The New Motorcycle Yearbook 3 by Simon de Burton

As the title suggests this is the third of what is now a useful yearly publication dealing with all the new motorcycles on the market from the major (and some minor but highly) specialised manufacturers. In fact it is billed as the ‘definitive annual guide’ which is quite a claim!

Author Simon de Burton has certainly worked hard again on producing this third weighty hardback tome that has 550 colour photographs to go with his text. These are all press and publicity shots so the clarity and accuracy make them ideal for this high quality coffee table work. 

Each bike gets a double-page spread with the bikes being split into Tourers, Sports Bikes, Sports Tourers, Naked and Muscle, Adventure Sports, Cruisers, Supermotos, Retro, Maxi Scooters and Oddball as in previous editions. Each bike gets a minimum of three good shots with some getting as much as six plus depending on the bikes perceived status in the world standings. 

The author’s text gives details and opinions without repeating the manufacturers hype and is sufficient to inform the reader without boring.

In the opening chapters he predicts and discusses trends, while at the rear he mentions key designers and explains motorcycle types as well as providing a glossary. There is also a section this year on Honda and the motorcycle revolution they started!

Last up is a list of forthcoming motorcycle shows around the world that will clearly date the book. That is of course the whole point as they want you to buy a volume each year and so you should because it will build into a basic (but not definitive) motorcycle history that will sit nicely on the bookshelf to be referred to in years to come which seems to be working very well at present.

The quality is excellent in every respect and de Burton seems to have once again chosen the bikes well and this latest edition very much deserves to be on your shelves at a modest £29.95. Available from the 15th October 2007 at all good bookshops or direct from Merrell the publisher on their order hotline (01235 465500). ISBN 13:978-1-8589-4379-4 who can also supply the first two if you missed them!

 

Review by Ian Kerr