Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well

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As a born-again motorcyclist (22 years ago I gave up the saddle when my daughter was born, after 8 years of self-taught riding), I read everything I could find about riding technique, style, and strategy. Including the Dummy books, superbike/ego books, brandname books, and a host of others. I re-discovered some old friends from Road Rider magazine, which had morphed into the consumer-oriented Motorcycle Consumer News. There I also discovered David Hough's "Proficient Motorcycling" column, which immediately appealed to me on several levels: he's an unassuming writer with understated yet direct style; his topics were relevant to all skill levels; and, he discussed the minutiae of riding with clarity, consistency, and conciseness. Everything I'd been looking for to re-educate myself on the now unfamiliar world of motorcycling. When I learned this book--a compilation of years of articles and updates--was pending, I immediately pre-ordered it. Yes, this time around I've signed up for the MSF course--but this is the book I'll keep for reference and review.

If you are a born-again, or just starting out on a motorcycle, this book will go far toward putting everything into a natural perspective. For the cost of about four issues of Motorcycle Consumer News, I have decade's worth of words that help me intimately understand exactly what I'm doing on two wheels.

Until recently, I've never had the desire to ride a motorcycle, mainly because I was afraid of becoming an organ donor. However, that suddenly changed a couple of months back, probably due to turning 37 and sitting through a marathon viewing session of "American Chopper" episodes. So, I began to shop around for a bike that would fit me, and at the same time I tapped into all the informational sources I could find about motorcycling (friends, the Web, etc.). "Proficient Motorcycling" was one of the first books I read, and I bought it based on the good reviews I saw on Amazon.com.

It was my desire to arm myself with as much knowledge and hands-on riding skills as possible before swinging a leg over the motorcycle I finally settled upon (a Harley-Davidson Fat Boy). I signed up at a local Harley-Davidson dealer for a "Rider's Edge" class, and "Proficient Motorcycling" was an excellent supplement to the MSF course materials. Indeed, Mr. Hough recommends taking an MSF course, and frankly I can't imagine a novice trying to ride without formal instruction.

The techniques that Mr. Hough advocates in "Proficient Motorcycling" have made me a better AND safer rider. I feel more confident riding my new H-D, and therefore I'm able to enjoy my road-time that much more. I've already started reading the book's sequel "More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride" to build upon what I've learned so far. If you want to be a good motorcyclist (and not a "donor-cyclist"), then by all means dive into "Proficient Motorcycling."

This is one book that needs to be on the shelf of every motorcyclist. Over a period of more than 25 years, David Hough has written the column "Proficient Motorcycling," first for Road Rider magazine and then for its successor, Motorcycle Consumer News. During that time, he has covered hundreds of topics relating to the skills needed for riding motorcycles safely on the streets.

Generations of motorcyclists have grown up with the benefit of Hough's wisdom, some owing their lives to advice dispensed in his columns. Here, for the first time is the distillation of Hough's work, packaged in a coherent, well-organized book. If reading Motorcycling Excellence can be likened to getting your Bachelor's degree in motorcycle riding, reading Proficient Motorcycling will earn you a Master's degree.

This is the best general introduction to safe street riding techniques on the market -- even better than the MSF's "Motorcycling Excellence," though new riders should read that too. Based on the long running "Proficient Motorcycling" column that appeared first in "Road Rider" and then in its spinoff "Motorcycle Consumer News," the book covers everything from the physics to the gear to the protocols of group riding. The author is a much better writer than the typical bike scribe. The information is sound throughout. It should be on every biker's bookshelf, and I strongly recommend reviewing it at the beginning of each riding season. This man's advice has undoubtedly saved lives. Make one of them yours.

I read this book before taking a motorcycle safely course. It allowed me the benefit of understanding an otherwise poor oral presentation given by the instructor. I put to use the information I had read during the riding portion of the safety course.

Mr.Hough did a great job of keeping me interested when what I really wanted to do is ride like the wind. I could not imagine riding without first reading his book, cover to cover. I have also gone back on more than one occasion to better understand things like the contact patch.

Read this book and stay safe.

As part of my quest for continuous improvement of my motorcycling skills, I've read most of the books that are available. This is probably the best there is; there are some very good tips, the writing is good, and the layout and graphics are excellent. The narrative on how to corner was worth the price of the book for me.

However, the last half of the book is somewhat repetitive and very basic. All of the motorcycle books I've read seem to be about 60-70% too basic, and this continues the trend. I still have many unanswered questions regarding braking and emergency maneuvering. My quest continues......

...by the insight of a rider who's put more seat-time on various bikes in the last 30 years than most 5 people do in a lifetime of riding!

I've ridden for 40 years and found content in the book that made me understand what I (fortunately) had been doing right for many years - but didn't know why.

If you are a newer rider, this book will help you learn to gain in proficiency. If you are an experienced rider, IT MAY HELP SAVE YOUR LIFE!

Simple as that: There are techniques that you've used and habits you've picked up that will DO YOU IN! Mr. Hough helps you understand some of the impact of your habits (that you probably don't realize are dangerous) and motivates you to work at being a safer rider.

His writing style makes what is essentially a textbook seem like a series of short articles that guide the reader through the complicated process (Yes, not everyone has the mental skills to do it well) of safely operating a motorcycle on the streets and highways.

The source for most of this information is a series of articles he wrote for Motorcycle Consumer News over the years and addresses most of the important (and misunderstood) dynamics of turns and braking - along with thorough discussions of various types of road hazards and dangerous traffic situations.

In a friendly and often blunt style, he will help you realize that you are the captain of your two (or three)-wheeled ship and need to take responsibility for compentent operation - thinking well ahead of your speed and sight picture.

You will not regret buying this book and will likely be delighted with feeling that you are making a conscious effort to give yourself (and your passenger) a safely edge.

Buy it!!!

I've read a number of books on Motorcycling including the Idiot's Guide, the Motorcycle Safetys book on Motorcycling Excellence, etc. Mr. Hough's book is, in my opinion, the best written and has the most useful information. He gives some exercises to improve skills and he cites studies to back up his recommendations to reduce the risks inherent in motorcycle riding. I've reread his book several times and always learn something new. When anyone asks me for a reference book on motorcylcing this is the one I suggest first!

Hough gives the why of motorcycle riding technique as well as how. When he writes about how to corner on the street he also makes clear why this is the recommended method.

Few wasted words in the text and clear illustrations are another strong point. This is the best book, of the many motorcyling books, that I have read for the nonracing rider.

Before I bought this book I had completed an MSF motrocycling course but the paperwork required to get my license took nearly 3 months. I lacked someone to ride with and was concerned about going out on my own. The book was a gamble on a tool that might refresh what I had previously learned and help me ease out onto the road

The gamble paid off.

This book transfers a state of mind from the author to the reader. It forces you to take safety seriously and to focus on what you are doing when you are on a bike. Beyond the compelling (and sometime humorous) stories, the clearly described techniques for avoiding danger and the excellent graphics, this book teaches you how to think when riding a motorcycle.

The author creates scenarios you might encounter on the road and transports you to those places. He puts you on the bike, he explains what you should be paying attention too and what you should be preparing to do.

Its now been several months since I read the book and got back out on the road. I've put nearly 1000 miles on the bike and will commute to work in good weather. The lessons from the book resonate in my head every time I get on the bike. I have encountered many of the situations covered in the book (railroad tracks, deer, edge traps). Rather than being surprised, confused or panicked by these situations I knew what I was seeing, knew at least some of the options available to me and could plan and react in a cool and controlled fashion.

If your new to riding ( and probably if you ridden for years) this book is worth it.

I'm essentially a beginner motorcyclist, so I was hoping to learn a lot of information from this book. I learned maybe a dozen or so valuable tips, but right up until the end of the book I kept thinking "okay, when's he going to get to the meat?" Well, he never did. Like another reviewer said, the book is about safe riding, but not "proficient motorcycling" or "riding well" as one is lead to believe by reading the title. Also, helpful diagrams were few and far between, and most of the photos were filler. Consider the following: this book, described as the "ultimate", has a sequel which is almost exactly as long in number of pages. Did he really leave out half the valuable information in the first book? If you find my comments cynical, you have grossly missed the point. I'm just telling other people who might be fooled like I was that this book is far from comprehensive. If all this book gets is glowing, superlative laden reviews, a new rider (like myself) is easily misled.

