parts that move up & down below the suspension). Less unsprung weight allows for more responsive handling (all other things being equal). However, having the cylinder on the top means that leaky seals can cause the oil in the cylinders to leak out and drain totally, where "normal" layouts will lose oil over time with leaky seals, but much, much slower. Look at any new sport bike versus an older Cruiser, and you'll see exactly these to layouts (sport = USD).
Anyway, just thought I'd point those out. Buy the book and enjoy it, and ride more.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By LeeOtis
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book is written for all riders. I've ridden for 40+ years and found this book helpful. Sonny is an excellent author and his writing style is easy to follow. This book is hard to put down once you start reading. The content covers a lot of details on safety most riders would never consider. There is a lot of useful info on different types of bikes and considerations for buying your first bike, routine maintenance, financial considerations, etc. I would recommend this book for anyone considering buying their first bike, new riders or riders who have ridden most of their life. You can't go wrong reading this book.
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