Ultimate Collector Motorcycles
It’s a rare motorcyclist that doesn’t love looking at rare vintage machines. Even if you’re not a collector yourself, browsing through riding history is always a thrill—and it helps you appreciate your own stallion that much more.
Ultimate Collector Motorcycles, by Charlotte and Peter Fiell, takes you back to the past by more than a century, showcasing rare, famous, and valuable bikes. From the early pioneers of the late 1800s to the latest 2020s superbikes, every rider will find a motorcycle to ooh and ah over in this book.
To give you an idea of the massive scope, this 940-page work needed to be split into two hefty tomes. The first volume covers the years from 1984 to the 1930s, while Volume 2 dives into the bikes from the WWII era to this day.
The duo of authors explores a total of 100 motorcycles throughout the length of the work. Flipping through the pages, you’ll come face to face with stunning photography of cruisers, tourers, superbikes, and customs.
The book also features a collection of race bikes, spurred to victory by such legendary names as Dario Ambrosini, Giacomo Agosti, and Kenny Roberts. A particular highlight—if you were to ask me—are the photographs of meticulously maintained rare historical bikes residing in private collections.
In addition to pretty pictures, you get to learn each bike’s story in detail. The articles give you an insight into what went into the engineering and design of these magnificent motorcycles and how the public responded to them back in the day.
Last but not least are the various interviews and opinion pieces sprinkled throughout the tomes. The foreword was written by Jay Leno—famed for his love of everything with an engine. Other big names include the founder of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum George Barber, championship-winning racer Sammy Miller, the Quail Motorcycle Gathering founder Gordon McCall, and many more.The two-volume Ultimate Collector Motorcycles is available on Amazon for $250. This work is well worth the price and deserves the place on every rider’s bookshelf or coffee table.