This is an excellent book for any one riding a motorcycle on the street. Even if you are an experienced rider this book is worth a read. If you have riden in the past, maybe even for years, but have not been on a bike in some time this is a great way to catch up on the latest strategies to be safe out there. It is well written (a pleasant surprise in this kind of book) and presents the information in a very easy to understand way. It's even entertaining! You can read it over a weekend.

The techniques presented in this one book, if practiced and followed, will make you a better and safer rider. It worked for me. Until something better comes along this one is THE book to read on the topic of riding street bikes safely. It will also make a good reference to use for brushing up when certain skills get rusty.

Ride on the street? Have not read this book? Just get it.

Great glossy cover for a useless 60's-era manual. If aren't sure that rain jackets will keep you drier or that gravel may cause a wreck, then this is the book for you. Nothing about motorcycles, just the road conditions that one may encounter. Totally useless.

Very easy to read and very informative. Each of the chapters can be read on their own but you may want to read the first chapter on the first reading. I recommend this book with out hesitation for all riders but especially for beginning riders. The chapter on low speed maneuvers will on it's own be worthwhile to beginners. Of course, the best way to continuously learn new riding techniques is to continuously consider yourself a beginner (in the mind of a beginner their are many possibilities, in the mind of an expert, few).

I bought this book with about 5000 miles of riding experience and it has helped alot. This is a book that every motorcyclist should own. The author also writes a monthly column for "motorcycle consumer news" by the same title. check out this link it is a good example of what the book is about http://www.mcnews.com/ It explains in detail the physics behind what the bike is doing and why. I believe the book has made me a smarter safer rider. It will do the same for you. It also includes actual practice skills for you to improve your riding. great book. In addition take a motorcycle safety foundation riding course, log in to www.msf.org

With his down-to-earth writing style, Mr. Hough (rhymes with rough) covers a wide range of driving conditions the motorcyclist may encounter and the practical steps to take to survive them. Topics include everything from lane splitting to driving on ice to the seldom thought of high wind gust.

The graphic story at the beginning (a sort of wake up call) reminds the rider that he is very vulnerable when participating in this "sport." The scenarios, with accompanying photos and drawings alert the novice to the dangers of cycling.

For those who have been riding for years, the book serves as a reminder of dangers long forgotten. After reading this book, the long-time rider will look at his or her next ride through different eyes. There will be a sense of empowerment to tackle whatever is encountered.

David discusses bike and rider center of gravity, and how these two are interrelated and change with varying bike loads, turns, and rider positions.

The section on proper braking (always use both brakes) conveys information on the amount of traction available at the wheels under varying conditions.

Traction? Learn about the "contact patch" and how it changes with lean and braking.

Learn how to gain maximum forward visibility maneuvering inside and outside turns by using David's windowing technique.

Mr. Hough's final word of advice? Practice. Practice. Practice what is in the book.

I would have given the book a five star rating, but I found some of the material in this collection of articles redundant. This may be a good thing for the novice, but I was distracted by it. I suggest the publisher eliminate this redundancy in future editions.

I'm sitting here recovering from two busted ribs, a groin pull, a foot sprain, and miscellaneous scratches and abrasions that are the result of a tumble I took on a bike just last week. It was a stupid thing, really. The [back] end of my H-D Heritage slid out from under me on a wet road while attempting to stop at a red light. I caught the slide in one direction, but over-compensated and went into a "high side" slide. That was all she wrote...

I've been riding off and on for over 27 years and ironically I had ordered this book a few days before the tumble. I wished I had read it sooner... years sooner! I've read many motorcycling periodicals and books, but Mr. Hough's no non-sense approach and his wry sense of humor taught me more in one sitting with this book than I had learned anywhere else in all these years.

I cannot recommend this book more. Not only is the content of optimal value to ALL riders... be they newbies, novices, or grizzled ole' road dogs like me, but the publication itself of fantastic quality for a paper bound edition... thick covers, glossy heavy bond paper... it's a class book!

Motorcycle riding has its inherent dangers and risks. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and buy this book. I guarantee you that it's worth waaaaaaaaay more than the few bucks you're gonna' spend on it.

Ride SAFE!

~Eric

I have been riding off and on for about 19 years. Decided to to get a new Superbike soon and felt a little reading before taking another MSF course could be a real bonus. This book is filled with practical advice that can really help on the road. The writing is much better than Keith Code's TWOT II and it does not continually insult the readers intelligence with definitions to common words*. (Not saying Keith Code wrote a bad book, Not at all.) Just that alot of the information in this book was easier to understand and the author has given the reader a little vocabulary credit. Codes' books do provide tons of information, it's just that this book was written much better. It is more street oriented than Codes' book as well. Much of the book was basic review but even in review there were some tips and ideas that should prove handy. Well written and recommended, I would especially recommend this book and an MSF class to a novice rider. To top it all off the binding has a quality feel to it as well.

New to biking, this book is a must read. Veteran biker, this is the definitive reference. The author leverages his extensive world wide riding experience of 20+ years against his career as a trainer and puts together what I describe as the Real World MSF Handbook.
If you have taken the MSF course, then this book will build upon those skills. The author covers all aspects of motoring around on two wheels, such as Managing Risk, Motorcycle Dynamics, Urban Traffic Skills, Traps, and Special Situations.
The chapters are well organized and balanced with the right amount of theory, riding experience, graphics, pictures and diagrams.
I constantly find myself thumbing through the book after a ride that I had difficulty with, or needed to confirm I used the right maneuver.

David Hough has, he says, 750,000 miles under his saddle as of ten years ago. That's a lot of miles. I'm 73, and have driven trucks professionally. I figure that between trucks, cars, and motorcycles I've driven something over a million miles. At 20,000 miles a year average, which is about what I put on the odometer these days, that's 50 years of driving. In my case, I have about 60 years of driving experience. I'm older than David Hough.

That's a lot of motorcycling, and in his case, judging by the two books of his that I've read, I believe him. He is obviously a very experienced rider, and his advice is very good. He is passing along his experience and wisdom on avoiding road rash, and it would be well to heed it.

His other book which I have read and recommend, is Street Strategies. It is sort of a condensed version of Proficient Motorcycling. There will be another one out shortly, they say, which will be titled More Proficient Motorcycling. I will buy that one, as well.

To learn from others is wiser than to have to learn everything yourself from your own experience, especially when the most important lessons are usually the result of bruises, or worse. When I bought my first motorcycle--a Honda CB250 "Hawk" back in the mid-'sixties, I had a totally inexperienced instructor--me. My next was a (very) used 1946 74 cu.in. Harley-Davidson knucklehead, with a suicide clutch and a tank shift. I have also owned a little trail 55cc Honda. Today, I ride a 2000 90 cu.in. Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad. How times have changed! I'm signed up for a motorcycle riding class, because I figure there are still a lot of things to learn.

Motorcycling is not the safest mode of transportation, but it is fun, and if you stay on top, it's a good way to stay young and vital.

So, buy this book and learn about how to avoid the pitfalls and keep on enjoying the freedom of motorcycling. Proficient Motorcycling is full of photos, drawings, facts and figures and safety tips, entertainingly written and illustrated. You won't regret buying it.

Joe Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom ..their care and maintenance

If you are concerned about your riding skills,this is one of the best book you can ever find in the market. Get this book and read it. After a month re-read. It will help you to reduce the chances of accident and injury and improve your odds significantly.

First I have to say this is a wonderful manual for learning or refreshing good riding habits. Full of commen sense advise and in depth theory. David Hough is an excellent and personable instructer.

Having said that, David's publisher, BowTie Press, should be ashamed for selling a book put together so poorly. The very first page I opened to came free in my hand. It took about twenty minutes more for the binding to fail completely. Frankly, I'm amazed they have the nerve to charge $24.95 list price for such shoddy work.

David Hough wrote the kind of book you will want to read, re-read, and refer to for years to come. Too bad the binding won't last that long.

-Chris Malone

I just finished Hough's excellent guide. I am a beginner again having just earned my motorcycle license after a more than 20 year absence from biking. I took a motorcycle safety/"learn" to ride course and wanted more help developing skills. I bought this book after reading several motorcycle websites that sang its praises. The praises were well-deserved! This is essential information; I gained renewed respect for the skills and proper disposition a rider should develop to remain physically and spiritually safe while riding. The photos and graphic representations of various motorcycling situations are easy to understand and follow. Hough is a journalist and his writing is expository, clear and easy to apply to your practice sessions on the 'cycle. As one who is hungry for information on technique, to me, the book was a page turner!

