Touring on a motorcycle has never been more popular than it is today, but with more and more people hitting the open road, a growing number are doing so without the proper skills and information they need to survive the ordeal. Far too often the trip of a lifetime turns into an unmitigated disaster, leading to expensive breakdowns, arrests, lost wages, broken limbs, death, and even, on more than one occasion, divorce. Most people who travel aboard motorcycles have learned these lessons the hard way, if they’ve survived long enough, but now readers of the Motorcycle Touring Bible can learn an easier way; they can learn from author Fred Rau’s mistakes rather than through the school of hard knocks.
A wealth of information for the beginner and the seasoned rider that needs a second opinion.
I borrowed this book from a friend and then decided to buy and add to my library.
Would recommend this resource for any rider.
One good tip on hearing protection and a bit on maintenance. Not as much on how to pack and what to wear–perhaps it’s just dated.
Don’t know Fred? What rock have you been living under? He’s the excellent MCN columnist and the last word on motorcycle touring. This fine, beautifully produced book proves his skills.
If you don’t read, study and absorb this book and Rau’s condensed wisdom of decades and hundreds of thousands of touring miles, and have problems on your next ride, don’t come whining to me. He has seen it all, from sublime to obscene.
Rau defines touring, establishes priorities, helps you avoid problems and plan your tour, suggests packing, picking the right gear and accessorizing your machine, identifies the pitfalls that await you, and pinpoints miscellaneous essentials. He uses many photos to illustrate the multi-faceted aspects of touring and to identify specific bikes to choose, across the full spectrum of available machines. One point he emphasizes, neglected by too many manufacturers: range. He nails Harley-Davidson to the wall on this issue.
Rau’s writing style is comfortable and his liberal anecdotes ragingly entertaining, citing touring highs and lows in ways that endear one to him. Too numerous to cite in a short review, but one married couple faces matrimonial and motorcycling doom, trying to get three times too much luggage onto their bike.
Two omissions deserve your attention. Rau points out that too much motorcycle, or the latest thrill, may not be for you. But he misses two huge issues that confront average riders: a bike that is too big and heavy (drop it, riding alone, and you’ll walk home); and the insidious problem of aerodynamics, using side and (especially) tail bags that move the center of pressure aft and create serious instability at speed. Other than these minor matters, he nails it. Highly recommended.
I gave the book a 4 because some of the information about the Gold Wing is out of date. I love the stories he tells. Some of the stories are very informative and others are hilarious. I disagree with some of his opinions about the Gold Wing. I must say at this point that I have ridden a Gold Wing for 25 years. I love the Gold Wing and disagree with his criticism of it. I highly recommend the book. It is good reading if you are thinking of buying a bike for touring, it has great tips. Every rider can learn something from the book.
Funny and interesting book from Fred Rau, a long time motorcycle enthusiast who writes a column in a well known Motorcycle magazine.
Whether you plan to tour on your motorcycle or want to live vicariously through Fred, I highly recommend this book.
At 223 pages this is an easy and enjoyable read. If you’ve been touring for a few seasons you probably won’t come away with many new and important details for your next trip but sit back and enjoy ride. I would compare it to an enjoyable conversation with a favorite riding buddy; the side stories add greatly to the entertainment.
If you’re a “list” person this is not a step 1, 2, 3, … list for the perfect tour. You won’t feel the need to make lists or take notes from the imformation given but the authors thoughts give you something to evaluate and compare with your own experiences. The color pictures were well done and added their share of interest in themselves.
I like it when an author states that he likes “this” or “that” and then names names and Fred Rau has done that. I’m ready for the next edition.
I had a chance to see meet Fred Rau and listen to him speak at the Americade Bike Rally this past summer. I very much enjoyed it. I also look forward to reading his articles in Motorcycle Consumer News. That said, This book was quite a let down. It was mostly about Mr Rau’s opinions on Motorcycle camping much of which can be found in many other Motorcycle Touring Books on the market and for a much better price. I found Mr Rau to be somewhat full of himself in this book. I found his “I know everything that there is to know” style somewhat grating and hard to read….As anyone who has been riding bikes for awhile will tell you….There is always something new to learn. One can find the nuts and bolts of motorcycle camping in other books for a MUCH better price.
As a devoted follower of Fred’s journies on the Can Am Spyder, I expected a lot from this book. I expected to learn how to plan and execute a motorcycle tour without making newbie mistakes. The meat of the book was hidden among lots of boring history (like the history of the Honda Goldwing), photos that had nothing to do with the content and information that most motorcyclists already know. I guess I didn’t get as much valuable content as I expected from a master tourer.
If you’d toured much, or have read much on the subject, there’s nothing new here. Now granted, the author has immense experience in participating in and leading motorcycle tours all over the world. But the experienced tourer will find more in the way of entertainment here than real help. Most everything in the book can be learned with a little experience and/or by talking to friends who have toured on bikes.
I will say I found the personal stories entertaining and the photos were enjoyable.
Two complaints:
(1) the layout of the book was odd and hard to follow — probably a Kindle edition issue. You’d turn the page and find a photo and long caption that had nothing to do with what you had just been reading about. But the time Ifinished with the photo and long description of it, I found myself turning back to remember what I had just been reading so I could go forward.
(2) Harley-Davidson loyalists (I’m one), you’ve been warned. The author shows his prejudice against Harley-Davidsons early and often. It would seem, according to him, that ANYTHING including a scooter (no, I’m not kidding) is preferable to touring on a Harley.
I was expecting more details about actually planning trips, etc. I did not need to know about clothing, bags, etc. Checklists and other related travel items would have been much more helpful.