The Personal Blog Of
Boston Motorcycle Lawyer

Motorcycling Celebrities and Their Legendary Motorcycles
October 29, 2009

If you have an interest in motorcycles made famous by celebrities and other folks, check out “Legendary Motorcycles: The Stories and Bikes Made Famous by Elvis, Peter Fonda, Kenny Roberts, and Other Motorcycling Greats” by Basem Wasef.

As noted in the front flap, Wasef’s book originated with a question: “What are the most historically significant bikes ever, the machines that the legends?”

To answer this question, he tells the stories–in words and photographs–of James Dean’s Triumphs and the Triumph from Steve McQueen’s “The Great Escape,” Evel Knievel’s Harleys, T. E. Lawrence’s Brough Superior SS100, Robert Pirsig’s Honda CB77 Superhawk, and more.

These are the actual motorcycles, not just the models.

Did you know that Steve McQueen once worked as a part-time motorcycle mechanic, and that James Dean had stored his motorcycle at the Greenwich Village garage where McQueen worked? “Legendary Motorcycles” is filled with interesting facts like this.

Motorcycling celebrity Jay Leno provides the foreword. There is also a timeline.

Wasef is currently the About.com guide to motorcycles. A follow-up to “Legendary Motorcycles”–”Legendary Race Cars“–was published in October.

To see Leno’s interview with Wasef about his new book, drop by Jay Leno’s garage.