I give the book 5 stars even though I think Hough could have mentioned how certain scenarios might have a different outcome for women, such as things to watch for when touring alone and dealing with unwanted attention, which he covers only with men in mind. I realize that women are still a small percent of motorcyclists and I understand that the book mostly is about riding technique but the book was assembled in 2000, surely something of greater substance could have been said about women. Women are occasionally mentioned but primarily as passengers. In my reading, there were places in the book where an additional sentence of two on how something might affect women riders could easily have been included.

Still, Hough has written a great book that this 50+ year old woman motorcyclist will return to again and again.

I agree with what is written about the excellent material in the book however, the binding is not what one would expect in a book that could become a lifelong reference volume. After one easy look through, the pages started coming away from the binding. In a book that may be one of the best written on how to remain safe on a motorcyle, one would expect a binding that would get through at least one reading. I am wondering if Mr. Hough knows what type of material the publisher is using. I would gladly pay more for a binding that would last through at least several readings. I love the book's content and David Hough has given so much to the motorcycle community but I am really disappointed in the quality of the binding and would caution anyone buying this book to consider this point.

If you consider yourself an experienced rider and are looking for ways to make your riding safer, then, this is the book for you. It explains in great length the dynamics of the bike and the key to keep it balanced and upright and then goes on to describe how this knowledge can prevent many accidents. The weakness of the book is that it seems to emphasize too much on this aspect of the riding and it becomes a little repetitive. I need to learn more about how to use the clutch properly, for example, but this was not covered at all.

This book is full of information useful to motorcycle riders, expecially beginners. Hopefully it will make the risk of riding my bike less due to my inexperience. It closely follows the information gained by taking the MSF rider safety course.

Good book -Lousy binding - fell apart the first time i read it. Being a newbie - the book was very helpful

Nice book but possibly the worst binding job I have ever seen, pages liberated themselves from the binding with every turn. I returned for a refund.

I have toyed with writing a book about riding motorcycles for some time. I even have some saved notes from a draft I started some years ago. I felt that, having ridden so many miles and having come across so many different situations on a motorcycle and having understood, remembered and analysed most of them, perhaps I could put down some comments, advice and explanations for the benefit of other riders. Thankfully I did not pursue this endevor too long, because when I read David Hough's book, I realized he has already been there, done that and put it all down in a book with clearer explanations than ever I cared to do. This is the very best advice I could ever hope come across in all biking literature. This guy really understands how things work on a motorcycle and has the skill to put it all down on paper. I found that all the subjects I had noted down to write about are already covered skillfully on David's pages. It's a first class read that, no matter how many miles I have clocked and no matter what skill and experience I think I have, I can open the book at any place and read something I don't know already. I thoroughly recommend it to all motorcylcists, young and old, novice and experienced.

This book should be required reading to obtain your motorcycle license. It is THE most thoroughly written book on the subject of safety. Michael Charles Messineo - Author of "Rigby's Roads"

This book, based on the author's column for Motorcycle Consumer News, makes for good interesting reading. Though not a motorcyclist, reading this title has made me a safer and smarter driver. I'm more aware of motorcyclists and know how to share the road with them. More importantly, I know how to prepare for and avoid dangerous driving situations. The chapters repeat critical information, so you can read them in any order and not miss a key point. At the same time, the author keeps it fresh by telling the same story differently, according to the focus of the chapter. A very good read for anyone who uses the road.

Simply brilliant! This man has ridden them and wrote about them. Great insite into how to ride a motorcycle and more.

Great personal notes and stories with real exercises to help you master the 'twisties' and all the other road nasties you 'might' face as a motorcyclist.

Although written for the American audience, with some clear thinking and practical skills everthing in this book applies to anyone riding on the roads around the world. ( I'd like David to come over and add an extra chapter in regard to Kangaroo's on the road. )

Worth the wait, worth the money. A handbook I won't be forgeting or putting down in a hurry.

This book will save your life. You will learn riding technique that will save you a ton of grief or death. I had 13 motorcycles and rode back in the 60's and 70's. I just got back into riding this year with a new Harley Davidson. When I picked up this book my jaw dropped. I learned things I was doing wrong and didn't know just how dangerous, and lucky, I was to ride so much and not have gotten killed. It will open your eyes to dangers that make sense once you read the book. If you value your life, read this book. It's going to help you become a more defensive and professional street rider.

When I first bought my Harley, I went to the Library, and checked out most everything they had on motorcycles. "Proficient Motorcycling" was one of those books, and I learned more from that one book, than the other 10 or 12 combined. It is a great book that will tell you what to do, and not do, and make you think about it. I ride a "Electra Glide Classic", and have had no other bikes, so had no bad, or good habits, so I was learning from scratch. I am sure that in the last two years, (and over 20,000 miles on the bike)the things I learned from this book have kept me alive, and happy, with bugs in my teeth.

The topics covered are important, but the author's explanations are needlessly long-winded. He also repeats himself frequently. The essential information could be explained in about 1/5 of the author's ramblings. I had trouble staying awake long enough to get through a chapter. I frankly don't understand why so many people rave about this book.

I read this when it first came out, believe it or not the local library carried a copy. After a year or so of going over some items in my head while riding, I've decided that this is one book which needs to be on the shelf at home where I can get my own grease prints on the pages from time to time. I rated it 4 starts because some of the information was a little rich in content. This is not a a bad thing... if you own it. However, if you're checking it out from a library with a due date just around the corner -- yes.

...and I've read them all. The one from the Motorcycle Safety Foundation pales in comparison to this one. The technical information is in both of them, but this one is easy to read. The other one will put you to sleep right quick. David Hough also has many interesting anecdotes from his 30+ years of motorcycling that you don't get in a sanitary book like the one from the MSF. I'm sorry to crack on it so much, but that book reads like an Algebra text. With this book and some practice, you will do very well in your motorcycling career. Just make sure you take it seriously, practice, and keep it in the bathroom to be reread frequently. There are very few books out there that have within them the capability to save your life. This is one of them.

Whether you are a rank beginner or have experience riding, you will find a lot of useful information in this book. It is well organized and offers a lot of examples to make the information relative to the real world. It gives good practice techniques for learning and improving your riding ability. The information in this book enabled me to go from novice to passing my license on the first try. If you want to become a good, safe, proficient rider, this is the book that will do it.

"David Hough's book has become the de facto bible of motorcycling," was the first comment I heard from a veteran rider. I was naturally skeptical, but ordered it nonetheless. After the first two chapters, I was absolutely certain that my friend was right.

David's descriptions of how a bike works, why it behaves the way it does and how to ride it well are simple and straightforward. His humor and down-home speech take the most complex of topics and break them down into bite-sized pieces which are easy to grasp. He gives exercises every so often to help solidify concepts - - - each of these have helped me become a better rider.

After 20+ years of motorcycling experience, I thought I basically knew what I needed to know; this book convinced me that I had much to learn. I gave it to another veteran rider as a birthday gift. Today, we are both riding much better and safer because of it.

In short, this is required reading for anyone who rides a motorcycle, no matter the skill level.

The contents of the book are excellent, it covers all the subjects about accidents, turning, braking, carrying pigeons, street and road driving, etc.
I've been practicing some of the exercises and they really improved some of my driving skills. I recommend the book for motorcycle drivers with any level of expertice.
I only found two 'but' for the book:
1. The cornering technique is explained too much, TOO much. Maybe the author wants to reinforce the knowledge about this extremely useful technique, but it's repeated a lot.
2. The book binding is terrible!!! I love books and take a lot of care with them, but this one has been losing pages since the first day. Really sad to have such an excellent written book with a terrible physical construction.

Overall, an excellent purchase.

I agree with the crux of the previous reviews. Namely, there is invaluable information within on how, and more importantly why to ride safely for both new and "lapsed" motorcyclists. However, there is much wasted space on things such as sidecars, and how to chose one. This, for me, should be a subject for another book. As someone else said, there could definitely have been more "meat" included, such as alternate cornering techniques, an introduction to trail braking and why to use it, etc.

That said, it is a terrific reasource and well worth reading. As one who as been out of the saddle for 14 years, it has already made me a better rider, and I haven't even picked up my new bike as yet!

As also mentioned previously, the binding is very poor.

After taking the Basic Rider Course and getting a couple thousand miles in the saddle for the first time in 20+ years, I still find this book to be extremely helpful. There is a lot of in depth discussion of not just WHAT you should be doing, but WHY. I now understand a lot of things more clearly than before. Just as an example, in the class they taught what line to take through a curve, but were kind of sketchy on why. The book explains WHY to take that line - not much to do with the same reasons you use a similar line in road racing or autocross, but more to do with safety & survival by maximizing your sight line through the curve and minimizing your exposure to oncoming drivers wandering across the centerline. I've also greatly improved my right & left turns from a stop after reading a couple of chapters dealing with suspension, steering & countersteering. It helps a LOT to really understand what's happening and why the bike behaves the way it does at different speeds.

