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Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists

Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $13.57
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Second rate compared to "Proficient Motorcycling"
Review: "Proficient Motorcycling" by Mr. Hough is the Bible of motorcycling, in my opinion. When I saw this book available by Mr. Hough, I immediately purchased it thinking it would add tons of wisdom to what I had read and re-read in "Proficient Motorcycling". It didn't. I felt it was a repeat of many of the items discussed in "PM". The style of the book is unique in that you can read each topic within a few minutes and put it down to read another topic later. Each topic takes two pages with 50% of the space devoted to graphics/pictures. For those who like the USA Today type of articles, this book is five stars. For myself, I like more details and because of that only give it three. Was it a waste of money - no. Could you spend your money better elswhere - yes - on "Proficient Motorcycling".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent guide to highway dangers
Review:


You don't have to be a motorcyclist to benefit from this book, but it is especially true for bikers, because they are more vulnerable than those who drive surrounded by a steel cage.

David Hough shows typical situations which are inherently dangerous on city streets as well as on the highway. The book is full of diagrams similar to those one makes for an accident report, showing the vehicles involved and the path they follow leading to collison or other problems.

There are the sharks, who drive agressively, tailgate and swerve in and out of traffic: accidents looking for a place to happen. Then there are the left-turn artists who either don't see or ignore the cyclist coming at them. There are the dopey drivers who are oblivious to their surroundings, or those who are primping or talking on the cell phone as they drive. He describes them all and gives good advice on how to handle them, and you can follow with him--especially if you have already experienced some or all of them.

This book is equally applicable to automobile drivers, in many cases--the main difference being that they have some armor around them, although it is far more flimsy than most of them realize.

I have ridden motorcycles over the years, and my latest is a cruiser that is well lighted, weighs 743 lbs., and is almost as large as a car--and a lot quicker. It is more visible than a small sport bike, but it is still vulnerable. I had a lady pull out in front of me from a supermarket parking lot when I was traveling at about 25 miles an hour who, when she saw my front wheel stopped about two inches from her driver's side door, turned white as chalk.

On another occasion a lady pulled out of a mall driveway onto a five-lane street, crossed three lanes, pulled diagonally in front of a stopped bus waiting for a light to change (which obstructed the vision of the Harley rider who was alongside the bus one lane over. Instead of pulling temporarily into the buses' lane until she could ascertain what might be coming up on her right, she crossed in front of the bus--and the bike--apparently trying to get into the curb lane to make a right turn at the next intersection. The bike didn't have a chance. At about 25 MPH he plowed into her passenger side door, messing up his expensive custom bike and breaking his leg in the process.

These are two types of things that I have witnessed, both of which are described in Hough's book.

Do I recommend this book to you? Only if you'd like to continue riding, and living.

Joseph (Joe) Pierre

author of Handguns and Freedom..their care and maintenance
and other books.



Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Street Strategies : A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists
Review: Hough does it again!

This follow-on to his previous book "Proficient Motorcycling" (also quite good) is very readable and specifically designed to highlight specific hazards and how to spot/avoid them.

The chapters are actually just long paragraphs that are brief and to the point.

I'm a new biker so I really need this kind of info. Even so, I bet that experienced hands would find the topics covered a helpful refresher. They are presented in alphabetical order so the reader can specifically find and focus on a specific situation.

Highly recommended.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not much here beyond Proficient Motorcycling
Review: I am a big fan of David's and am on my third time through his Proficient Motorcycling (a must read for all motorcyclists). I bought this book on David's reputation primarily and must say I am a bit diaappointed. While these pages may make great sidebars for other books, after a while it seemed like I was reading the same thing over and over again (be alert, be aware, use caution) in each an every scenario. Some may find the scenarios insightful. I found them repetitious and wanting.

