This book would more accurately be titled, "The Vincent in Jay Leno's Warehouse". If you are fascinated by tales of wealthy suit-and-tie types buying old motorcycles out of attics and garages, then this is for you. Quite a number of the stories merely involve collectors getting bikes from other collectors (at twenty grand apiece) or are about well-known machines which had been sitting in plain sight for years and took huge amounts of cash to purchase. It also chronicles several oddballs who have more motorcycles than they could possibly rebuild or restore (or even ride) in a lifetime - fellows who own hundreds or even thousands of bikes, who are busy running around with a suitcase stuffed with cash, eager to accumulate more. Many of these stories could be told in a short paragraph or two, but they are padded out to several pages to make them sound "interesting" - when they simply are NOT. "Rich Guy reads ad, Rich Guy makes phone call, Rich Guy buys plane ticket, Rich Guy fills out check for motorcycle." Wow - what an amazing tale. Much of the writing is just plain awful- worse than a lot of the drivel you can read for free anywhere Online. I often found myself wondering exactly what the heck they were trying to say - they leave out important details, and include things which are of no interest and have no bearing on the story. Some of this is intolerably BAD. I'm sure you understand what I mean; when you encounter a "writer" who comes off as if they are certain they are something special, and believe that they have a gift for "painting with their words" - when the end result is really more like what you'd expect to be produced by a fourth-grader on his first attempt. Like the guy who buys a BSA Gold Star out of somebody's bedroom, and he keeps sidetracking the story to describe the owner's "strikingly attractive" wife and her reaction to every word that he speaks. It has NOTHING to do with the tale - which merely involves him answering a classified ad - but it keeps making you think there will be a connection later on. Nope! The big punch line to it is that it's just some lousy writing... by somebody who is drooling over another man's wife. It's loaded with factual errors, like the caption of a Harley VL photo which says it's an Indian, and a number of references to the nonexistent "Harley WLA 42" model. And I can't decide which is more annoying; the stories where they just bypass the whole idea of how much money changed hands ("The price sounded reasonable") - or the ones where they lead you right up to it - and then say NOTHING: "Is the bike for sale?" "Sure." "How much do you think you want for it?" "I'll sell it for the same price I told your dad 20 years ago." "Okay - so, how much was that?" I couldn't believe the number. Bottom line, there is no "Vincent in the Barn". The one in the story which wears that title was actually parked in a shed, where it was purchased after many years of nagging the owner. Then the guy who bought it spent a fortune having it restored (a common theme; none of these people seem to know how to hold a wrench) - and since then, HE HAS NEVER EVEN STARTED THE ENGINE! That's right- he displays it in his house and doesn't want it leaking oil on his fancy hardwood floor! These bikes apparently just go from one kook to another. So, if you are real desperate to part with some cash, I would suggest giving it to charity. At least you'll feel better afterwards than if you bought this book.Read full review
Verified purchase: No
This is a good tabletop book. The stories make for a quick read that can easily be finished while you're in a waiting room. The majority of these short stories tell an interesting tale of some important motorcycles in need of rescue. Obviously, the true collectors who bring inteegrity to the book, are the museum people. Here are the people who love the motorcycles, the archaeology and the rescue while maintaining respect for the individuals who possess the machines. There are some interesting insghts into the pitfalls of recovering bikes from other countries, where old Indians and Harleys seem to abound. These stories about motorcycle treasures from foriegn lands lack any love for the motorcycles by the searchers or the owners. Unfortunately, others of the stories about barn finds, which I'm sure are intended to demonstrate persistence, give me the impression of badgering and greed. This is a good book to pick up and read for a quick moment but if you're looking for insperation or revelation you will be dissappionted. I would recommend that you subscibe to Antique Motorcycle Club of America.Read full review
I bought this book because I had purchased The Cobra In The Barn, and I enjoyed reading every story that was covered in the book. I personally love British motorcycle. I have two Triumph's in the garage, but I would love to have a Vincent Series C Black Shadow. Peter Egan from Cycle World magazine purchased a Vincent Black Shadow Series C motorcycle from a man from Texas, and he wrote about it in the magazine. I can't figure out why he would sell that motorcycle. I feel that Vincent motorcyles are the best motorcycle's that have ever been built, and no other motorcycle could be compared to them. I haven't read the book yet but I'm looking forward to reading it. Thank You Very Much, Robert W. Anderson
Interesting stories. The ones dreams are made of !
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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