There's a fantastic amount of information in this book. Of course not everything will be useful to everyone. I can, though, honestly very highly recommend that EVERY beginning rider consider this a must-read, and probably most if not all riders with more experience. The author takes a realistic approach to managing risk while riding, and doesn't get pompous or preachy as I have seen in a few other publications.

Outstanding wealth of motorcycling knowledge. Teaches you way more than the MSF class (but not a substitute for it). Pretty easy read and entertaining too.

If I'd read this book in 1970, I might still have my first bike today. That Suzuki 250 only lasted a week. I dumped it on a steep, rutted dirt road, kinked the accelerator cable, and left the battered beast for repairs in a garage which burnt to the ground during the catastrophic San Diego County fires of that year.
The 'Running Out of Pavement' section in "Proficient Motorcycling" enlightened me as to what I did wrong thirty years ago. If only I'd had access to the info on how to ride off-pavement with street tires then!
That first doomed bike weighed a third as much as my current two wheeler, which I take up and down a rough gravelly patch of road nearly everyday, and successfully, thanks in part to applying the techniques Hough describes. Becoming a better rider involves constant growth. Hough's book gives plenty of opportunity for that, even for those of us who've been rolling around for years.
His easy, conversational style let me breeze through the whole book for a quick overview, and now I go back to it as a reference to refresh practical knowledge on specific situations.
This book provides tons of wisdom for beginners, or if you've learned mostly by trial and error, it brings everything together in a systematic way, providing strategies and techniques that simply increase biking pleasure. Using Hough's lore on dynamics and cornering, for example, especially 'Delayed Apexing,' makes the road seem wider. In fact, I would say that seeking the delayed apex opens a new dimension for old bikers, in much the same way that seeking the G-spot does for old lovers.

As a 45 year old just starting to ride, this book was perfect. Despite the warnings from others, I discovered in this book that motorcycle riding can be safe and enjoyable. The strategies presented are sound and easy to understand. The diagrams are great and the read is simple.

Read this book and stay alive!

Simply put, if you ride or want to be a motorcyclist, you MUST read this book. It explains so many of the mysterious things about why a motorcycle does what it does when under many different circumstances. If you want to understand your bike and improve your skills and style, don't miss this well-written and edited manual.

David Hough does for the road rider what Keith Code does for the track rider. Hough takes everyday riding situations and analyzes them from all perspectives. He does not get bogged down in silly definitions or other diversions. He is straight forward and thorough.

I have been riding for more than 20 years. Many of the things that Hough discusses were things that I learned the hard way. This book is filled with good common sense suggestions. This is by far the best book for any street rider - even better than the MSF book.

An excellent book to get started on before hitting the road, and to get things 'right' at least for the theory of driving a motorcycle.
I have been riding bike a few years and I probably thought as most experienced riders that "there is nothing you have to learn me, I know it 'all'"... Well, I realized that's not the case, so even if the basics are well known, it gave me a lot of valuable tips, some things you don't even think about too much:
Just a couple of items that I had a 'wake up' call on, was adjustments of mirrors, the positioning in bends (use the 'outer apex') and training on emergency stops.
I can recommend this book, mostly for starters, but even for experienced riders it will have some very good 'reminders'; At least it has for me...

If you have taken the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) riding class, then this book will not be very informative.

Proficient Motorcycling was not bad, but not real good either. Lots of extra, un-necessary and boring commentary that did add depth or content to the art or skill of "Proficient Motorcycling" (loses a star). There were a few things I picked up, but not 5 star content. If you have not taken the MSF riding class, then this book will be very informative and I recommend it. If you HAVE taken it, then this is basically a blah blah blah (minus another star) review of the MSF class. Information presented WAS logical and easy to understand (Engineers and Rocket Scientists: Don't expect details on the technical aspects covered).

The content of this book is absolutely excellent. The binding is absolutely the most atrocious I've experienced. I have a stack of detached pages after one reading of the book. If anyone (publisher, amazon) takes these reviews to heart...DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!!

The book is good but the binding is horrible............Amazon should really correct this issue.

Loved this book but the pages started falling out within 20 minutes of reading. Very dissapointed.

This is an excellent book for describing a variety of skills required to ride a motorcycle proficiently and safely. Everyone I tell that I own a motorcycle feels compelled to share their horror story about a motorcycle accident. This is serving the intended purpose of raising my awareness of the risk. I find that David Hough does an excellent job of describing realistic scenarios that cyclists encounter and then walks the reader thru the best way to avoid an accident. He also acknowledges that we ride motorcyles to have fun and sometimes riding involves going fast and maneuvering around traffic. He explains what can happen if you engage in this type of riding and gives advice on how to make this riding as safe and skillful as possible.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about riding.

David L. Hough is a rider with more that a million miles of motorcycle experience, so he obviously knows a thing or two about riding. I recommend reading the books in sequence, beginning with the first book, Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well. The chapters begin with an example of an accident or an incident involving a fictitious rider (with names like Panicky Pete, Motorhead Mike and Knee-dragger Nellie!) and then he proceeds to analyze the mistakes the rider made. Hough talks about motorcycle dynamics, making panic stops, conserving traction during cornering, urban traffic survival, effective steering and group riding practices, all peppered with interesting anecdotes and examples drawn from his personal experience or that of his friends.

In More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride, he focuses on the mental aspect of motorcycling, with practical steps that could increase the riders focus and reduce reaction time. He explains countersteering and cornering in more detail, discusses road hazards to motorcyclists and explains how to deal with them. Both books have plenty of photographs and diagrams. The writing style keeps the reader engrossed, with a dash of dry wit making some of the more serious content very readable. Bottom-line: If you are serious about your motorcycling, consider buying or at least borrowing these two books. They are priceless and could quite possibly save your life when you are confronted with an emergency while riding. One other book by David L. Hough worth checking out is Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists. This is more like a quick reference book, with material condensed from the Proficient Motorcycling series. While none of these books can replace the hands-on training provided at a motorcycle safety course, they go a long way in increasing the rider's understanding of motorcycle dynamics, thus making it easier to practice the right technique while riding or choose the right course of action in an emergency.

I am a new rider as of this year, and I have been looking around for all the information I can about riding, and doing it safely. I found the material written in this book to be fantastic. In the middle of reading this book, I took the MSF safety riding class and it was incredible how pretty much everything taught there was in this book....and the book had a lot more too! (It indicated to me that this Hough guy seems to have written a real excellent reference book) The information in broad, yet the recommendations are specific and given with plenty of examples and real-life stories to make them easy to grasp. As one of the other reviewers commented: "This is a keeper!"

Outstanding book for either the amateur or veteran cyclist. He describes virtually every accident possibility while riding motorcycles: snow, sleet, hail, rails, curbs, rain and rage riders. He speaks often about crashing the bike, what could prevent crashes, and how to enjoy a motorcycle. Having literally placed the reader in all these hair-raising situations, having emphasized how they can happen, he fails to advise solutions for getting a "down" bike back up into the vertical position. Almost every "seasoned" biker can wax eloquently just how to do this--four or five ways--unfortunately David Hough fails to give any advice whatever on this situation. Very important if you're 75 miles from nowhere in the desert and possibly alone and lack this proficiency ...

Proficient Motorcycling reinforces many of the concepts I learned on my motorcycle training course. In addition, it made me consider real life riding scenarios and road surfaces that I may encounter, and challenged me to consider the options.

There is no substitute for experience, and the author has been there, seen it, and writes about it in a very practical style.

Highly recommended.

This is probably the best book about riding motorcycles and safety. It covers many topics ranging from helmet wearing to trajectories, rain,... and tries, with success, to put into the reader's mind good automatism and habits. It avoids the simple aproaches found in other books and gives smart and technical advices on riding safely. If there is one motorcycling book a rider should read, it is this one.

After taking a 2 1/2 day MSF class with no prior riding experience, I did not feel prepared to go out into the big scary world of traffic. This book was a great continuation of the MSF course with good illustrations and comprehensive explanations from someone who has obviously been riding for many years. The quality of the paperback version was excellent. A must have for those new to motorcyling who want to learn and be as safe as they can be.

.

This book is better than the MSF course you took (or will take). It's not a replacement, nor is it meant to be. It is a furtherance of your motorcycling education.

