This book makes a great gift for anyone who has ever shown so much as a passing interest in motorcycles. It contains loads of useful information like how to parse tire codes and interpret hardware spec, and even helps in identifying subspecies of various styles of motorcycles—eg: delineations between Brat, Bosozoku, and baggers.

And each of our first batch of orders will include a signed postcard from author and Sideburn Magazine editor Gary Inman.

We’re not guaranteeing this book will bestow you with sudden new abilities, but it’s a fantastic primer and/or coffee table companion for anyone with even a passing interest in taking tools to a bike to customize it. It’s also a really good basic reference point for any motorcycle fan with it’s “101” approach to a smartly compartmentalized table of contents. It’s part graphic novel, part how-to, part reference manual.

Penned by Sideburn Magazine editor Gary Inman, and illustrated in classic style by Adi Gilbert, this book is a keepsake that is easily worth twice its cover price. The aesthetic is a bit like a classic Hardy Boys hardcover novel, or a vintage Popular Mechanics How To story. But the commentary is straightforward and on point.

One early excerpt: 

“There are thousands of custom builders who don’t ide their bike more than it takes to grab a few photos to prove that it runs and gain the peer recognition they crave. Some don’t ride them at all. Other people modify a bike and complete the daily commute on it. These results demand different start and end points.”

Inman then goes on to lay out a categorical overview breakdown of the components of a motorcycle and then he takes the reader on a tour through all the different facets of building one—from stylistic considerations to detailed breakdowns on the basics of bleeding brakes and an electrical systems overview.

From the Publisher:

How to Build a Motorcycle leads you through all the key stages – from initially finding the right project for your skill level, to sourcing a base bike and safely taking on some full-on bike-building tasks. With clear, easy-to-follow instructions, proper advice and specially commissioned step-by-step illustrations throughout it is an ideal aid to getting your hands oily.

Written by Gary Inman, the co-founder of independent motorcycle magazine Sideburn Magazine, and illustrated by Adi Gilbert who is best known for his bicycle and motorcycle drawings whose clients include Harley-Davidson, Guy Martin, Wired magazine, Sideburn magazine and Nike, this is a must-have for all motorcycle lovers.

The chapters in How to Build a Motorcycle will tell you how to complete a huge variety of tasks that will allow even the greenest of novices to get their hands dirty and start modifying with purpose. If you belong to this camp, start with some of the low-input, high-reward jobs, such as fitting bars, swapping the rear shocks or wiring in a new tail light.

Even though these require relatively little work, they’ll transform the look of your bike, and completing them will fill you with confidence to undertake the more difficult jobs, such as fitting more modern front forks or even making your own frame.

The book comes with a glossy 32-page section on finished bikes and is a reference and the perfect gift for all enthusiasts, from those who merely like to tinker, to riders taking on a full build.

• Hardback
• 192 pages
• 300 illustrations
• Size: 230 x 167 mm