Men and motorcycles: a story that has vacillated<br>somewhere between cult and cliché<br>for years. Custom bikes, in particular, have<br>a history that is deeply rooted in the spirit of<br>freedom and change of the 1960s, as well as<br>man's primal urge to build something with<br>his own hands --or, in this case, tools. The<br>Ride 2nd Gear is a showcase of the power and<br>beauty of these bikes.<br>The book presents a stunning selection<br>of recent custom motorcycles, as well as the<br>small, local workshops around the globe in<br>which they are built. Hotbeds of creativity<br>and craftsmanship, these workshops are<br>mostly run by single individuals and attract<br>a small yet devoted community of fans<br>and fellow builders. Rather than coveting<br>the newest luxury models to come off the<br>assembly line, this community is more concerned<br>with transformations. They want to<br>turn grandpa's old heap, a bargain found<br>on eBay, or a soulless model from another<br>era into something of their very own. They<br>want to augment old motors and existing<br>mechanics with modern technology or<br>make their personal visions of aesthetics<br>and handling a reality. This process takes<br>time, dedication, technical expertise, and<br>skilled handcraft.<br>From limited series to one-offs made<br>for personal pleasure or to order, The Ride<br>2nd Gear features the brilliant results of<br>this process. Its pages are filled with bikes<br>that offer extraordinary design and driving<br>experiences. In fact, established brands<br>are now acting on trends set by the custom<br>scene whose bikes are often more radical<br>and sophisticated because more attention<br>can be paid to detail and each new idea can<br>be fine-tuned to perfection.<br>The models shown in The Ride 2nd Gear<br>stem from or are based on classic bobbers<br>and choppers, Italian-style racing machines,<br>plastic Japanese motorcycles, and rare<br>BMWs or Triumphs, some of which may<br>very well be 30-50 or even 80 years old. They<br>are vintage in the best sense of the word.<br>They not only preserve, but also improve<br>and expand upon the quality of traditional<br>craftsmanship. Decked out with state-ofthe-<br>art disk brakes, LED lights, gears, and<br>drive components, these custom machines<br>are more agile, faster, and therefore more<br>fun than anything produced in the past.