This book should be used as a supplement to your MSF course and your riding. I read it as a refresher a couple times a year, mainly before long rides, and I retake the MSF class every two-years.

If you are new to riding, or an old hand, this is a book you should read.

Other reviewers have been quite generous in their treatment of the quality of this book's binding. One reviewer below even claims to have made it 20 pages before any fell out. That reviewer must be a relative of the author. My copy lost a few pages in transit, its cover as I pulled it out of the box, and separated into blocks of about 50 pages by the time I got it to the restroom. As each page was turned for the first time, it pulled out of whatever small group it had been in. Sadly, the latter part of the book fell to the floor and burst into individual sheets of paper that got out of order.

This was a shame, because the book appeared to have good information in it. However, I have not taken the time to put the pages back in order to read them. It is currently in a file folder on my bookshelf. Perhaps one day when I might otherwise work a jigsaw puzzle I will try to finish it.

This is a great example of why books should come with an electronic file. Then I could at least read it on my computer screen.

I give it one star, since if the content is not available to the purchaser, it is really no content at all.

This is a fantastic book. The content is great for beginning motorcyclists. However, the book binding is awful. Pages fell out before I even finished reading the entire book.

Same as previous reviews. The information is very informative and well written but the binding fell apart the first day I read it.

The material in the book is very good. I think there are some very good tips, especially for beginners such as myself. The big complaint I have is the binding of the book. The book is very poorly put together, and all my pages have fallen out. I had to get a three ring binder and punch holes in all my pages and just throw them in that. The pages started falling just 50 pages into the book...and I bought the book brand new and only had it for 2 days.

For the novice and advanced enthusiast seeking information on how to ride a motorcycle, David Hough's first volume in his two-book series should be required reading. While the new rider should also complete the basic motorcycle safety course (and the advanced rider could always use a refresher course, too!) before venturing onto America's roadways, Hough's text will instill confidence and knowledge usually only gained by years of riding experience. Hough imparts a wealth of information on both the mechanics and physics of motorcycles as well as providing an enjoyable, easy to read and well illustrated discourse on how to actually drive the motorcycle. From cornering correctly to hazard avoidance to training exercises, Hough's first volume provides everything one needs to ride safely, happily and comfortably but the motorcycle itself.

This book could save your life! A must read for anyone who rides a motorcycle or scooter. Makes you consider a variety of scenarios and how to react if confronted with them, or avoid them altogether. I'd have given this book five stars, except for the lousy binding.... as I was reading it, groups of pages kept coming loose and I had to keep gluing them back onto the binding.

A neighbor gave me this book last winter to get me back into riding after 30 years. After reading it and putting 4500 miles on a K12GT, I now realize I didn't really know how to enjoy riding back then. Hough does a good job of holding your interest-repeatedly hammering key points throughout the book. I have since purchased two more copies for friends thinking about learning to ride.

David Hough is a saint. His magazine articles regarding safe motorcycling have been a boon to the riding community as a whole, but this book, Proficient Motorcycling, is an absolute blessing with a compilation of almost all the information anyone needs to be a safer rider.

I'm 28 and I've been riding for almost four years now, and Hough's book is a pre-season training ritual for me. Every year, before I get set to start riding for the summer, I whip out Hough's book and read it from cover-to-cover to refamiliarize myself with everything that a good rider needs to know before heading out on the streets. I attribute my not having laid down my 2001 SV650S at least partially to the amazing advice held within the pages of Hough's book (knock on wood).

If you're a rider who's new to the sport or a veteran rider who's been riding for decades, David Hough's Proficient Motorcycling won't steer you wrong with a bounty of good advice and well-drawn diagrams to prepare you to face the hundreds of horrible drivers in SUVs that are plaguing our freeways. GET THIS BOOK!

This is one of those books any interested in a matter must have. Perhaps one can't call it The Bible of motorcycling. But it runs very close to it. It deals with every aspect of riding always from the safe point of view. By reading it many riders -me included- finally understood why we move this or that way during cornering, for example, or why it is safer to gradually apply front brake before leaning the bike, even after having done that for years unaware and in a natural manner.
Mr. Hough's experienced translated into words and graphics in this volume is essential for anyone interested in two-wheeled safe fun. For the price of a couple of tanks full of gas you may encounter with the very best of motorcycle riding techniques.

This book, combined with a Motorcycle Safety Foundation class, is one of the best indroductions to safe motorcycle riding techniques. I highly recommend it.

I just bought a new motorcycle after about 18 years out of the saddle and decided I needed to brush up on some riding tactics. I bought "Proficient Motorcycle" by David Hough to give me the refresher I needed.

The book itself is solid stock, with nice thick high quality gloss paper. The cover is even thicker paper that folds inward at the edges to prevent wear as you thumb through the pages. The binding is glued and threaded with fourteen strong stiches... high quality all around.

But wait... do you like sticky gooey residue all over the back cover of your books? No, you say? Well, you may be a little disappointed then. The "Free 144 Bonus Pages" is actually a CD-ROM attached to a plastic holder on the back of the book. The CD has a huge yellow warning sticker on it, "If you break this seal you cannot return the book". Ok fine. The problems start when you go to "break the seal". You have to literally destroy the plastic sleeve to get the CD out, which requires you to pull it from the back paper cover. This will rip some of the back cover off with it. And now there is a sticky adhesive mess all over the back cover that will stick to the back page when you shut it. I had to put tape all over the back cover in order to "seal in" all the adhesive residue from the advertisement CD.

And that's what the "144 bonus pages" are... advertisement for the Motorcycle Consumer News magazine. You get three old issues with plenty of oppurtunities to subscribe. They should have left this out, no one want this CD and it destroys the book cover.

So, a little worse for the wear, I cracked open the book and read it from cover to cover.

The information contained was useful and enjoyable to read. But the "enjoyable to read" part actually has an expense to it. The motorcyle lingo and the off-the-cuff casual nature will put you at ease, but when this style sours into heavy sarcasm, it can be confusing.

For example, on page 38 shows a photograph of a couple on a motorcyle wearing the lid-style helmets. Perfectly legal and popular where I live. The caption says, "You don't really need a real helmet if you are clever enough to avoid crashes." Yes, pretty obvious sarcasm but possible misleading.

There is other questionable language in the text also. Sometimes Hough will refer to crash victims as "road stains". That's always tacky, regardless of context. On more than one occasion he refers to scruffy bikers that like to wear black leather with metal studs as "terrorists" and at other times as "biker trash". This is type of language is not funny and not necessary.

Those negatives aside, however, I really enjoyed the writing style. Hypothetical characters like "Interstate Al" and "Biker Bob" are not only enjoyable to read about, but made me think of their situations when I was out on the road. This is a very effective teaching tool that I found enjoyable and informative.

Overall, I think this book is worth the money. The information is very valuable and it is presented in a enjoyable way. I am without a doubt a better rider after reading "Proficient Motorcycling". I am even thinking about buying Hough's next installment, "More Proficient Motorcycling". I may have pointed out a few negatives about the presentation here, but I am happy I bought and read this book, and my overall impressions are positive.

I'm new at this game and find this book invaluable. It's a compendium of monthly columns, well-written and illustrated, in a sound, down-to-earth style.

I'm finding that much of motorcycling is at first counter-intuitive. Often the panic reaction to a threatening situation will exactly make things worse rather than better. What's needed is to understand at a basic level the physics involved - how the tire is gripping the road, the forces that want to displace it and cause you to lose control, and how to use the momentum and power of the bike to keep control in your domain.

The paradox of the learning process is that once you understand what's going on, it becomes second nature; at a higher level, the right technique displaces our first response and itself becomes intuitive.

The real question here is do you want to find these things out the long, hard way - by haphazard conversations with other riders, or even through bitter personal experience, or do you want to study from an expert and avoid what could be a very costly learning curve?

I'm taking just a chapter or two each day and digesting it. Hough is a graphics designer and it shows in the book's layout, in its diagrams and even in its interesting font design. A well layed-out book, and a wealth of important information.

I just ordered the book and started reading it. So far (60 pages down) its pretty good. BUT the pages come off the spine very easily. If you intend to buy this book watch out for it. It did come very highly recommended by my instructor from the MSF school.

This is without question the best book I have read for anyone, new to motorcycling or with many years of riding experience, who wishes to learn and improve their ability to ride wisely and safely. This book, along with it's sequel, "More Proficient Motorcycling", is jam packed with valuable and necessary information about all aspects of safely and proficiently riding a motorcycle, and it's written in an entertaining style that is easy to comprehend and understand. Every motorcycle rider should own these two books, and they should be reread at least once a year. The cost of these books is the best money I have ever spent in many years of motorcycling. I HIGHLY recommend this book!

