Review: Shiny Side Up Motorcycle Book

Author Ron Davis has published a book compiling his best stories and reflections on his 50-year motorcycling odyssey. Shiny Side Up: Musings on the improbable inclination to travel on two wheels covers such diverse topics as the typical “First Motorcycle Purchase,” an attempt at a money-saving “Do It Yourself Oil Change,” and the “Worst Weather Ride.”

Musings on the Improbable Inclination to Travel on Two Wheels

Davis also raises issues like a need for universal motorcycle communication signals that go beyond the “hand drop” acknowledgement. A fully illustrated chapter on potential hand signals is both interesting and humorous. The “Disease” chapter will strike a chord with many readers; it delves into the addiction—Davis says his is an inherited genetic condition—that leads to a new motorcycle purchase every year. Within the 47 chapters you will find advice on home-buying requirements for motorcyclists, surviving motorcycle camping, and where to find unique motor museums in the Midwest.

Peter Egan, the maestro of motorcycle columns, has given a thumbs-up to his fellow Wisconsinite’s motorcycle musings: “A great collection of columns, and they make it hard to turn your reading light off and go to bed. It is . . . a fun mixture of humor and insight that’ll resonate with anyone who rides.”