Rebuilding the Indian: A Memoir
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.74 (841 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 157322099X |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 210 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2013-06-09 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
But all else takes a backseat to the machine, and such a focus limits the book's appeal to readers equally committed to or fascinated by the construction of a what he calls a technological "work of art." Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Publishers Weekly An Indian, Haefele explains at the outset, is a make of motorcycle not built since 1953 but highly esteemed by American bikers in the 1930s and '40s. . The rehabilitation project involved searching for abandoned machines, negotiating for ol
Sam Green said Not exactly chicken or fish - but still edible for some. This is a weird book because I picked it up hoping to read about how to restore an Indian. What I ended up reading was a book in which Fred basically pays other people to do things for him. This is of course normal and proper, but he doesn't spend much effort discussing the things he does on his own either. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, if we compare the ok to the great, actually taught you something about traveling and fixing you machine and remains the better book to read. HOWEVER, having said all that, Fred is brave in letting you into his life (di. Bikers, babies, and buttheads - what FUN! A lot of earlier reviewers seemed to be trying to compare this book to Pirsig's Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a book I read thirty years or more ago, whenever it first came out in hardcover. I remember enjoying the parts about the road trip and the father connecting with his son, but when he started getting all philosophical and "zen" on me, I tended to skip ahead. I guess I was just too damn dumb to understand the "deeper meanings" in that book. But Fred's book is very different. There's nothing too "zenny" or obscure in this book. It's about a fifty. "Four Stars" according to LAWK. Bought for son who is Harley fan - interesting read
This daunting project starts with a massive leap of faith--the purchase of a basket case--a $5,000 heap of indeterminate old Indian parts in a cardboard box. With limited mechanical skills, a budget that relies heavily on a Visa Gold card, and a cast of local experts, Haefele takes us around every curve on his rocky road to restoration: the thrill of finding an original spare part; the joy of completing a repair that was previously beyond his ability; the nagging doubt that he's insane and the bike will never be finished; the suspicion that, once it looks finished, it won't run; and finally, the sheer headlong, heart-thrilling rush of riding the gleaming midnight-blue Millennium Flyer. Maybe he's having a midlife crisis. Fred Haefele writes with poetic ease about making something--in this case, both a gorgeous motorcycle and a beautiful baby girl--and how the most versatile tool in his kit, for both jobs, was the fervent wis