Leanings: The Best of Peter Egan from Cycle World Magazine

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Motorbooks, May 5, 2009 - Biography & Autobiography - 320 pages

Since his work first graced the pages of Cycle World magazine in 1977, Peter Egan has taken his readers on one unforgettable adventure after another. Whether riding along the Mississippi River to New Orleans for a tin of chicory coffee, or flying to Japan to test-ride new Yamahas, Egan’s insight and gift with words makes every journey a unique and fascinating experience.

            Available in paperback for the first time, Leanings is a collection of Egan’s favorite feature articles and columns from Cycle World magazine. Included among the 21 feature articles are Egan’s first feature for the magazine, a story about he and his wife’s cross-country trip on a British twin, his journey on abandoned Route 66, a history of the motorcycle jacket, and his visit to the fabled Tourist Trophy race on the Isle of Man. A selection of 27 columns are also reproduced here, covering a wide range of subjects, from the nearly lost art of the kick start, how to survive not being able to ride for an entire Wisconsin winter, and a look back at the motorcycle crash that nearly killed the great Bob Dylan. For added perspective, each feature article is preceded by commentary from the author. This is an unforgettable collection of the works of a master writer, whose simple adventures of life remind us all why we love to ride.

 

Contents

FOREWORD by Allan Girdler
9
BECAUSE ITS SMALL March 1978
22
THE FRENCH QUARTER CONNECTION April 1979
32
SNOW PLACE FOR A MOTORCYCLE May 1979
46
THE FLASHBACK EXPRESS April 1980
55
DOWN THE ROAD AGAIN November 1980
68
IN SEARCH OF OLD 66 May 1981
80
SPEED FAME SAND AND SWEET MAGNOLIA June 1981
97
ANCIENT ITALY NEW DUCATI October 1998
218
SIDECAR IN BAJA June 2000
226
COMMON THREADS February 1989
236
THE MUSEUM OF PREHISTORIC HELMETS December 1989
242
STAYING HUNGRY April 1991
248
SOONER IS BETTER THAN LATER July 1991
254
THAT CRITICAL FIRST RIDE May 1994
260
SAVING FOR A VINCENT December 1994
266

OLD STONE GREEN TREES SPEED October 1982
113
WOLVERHAMPTON DETOUR September 1983
126
THE EMERALD TOUR June 1985
132
THE TWOWHEELED UNDERGROUND
144
RESTORATION OF A TRIUMPH September 1990
158
THE THREEHUNDREDDOLLAR JEWEL June 1994
165
IN THE LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD May 1995
172
CHARGE TO CHIHUAHUA May 1997
182
BASIC BLACK September 1997
192
TO RIDE A VINCENT September 1998
208
TRIUMPH DEFERMENT July 1996
272
THE RIGHT MAP FOR THE BIKE November 1996
278
HOW MANY BIKES DO YOU REALLY NEED? March 1997
284
SWORDS OF DAMOCLES July 1997
290
THE GREAT DYLAN CRASH February 1998
296
FOREVER YOUNG April 1999
302
A TOWN TOO FAR February 2001
308
SO MANY BIKES SO LITTLE PROGRESS January 2002
314
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About the author (2009)

Peter Egan is one of the most readable writers in the motorcycle enthusiast world. His work first appeared in Cycle World magazine in 1977, and he has been a regular fixture there ever since. Peter lives near Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, Barb, a houseful of dogs and cats, and a garage filled with motorcycles, cars, and the sound set for his garage blues band.

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