Sorry, David, but don't worry; I am ordering your More Proficient Motorcycling right now.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not much here beyond Proficient Motorcycling
Review: I am a big fan of David's and am on my third time through his Proficient Motorcycling (a must read for all motorcyclists). I bought this book on David's reputation primarily and must say I am a bit diaappointed. While these pages may make great sidebars for other books, after a while it seemed like I was reading the same thing over and over again (be alert, be aware, use caution) in each an every scenario. Some may find the scenarios insightful. I found them repetitious and wanting.

Sorry, David, but don't worry; I am ordering your More Proficient Motorcycling right now.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good stuff
Review: I recommend this book if you are an experienced street rider. It is more of a reference though. Essentially a series of problem senarios are presented with suggested ways to handle them. It is the kind of book you pick up after something happens while you are riding and you wonder if you could have handled it better.

I bought this along with the author's Proficient Motorcycling title. I found that Street Strategies is mostly the same material presented in a different format. If you want to brush up or learn to ride better get Proficient Motorcycling alone.

Otherwise, this book has some good tips for staying safe on the street.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Entertaining stories with useful morals
Review: Street strategies is a collection of "stories" that are part or all of articles written by David Hough. The stories are entertaining and similar (if not identical in some cases) to stories contained in Proficient Motorcycling.

This is more of a waiting room kind of book. Very short chapters with cartoon diagrams that give the reader insight into the type of dangers that he/she might encounter in the real world of motorcycle riding and some advice on how to avoid them. It lacks the detail that makes Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling such excellent training guides for riders.

This book might make a good stocking stuffer for someone who has already read the other books but if your looking for something for a starting/experienced rider pick one of the other two books (Proficient Motorcycling for the starter, "More" for the more experienced rider).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Entertaining stories with useful morals
Review: Street strategies is a collection of "stories" that are part or all of articles written by David Hough. The stories are entertaining and similar (if not identical in some cases) to stories contained in Proficient Motorcycling.

This is more of a waiting room kind of book. Very short chapters with cartoon diagrams that give the reader insight into the type of dangers that he/she might encounter in the real world of motorcycle riding and some advice on how to avoid them. It lacks the detail that makes Proficient Motorcycling and More Proficient Motorcycling such excellent training guides for riders.

This book might make a good stocking stuffer for someone who has already read the other books but if your looking for something for a starting/experienced rider pick one of the other two books (Proficient Motorcycling for the starter, "More" for the more experienced rider).

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not My First Pick
Review: Street Strategies is a fine book. However, I'd choose to buy Hough's other book, Proficient Motorcycling first.

Street Strategies is a book filled full of snapshots that warn the rider of potential dangers while riding on the road. Proficient Motorcycling is a book with a larger charge. It warns of road dangers, in addition points the way toward more skillful riding. It has exercises designed to help the rider build the skills needed to avoid danger and feel the satisfaction of good bike control.

I changed my star rating from four to five stars 12/16/01. The book has five stars worth of information. Originally, I was comparing the book to Hogue's "Proficient Motorcycling" which I still think is a better first choice for many riders. However, considered on its own merits "Street Strategies" is an excellent choice.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Street Strategies
Review: This book is different from most other books on motorcycle safety because it focuses more on road and traffic hazards than on how to use the brakes or clutch. Some of the road hazards covered in this book are (1) fog, (2) angled pavement, and (3) oil spills; and some of the traffic hazards covered are (1) cars turning left in front of you, (2) cars changing into your lane, and (3) cars entering from side streets.

The author discusses about 73 different topics that relate to motorcycle safety and devotes about two pages to each topic. The first part of the discussion explains the problem and the second part gives you a solution for dealing with the problem. For instance, if the problem is how to make a quick stop while the bike is leaned over in a curve, the solution is to "swerve the bike upright" and then apply the brakes.

Reading this book will give you the ability to recognize dangerous situations and then take whatever actions are needed to keep from having an accident. If motorcycles are a part of your life and you would like to avoid expensive repairs or painful injuries, I highly recommend that you read this book. I found quite a few things of interest in this book, and I've been riding motorcycles for more than 25 years.

Revised 4-17-02


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