I had heard that this was a good book to read if you are new to riding a motorcycle or just to refresh what you may already know. There is a lot of information that will make you a better rider. This is a book that you should re-read every spring (especially if you can't ride in the winter due to where you live)to refresh your memory about everything that is out there and the ways you can be safe.

After years of motorcycle riding and then 20 years of not riding I knew that I needed to re-focus on safety and riding technique. It seemed that the author had me in mind when he wrote this book. It is excellent. I often observe those who ride motorcycles that demonstrate marginal skill, poor protective gear and myriad combinations of nonsense. They would benefit greatly from this book. Those who demonstrate safe riding habits will benefit greatly as well. With prudent safety habits motorcycling can be a great, safe way to spend the day. This book is a must read.

As a new motorcyclist, I was concentrating on not falling down. Hough's " Proficient Motorcycling" actually explained the nuances of leaning and braking as well as many of the other aspects of not only riding a motorcyle, but enjoying it safely.

I found myself leaning in my chair as he explained how to enter a curve.

I still pull it out now and then to brush up on the right way to do it. I've been riding for over a year and a half now and haven't fallen down yet!! I give Mr Hough much of the credit for that.

Even an experienced rider can learn much from this book. It is easy to read and one can actually imagine and understand the techniques he explains.

If you ride or are thinking of learning - don't wait - get this book!!

This is a great book, filled with lots of details about the science of motorcycles, techniques of riding, and explains the "whys" of the skills which are taught in the MSF class. There is a vast amount of info to digest for the novice rider as well as "homework assignments" intended to increase your skill level. The heavy quality of the paper is great, but the binding job is horrible ... one flip of a page and it falls out of the book. The book should really be spiral bound, and my solution was to 3-hole punch the pages and put them into a notebook. Bottom line, take your time absorbing the materials, practice the techniques, and increase your confidence and enjoyment levels. It's a great book.

The book is very good for beginners, although it can be very repetitive. The bad thing about this book, I began reading it and the pages began to fall off, I now have half of the book as loose pages.

I just opened my BRAND NEW copy yesterday and the binding is very poor. They started coming out around pg10 and now at pg60, each new page completely comes apart from the spine.

THIS IS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM WITH BRAND NEW BOOKS. THIS IS A WIDESPREAD ISSUE AND ITS BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. PLEASE FIX IT.


As for the content of the book itself, it is very good. Definitely every rider, new or experienced should have a copy on hand for techniques, ideas and drills.

This book contains a large amount of practical, useful and comprehensible information that should be valuable to any motorcycle operator who wants to ride safely. It covers areas from accident statistics, driving and operating tips, to strategy.

However, as other reviewers have commented, the binding is very poor quality. I was barely 20 pages into the book before pages began to fall away from the spine. My copy is now held together by rubber-bands and glue. I am surprised that a publisher would continue to charge so much money for a book without correcting this problem...

I would have given the book 5 stars based on content, but only gave it 3 in response to the poor quality of the binding.

The material is fantastic, but the fact that the book disintegrated in my hands the first time I opened it is vastly disappointing.

As I am reading this book, the pages are literally falling out of the binding. The material is excellent, but the packaging is fourth rate. Reading it is a little like shuffling a deck of cards. Poor,poor poor.

The major problem I have with this book is that the pages separate and fall out. very poor binding quality.

My husband had recently bought his first motorcycle, and I heard this was a great book for beginners. He said the information was really useful and an easy read! In fact, he read the whole book within a week!! He liked it so much, I recently bought him the 2nd book in the series, and he's enjoying it as well.

I enjoy everything motorcycles from the bikes to techniques that make me a better and safer rider. Mr.Hough is seemingly unaware that many riders realize that riding has its risks (we're all not that stupid, Dave). I don't need stories of Biker Bob picking up his right foot after he high sides his bike on a bananna peel . Other than Uncle Dave trying to "scare you straight" its good stuff.

I am a new rider. I completed the Idaho STAR motorcycle new rider safety course, I found that the Proficient Motorcycling book is full of informative information which reinforces and builds on the STAR program. I like being able to review at my own pace. My husband who has been riding for over 35 years is now reading it and also has learned a thing or two.

This book is extremely informative and definitely worth buying. I am a beginner and I have learned so much just from reading this book.

The only thing wrong with it is the binding is horrible! I have had this book for about a week and the pages I have read have come completely loose from the binding! They are falling right out. I am going to have to tape every page to the next page to keep from losing them. I am very dissappointed about that since it is an excellent book and very beautiful,and one to keep for a long time or pass along to others, but it's not going to last long and the tape is going to make it quite ugly compared to its perfectly new state.

For any rider, either new or master, this book is a must. This book provides a collection of articles from John Hough, that are timely even though they were written years ago.

Mr. Hough's shared experience, knowledge and wisdom have made me a better rider than I could have ever imagined. I don't care what anyone says, this and his other books are lifesaving material. Also. well written and very enjoyable to read.

Many Thanks to Mr Hough!!!
Bill S Midland, VA

At last! A book that talks about the things a lot of people learn by trial and error. Unfortunately, an "error" in motorcycle riding can be both costly and very painful. This book talks about the things you would WANT to learn from an experienced coach. It6 is worth the dollars times 10.

This book gives you a detailed overview of what you need to do to ride your mortorcycle. There is a lot of real case.
All the tips are right on target. The philosophy of the author is aim at being proactive against potential accident.
Personnaly as I'm a 'commebacker' after 20 years, I truly appreciated the whole content, it makes me realized that we can have fun while reducing the risk of riding.

This is an excellent, practical and easy book to read. It combines the theory with the practical and has loads of useful tips you wont find elsewhere. I have returned to motorcycling after 30 years away and am finding it invaluable. A must-read book for all motorcyclists. Although initially I found it a little off-putting that Americans ride on the wrong side of the road (!), I soon adjusted my thinking, and it didnt detract from my comprehension of the text. A great read and excellent value.

David Hough, pronounced like rough or tough, has an uncanny way of making very basic concepts of motorcycling that we take for granted fun and entertaining. Anyone new to the sport or even 40 year veterans can learn from this book. I highly recommend this book if you wish to understand and overcome bad habits we all tend to pick up when riding.

Now I just need to order More Proficient Motorcycling, which is suppose to go into even more detail that was originally introduced in this book.

this book is a good review of the material I learned at the MSF safety course. I will end up reselling this one because now I have reviewed it I don't need to go back through it. He makes you think and that is important to increase your chances of never laying it down.

I have been riding a motorcycle for only two years. While first learning I wanted to find a book that would answer my questions and give me more knowledge and confidence. This book is great. I understand better the dynamics of riding. I have improved my cornering, stopping, and defensive driving. It is full of valuable information to help anyone, even a seasoned rider to ride better, with more confidence, and most importantly... safer. It is not a book you read once, it is a reference manual that you will refer to time and time again.

This book is the next best thing...if you haven't had the opportunity to experience the MSF Class! And even if you have taken the MSF class...this book is a must read! Excellent!

Being a beginning motorcyclist, I wanted some sage advice on what to look out for from someone who knew. That's exactly what you get from David Hough in "Proficient Motorcycling". This is a great addition (but not substitution) for the MSF Safety Course. The book is plain English and easily read. Great book for either new people to motorcycling or even those with a little experience who want to learn more about how and why a motorcycle does what it does.

I bought this book the day after I purchased my first motorcycle. I made a promise to myself, and my mother, that I would take every step to being as careful as possible, so I decided I would read this book and take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (www.msf-usa.org) Rider Course before I began to ride. I am very thankfull that I bought and read this book completely before I took my first ride. There are to many points made in this book to point out, but I'll put it this way; two minutes into my first ride I found myself mentally and physically practicing the fundamentals discussed in the book. Needless to say, the challenge of riding a motorcyle is more than any other vehicle, but knowing some of the things I learned from this book began paying off immediatley. There are so many things taught in this book that novices like myself are not aware of when it comes to riding, especially in an urban environment. And like most of the other reviews state, do yourself a favor and read this book whether your a begginer or experienced rider. Excellent manual on riding safe, which ultimatley leads to enjoying the ride! Thanks for writing this book Mr. Hough.

