Rewed!

PROTUtrTRIVIEIIiTsi
Rewed!
Obsessions of a Midlife Motorcyclist
By Ron Dovis #1 11820
LOOKING FOR A MOTORCYCLE
book featuring life or death encoun-
var)4ng length such as "Terrors
ters with road bandits, heroic expeditions crossing trackless wastelands, or
tense confrontations with armed border guards? To paraphrase that
Splitting in La -La Lart$' Rew ed! easiy kept
me engaged. Kirk's storytelling is free from
awkward prose and long, philosophical dis-
famous Stormtrooper, this
Tracki "Finding My Nichel' and
of
the
"Lane
temically seeks out motorcyclist gath-
is
to find a
not the book you're looking for.
ering points
Instead, Revved! Obsessions of a
Midlife Motorcycllsf by Stuart A.
like-minded riders and then describes
the benefits of riding with a group
have made me reconsider this dimension of motorcycling I'm sure many
riders enjoy. As community buiiding
is one of the most remarked-on benefits of belonging to the MOA, I m
sure many member-readers rvill be
nodding in agreement as they "listen'
to the quiet conversation Kirk's book
Kirk offers a thoughtful, elegantly-written narrative of one
man's reintroduction to the
motorcycling life that will resonate with practically any rider
who shares his'bbsessions."
Following
a
preface by
Melissa Holbrook Pierson (Tfte
Perfect Vehicle), Kirk's story
begins with an ignominious
account of his first real ride
Readers will also appreciate Kirkt
descriptions of some of the best roads
for motorcycling in Southern Caiifornia and Arizona. Having orvned
something like 30 motorcycles and
toured over much ofthe country, Stuart Kirk can obviously speak with the
voice of experience, and though some
a 20-year break
from motorcycling. Aboard his
shiny, fresh-out-of- the-box
BMW R 75 S, he crashes. But
instead of giving up his dream
of becoming a motorcyclist, he
begins
a
of the authort advice on gear and
techniques like cornering and lane
splitting may be familiar to more
methodical journey
through stages ofstudying, outfitting himself with the proper
gear, attending training classes,
experienced riders, these
and practicing riding
neophytes and are
not delivered pedantically.
Revved! Obsessions of a Midlife
Motorcyclist is a road map for those
just saddling up for their journey into
on the road to experiencing the
sublime pleasures motorcycling
can present.
wouldnt read "the Lord's own book'if
it didnt hold her attention. It's a r,lew I
share, especially since in my role as an
English teacher, I'm besieged each day
with all kinds of writing I hat,eto read,
whether it holds my attention or not.
Divided into a series of essavs of
passages
will be helpful to
technique, which he comes to recognize are essential milestones
Flannery O'Connor once wrote
something to the effect that she
group of
provides.
after taking
26
on social welfare, psychiatry, and psychology, Stuart Kirk devotes considerable space
to his efforts to join and even create small
communities of riding compatriots. Ive
never been much of a joiner when it comes
to riding, but reading how Kirk sys-
courses, and this kept me reading at a steady
pace, almost like a gentle cruise down
a
favorite highway.
One facet of the book I found intriguing
lvas the attention Kirk gives to the social
aspect of his burgeoning motorcycling
experience. A former professor of social
welfare at UCLA and Columbia as well as
the author and co-author ofa host ofbooks
motorcycling and, at the same time, a
reflective trip log for those who have been
riding for years. "Obsessed" or not, riders
of all tlpes are sure to find a run through
this book wiil
enhance
their joy of
motorcycling.
Revved! Obsessions of a Midlife Motorcy-
clist, 178 pages, Corkscrew Publishing.
Available from Amazon.com, $16.95 paperbacU$9.95 Kindle. O