I purchased this book after taking the MSF course, getting my M1 license, & purchasing my first bike. This has been a wonderful reinforcement of many of the points I learned in the training class, and as I re-read different sections, then go for a ride, it's helping me 'connect the dots' and explains what I'm doing wrong (or right!). Next to my helmet & leathers, this was probably the next best purchase I made as I begin my motorcycling life! (BTW: I have 180 miles under my belt -- whoo hoo! and am a 48 yo female!) Riding rocks!

I have been a cautious rider for 35 years but all ways wanted to feel more of a piece on the machines I have ridden. There is only so much you can teach yourself. This book introduced me to proper steering technique which is called push or counter-steering. Boy it was an eye opener!
Then he taught how to properly execute the twisty blind curves that are all around here in the NE. I felt better in minutes and will practice these until I am way way beter than before. And how to super slow turn in a parking lot. How to balance. How to choose the way you pick the saddle, pegs and bars and why. What size bike is best and why and for what type of situation...
There is a ton of really eye opening stuff here and lots of practice drills that are actually fun. I spent a long day enjoying practice last week up on a back road with nobody around. It was terrific to get better at braking and accelerating and hitting the corners.
About the only thing not covered that I will have to learn more about is how to use all the power my bike makes when accelerating. For emergencies it really is necessary to know how much speed you have on tap if you need it. The first time I tried I had to change the seat as I practically slipped off the rear fender as there wasn't any hump on mine to keep me locked on.
Other than that little missing tidbit I would say this is the best book about bikes I have read in ages. Highly recommended if you want to know what works and why. And how to ride better and safer.

Riding a motorcycle is one of the things that should be accompanied by lifelong learning. David Hough's books are excellent. They are written to be entertaining while imparting knowledge on the reader. I can't say much here that isn't better stated in the reviews except I read it and learned from it. I've been riding for over 35 years. You can always learn something if you pay attention and seek knowledge.

The more you learn - the better the ride.

I think this is a good book for intermediate level riders to build on their skill level.

i am a beginner motorcyclist. this book is full of safety and common sense. very detailed on technique, how to do things the right way, how to avoid trouble. critical thinking on a cycle. full of pictures and drawings of the correct way and the wrong way-----and why. was worried it would be too technical, but not so ! great explanations and interesting stories.

I've read several books on motorcycle "safety", but this is THE BEST - I'd give it 6 stars. The author has a veteran's approach to motorcycling, and has "been there - done that". I've recommended it to many friends, and loaned it out more times than I can count. I want to read this once a year - it's filled with great information. If I only had one "motorcycle skills" book in my library, this would be it.

For starters if you ride a motorcycle and you don't read and or subscribe to Motorcycle Consumer News your missing out. MCN is the source of the material in this book. Awesome read and a must have for any motorcyclist no matter what he or she rides. My one and only beef with this book is the binding. It fell apart the first time I read it. i took it to Kinko's and they rebound it for me using a spiral bound so it was easier to leave open to the instructional bits when I was taking mental notes or praticing a certain move at the local high school.

This book has lots of information on riding techniques, bike physics and avoiding trouble. Being an informed rider increases the odds of being a healthy rider at the end of the day.
My brother had a motorcycle accident that may of been avoidable. When he went to the doctor, amoung other things, the doctor took out his RX pad and wrote the name of this book on it and said read it.
I have now given a copy of this book to three of my riding freinds. Each has read all or parts of it and have said thanks.

I suppose the content of the book could be O.K. except the pages fell away from the binding leaving me with a mess that I had no interest in trying to re-organize. There is enough other stuff out there to satisfy my learning. I've just placed Mr. David Hough and his publisher Bow Tie on my "rip-off" list. It really gets "no stars" because it is unusable.

Highly recommend. A must read for inexperienced riders. It covers all of the points that are life saving skills!

This book was an interesting read. I was expecting a more technical format. Good for new bikers and a good reminder for old ones.

Needs to be on your list, whether you're a beginning rider, or someone who's been on two wheels for years.

Nothing beats this book when it comes to motorcycle safety. If you are planning on taking your first motorcycle course or lesson, read it prior to getting to class or on the road. I have been riding for 25 years and I this book will remain on the coffee table for awhile (until snow). The latest book from the same author has been ordered. If you want more as far as how to ride fast, Keith Code's twist of the wrist is your answer.

Many of us learn to ride on our own.
That's why you have to read this book to understand how to enjoy safely for the rest of your life good bike riding.

Share the safety tips with all your mates!

What a great read, not only for a re-iteration of the basics, but even moreso for all the safety factors & tips. I don;t ride now, but I might ride soon, and I can;t think of a better book to open your eyes than this one!

EXCELLENT book! Sage advice for riders of all experience levels, though if you're an absolute beginner you may also want to get the MSF book.

This book was a great read. I encourage anyone who loves riding motorcycles especially if you're new to consider buying it. He explains everything so that it is easily understood. He uses real world pictures to illustrate his points. He also brings to your attention situations that I wouldn't have thought of if I had to write a book about riding motorcycles. I'm fairly certain he covered it all. Everytime I hop on my VTX-1300 I think about information I took from his advice and wisdom. In my opinion, this book along with a Motorcycle Safety Course will be two of the wisest and most affordable decisions one could make if you're going to ride.

Far and away the best book on improving your motorcycle riding skills. This is my second copy, after giving away the first. I try to reread this book every year. IT'S THAT GOOD!! The Second Edition has some updated statistics and other information that make it even more worthwhile. The best $25 you will ever spend on your bike.

The author obviously has a tremendous amount of riding experience. This book does an excellent job of passing some of that along to the reader. Novice and seasoned riders alike can learn something from this book.

As a motorcycle enthusiast and a carefull rider, i try to manage the risk by knowledge and own quite a few motorcycle books. This book is one of the best, as it manages to present the risks and drill down the statistics, as well as give you the necesary techniques for efficient and safe riding. Of course, it isn't better than a riding course, but it's a very nice supplement, and written well too.
Cheers

Recommended by a friend this book contains both basic tips and methods to keep safe while riding. The book explains the science behind riding techniques. I was able to apply lessons on my first ride after reading.
New riders and experienced riders will benifit from this guide.

Great reading for an old motorcyclist who did not keep up with the times. Things are different from 25 years ago and the messages were simple to get and practice. The goal of a safer and smarter rider was laid out in a very straightforward manner and appears attainable. I am a more confident and safer rider now that adds to my enjoyment to my Sunday rides on my fav Honda 650Cx.

I got this bike to expand my knowledge of motorcycling. I've been riding for 6 months, now, and have taken 2 closed-course skills classes (MSF Basic and Experienced course), but now winter is approaching and I'm likely to ride less but wanted to do something to keep the skills and mindset fresh.

This book fits the bill quite well. The book targets the social rider or commuter, and describes the skill set and mindset that someone commuting to work, touring, etc. will need, and touches on various riding situations that you'll need to know how to address -- curves, animals, bad weather, wind, etc.

I think it's a great all-around motorcycle book and will give me something to digest this winter before hopping back on next Spring.

This is a good must read book for every motorcyclist newbie or seasoned, who loves to ride and would like to live to tell the tales. It has given me fabulous insights to handling the bike, leaning through corners and very good tips to ride safe. However, in India, where most of you westerners would have small heart attacks just riding around in cars, the tips and lessons on road and traffic is all but irrelevant. Here sharing the same lane with someone is the accepted thing. Still a good book and a must read for all

This book, which is referenced and applauded by every other motorcycle instruction resource, lives up to all expectations. For the beginner it should be considered their two-wheel bible. More experienced riders can benefit by gaining insights before riding off into unfamiliar environments: the urban rider crossing a high mountain pass for the first time or what the farmer can expect passing through the desert. Anyone considering a trek across country should make reading this book part of their preparations. Think safety! Keep the Ride Alive!

This book is essential reading for the new biker. If you have not already figured it out, this book is the bible for motorcycle safety.

This book is a great read and a good reference book for anyone that wants to improve their riding skills on a motorcycle. The author is very knowledgable and goes into great details about every subject dealing with riding. I would recommend this book to everyone.

You definitely will benefit the most if you already have some riding experience, otherwise is too advance and technical. Also, a new edition should include better and more detailed drawings

Any motorcyclist should have this one on the shelf. It expands on the basics taught in the MSF class, and provides some new insights. It won't teach you how to rip outrageous wheelies on your Ninja, but you'll come away a safer rider.

as predicted by its reputation, a very good, thorough, and practical read. anyone can ride in a straight line. this book gives good advice about hazards, mindset, handling curves, and slow speed control, and more. very good, well worth it, good reference to revisit from time to time.

This is a well written book. David Hough explains all about the dynamics of a motorcycle, how it works, and so on. I like his prose, he keeps it from getting dry and boring. I read the whole book right before we went on a 3 day motorcycle trip. I have only been riding for 3 months and the book gave me good advice, made me more aware of what can happen, when, and why. Recommend every novice rider and even experienced returning riders read this book. You won't be disappointed.

"The service was excellent. Everything came as promised and in the condition promised. Wonderful job!"

After 30 years, the bug hit me and I bought a new crusier. Checked many sites for the best books out there, this one came highly recommended. It is a good book to refresh the basics and give you some simple exercises you can do to get the feel of the bike back. I will give it to my son to read too. I haven't taken the riding class yet, may, but not sure. One thing I learned from riding, better safe than sorry, speed will kill and the car wins every time. Ride safe and live long.

The book provides a lot of tips and useful information, a lot of it common sense and lot of it new knowledge, especially for a new rider. The only thing that holds it back from being a 5 star is the continuous lecturing on the dangers of motorcycling. The books starts off with the dangers with numbers and in almost every section, almost every paragraph it seems to continue the rant on the dangers. Its to the point that you just almost want to stop reading it because of the danger of a paper cut when you turn the page. But, in the end more knowledge about riding is better and this is a book that ties together information with stats, and reinforces good riding techniques.

I highly recommend this book to all beginners and experienced riders. No the book is not going to teach you how to ride a bike or everything you need to know. But it may give you that 1 tip that saves your life. The author does assume you have some basic knowledge. So if you don't know what a fork is or where the shifter lever is on a bike the MSF book would be a better place to start. I am a complete newbie to bikes right now and I couldn't imagine going to the streets without all the knowledge I gained from this book.

Highly recommended!

If you ride a motorcycle on the street, and you would like to know how to avoid accidents and control the motorcycle better in turns and braking, poor driving conditions like rain or gravel, how to lean, etc, this is the best book for you! Easy to understand with great pictures and even a cd!

I ordered this book and Motorcycling Excellence, and i prefer the latter. For a beginner, Motorcycling Excellence is a much more thorough, current, and easily readable book.

With that said, Proficient Motorcycling is not a bad book either. David Hough is an expert rider with decades of experience under his belt.
3 out 5 stars from me.

As a new motorcycle rider, and taking courses to be safe, this book is a good guidebook to reminding me of what Not to do and What to do while riding. I highly recommend this book to riders of all experience levels.

There really is a lot of helpful information in the book. I had previously purchased a basics book that was mainly big pictures so I was pleasantly surprised when I received this book and it took me more then a day to go through. I would say it's a must have if your looking to hone your skills.

I am a beginner and this book was very helpful. Stressed the coutner steering method quite a bit much but over all this was a great read.

I have learned more skills from this book, recommend every riders should read it before riding.

If you ride a motorcycle, you should read this book every Spring. David Hough knows how to save your life and your skin, and how to keep the shiny side up, and puts it together in a very appealing style, with useful photos and illustrations. Keep riding. Stay out of the ER. Read this book and then pass it along to your riding buddy.

A great source of info and should be handed down to any new rider to ride and study.

This is an excellent book. I have practiced the recommended exercises on my motorcycle. They are very good and have improved my slow speed control and my cornering.

Lots of information on Street riding, covers many topics. Some topics are very basic. But he is a good teacher and explains all of his concepts well.
If I had one book this would be it. A motorcycle classic.

A must read if you are interested in safe motorcycling. Easy to follow and very applicable. You can practice the suggestions and gain confidence before hitting the streets.

I have been riding motorcycles for 46 years and whether you are an experienced ride or neophyte this is a must read. David Hough has an easy writig style and pulls no punches when it comes to telling you how it really is out there on the highways. His treatment of how your body reacts to heat and cold and what to do about it is very valuable information and has a great impact on the rider's safety. His discussions on braking, acceleration and cornering are invaluable.

R. T. Pettit
Paso Robles, Ca

A very interesting book with lots of good information for both the novice and a long time rider. I found the suggestions most helpful and I have been riding for many yuears. Lots of pictures and examples and written in a very charming way.

This book is a must for every new rider. It introduces in totally comprehensive words and examples concepts of physics, mechanics, safety and common-sense that help a driver become aware of all the points of control available when riding a two-wheeler. In my personal experience, Mr. Hough's advice has saved my life twice (consciously) and has saved me an undetermined number of times by keeping me out of dangerous situations.
It must be in every motorcycle rider's bookshelf.

Great book. Clear, concise and easy to read. A must for anyone who rides a motorcycle on the road.

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well

This book is great starting point for new riders. I wish I had purchased this before I purchased my bike.

I have not rode a motorcycle for about twenty years, so this book has helped me remember things that I have forgotten. Some of the techniques are explained a little differently than I used to understand them, but when Hough's words finally 'clicked' in my head I began to understand and remember. Since I do not presently own a motorcycle, I cannot practice. After reading both of David's books and taking a motorcycle riding course, I will be better prepared.

I have been riding for over 40 years. As most of us I have gotten lazy about the basics. This is a great book not only for a new rider but even the more experienced one.
the short chapters and the antidotes point out that riding bikes is both fun and dangerous at the same time. It expands on the MSF guide book and would be a great addition to any one's library.
Ed

Highly recommended for those fairly new to motorcycling. Written in an easy to read and entertaining style, like a collection of magazine articles. It's not very technical. A few points are covered again and again, namely countersteering and delayed apex turns. If you're an experienced biker and you've taken the advanced MSF course, there's probably not too much new information for you here. But if you want a good explanation on why bikes need to steer to the right to begin a turn to the left, this book has it.

This is a great book for someone that has learned to ride without any professional training.

An excellent book covering the essential basics of motorcycling. A must read for all those learning to ride, but also has points and lessons experienced riders can learn from. A must for every serious rider's library.

proficient motorcycling is a must read for any motorcyclist who needs to remind him/herself of basic motorcycling skills. The author reviews the skills and makes every attempt to explain why they are important to master. I highly recomend reading this book!

This is the most informative book for learning and applying roadcraft I have come accross. Outstanding, in a class of it's own. This should be mandatory for anybody, in any country, who wants a motorcycle licence. I am an educated rider and have done multiple courses and have a veritable library of skills/learning books. This has it all. If you are a motorcycle commuter, novice or experienced ... this is your bible.

This book is so well written, you'll feel like a conspiritorial friend is letting you in on secrets you've always wanted to know. You've heard stories like these before, but you may have wondered, "why did the rider crash?". In these pages , you'll find answers to the many questions all motorcyclists have. Here's how to ride wisely and successfully on the road with cages, road blocks, animals and other potential hazards.And have a great ride!

This is a must read for all motorcycle riders. Even experienced riders will get something out of it.

David Hough is the dean of motorcycle safety and he has written a complete and thorough guide that is easily read and easily implemented. His book was recommended to me by the very knowledgeable staff at my local BMW shop.

On my first ride after finishing the book I was complimented on the lines I was riding, lines I chose based exclusively on what I learned from Hough's book. My confidence has dramatically increased and I am a much smoother, more relaxed rider now. I am recommending/loaning it to my circle of riding buddies. It's a must read for every motorcyclist.

I am a novice street rider, with multiple years of off road motocycling. This book is very good at presenting practical tips to help you enjoy riding and most importantly, keeping alive.

The author presents his material just as if you are asking your best friend who is an advanced motorcycle expert. Information is presented very well.

I'm new to motorcycling. However, this book prepared me to get on the road with nary a problem. (I'm still taking a motorcycle safety course, though.) Although I'm not an experienced rider yet, I feel like I have the knowledge of one. I've had to break hard a couple of times now and--because I followed the book's suggestions about riding below your limits and good braking habits--was able to calmly and effectively slow the bike down. I've become a better motorist, to boot, because I'm more aware of what motorcyclists have to face and apply the same riding safety practices I learned from the book when I drive my car.

The book is superbly written. It's like having a very knowledgeable and caring parent next to you, showing you the ropes, teaching what to do and what not to do to ride safely. This is one great motorcycling book.

I'm looking forward to reading More Proficient Motorcycling: Mastering the Ride, which I already bought.

Everything you have read about this book is true. It is the most informative riding book, about riding, i have read. The chapters on counter steering, braking and accelerating are excellent. A must read for the novice and the experienced rider alike. If you think you know too much to read this, you're wrong.

Clearly written and easy to read. This is a mu