DMF book club " zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance"

[Grampa]

be I the only one who read it?   

[swampduc]

be I the only one who read it?   

Sorry, BP, I forgot 
In my defense, it's been a really busy month, and that is one seriously dense book. 10 pages would give me a headache 

[erkishhorde]

Erik,

Are you gonna have the hinge welded before you POR15?

He should...

although I've crashed my 96 four times and no sign of a leak.

Huh, wuh? I haven't had any problems yet but I guess I could... That would mean new paint, yes? I'm trying to keep costs down right now since I'm not employed.

On topic, I read the part about riding with his son and friends at the beginning! 

[DuciD03]

Funny, the first 50 pages had nothing about motorcycle maintenance. I hear the book isn't really about motorcycle maintenance at all.

Still working on that. I just got 1 more fuel pump to totally rule out the fuel pump as being the issue. Once I move back to the 'rent's house at the end of the month I'll do a POR15 deal on the tank and pop in a new fuel filter too.

Its a great title; but misleading; its all about self realization; I struggled through it on the third read... it is kinda depressing too; not such a happy read and its a bare all story about mid life crises and family relationships; is my summation.  its one that I would say is not for everone.

[Grampa]

Its a great title; but misleading; its all about self realization; I struggled through it on the third read... it is kinda depressing too; not such a happy read and its a bare all story about mid life crises and family relationships; is my summation.  its one that I would say is not for everone.

It's not so much about a mid life crisis, as it is a view into the mind of a man somewhat possessed. It's a true story of Robert Pirsigs life told through Chautauqua's during a cross country motorcycle trip with his son. The man has (he is still alive) an IQ of 170, and it was interesting to see what he did with, and where one simple word took him.

I am about 140 IQ points shy of being able to sit at the same table as the man, but I was drawn into the story because of a few faint similarities to both our lives. I was lucky enough to have been born into an era where Paxil was the cure for a mental breakdown, and not what he got.... electro shock therapy.

I'm not sure if it was the authors intention or not..... but I found it funny that I kept saying to myself... I love the way  he describes the detail and beauty of his surrounding while on the bike, but kept thinking.... he's not seeing it for himself. Was it a play on both the classical and the romantic points of view?

[COWBOY]

I enjoyed the first half more than the second.  It is an interesting read and on the whole I enjoyed the book although it's been almost 10 years since I last read it.

[swampduc]

That's a good synopsis, BP, but as an aside, that's electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and contrary to One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, it's both very effective and done very humanely. <end threadjack>

[erkishhorde]

Oh yeah, you should make this the official DMF book club shirt

[Langanobob]

I read this book a long time ago, it was required reading for a class.  I remember three things from the book.

1.  The author wanted to use a perfectly suitable piece of beer can for a handlebar shim and his buddies were aghast. 

2.   He stopped at a shop for some sort of repair to his Beezer and the tech broke one or more of the cooling fins off his engine.  He seemed to have the same sort of luck I used to have with shops before I gave up on them.

3.  He stopped at another place to have his steel chainguard repaired and the author was astounded that the guy  had the skill to weld it with an OA torch.  Welding sheet steel  with an OA torch is easy.

That's all I remember and if there was heavy philosophical stuff it completely escaped me over the years.  But it's probably worth a re-read.

I didn't know about the DMF book of the month club and if I'd know I would have of course read the book again (sure...)  But I think a book of the month is a great idea.  For next month, what about the book Chasing Che, about following Che Guevarra's motorcycle route through S. America?  I can vaguely remember reading it and I think it was good.  Also, Travels with Jupiter or something similar by Ted Simon about his around the world trip on a 1960's 500cc Triumph.  He did it again recently on a newer bike and wrote a sequel that I haven't read.    One Man Caravan by Robert Fulton has been sitting unread on my shelf a long time. Not bike related but what about The Monkey Wrench Gang by Abbey,  Rivethead by Ben Hamper, Lindberg by A. Scott Berg.

[Grampa]

sorry...next the new read is The Grapes of Wrath (no bikes in it)


[moto] The bank is something more than men, I tell you. It's the monster. Men made it, but they can't control it.
- Tom Joad

[DuciD03]

ok a better summary than mine; thinking back it was geez ... 15 yrs ago that I read it ... I read Persings follow up "Lola" (I think that was the title) .... he's 10 yrs later on a boat ... intresting too ... on a similar vien ...

It's not so much about a mid life crisis, as it is a view into the mind of a man somewhat possessed. It's a true story of Robert Pirsigs life told through Chautauqua's during a cross country motorcycle trip with his son. The man has (he is still alive) an IQ of 170, and it was interesting to see what he did with, and where one simple word took him.

I am about 140 IQ points shy of being able to sit at the same table as the man, but I was drawn into the story because of a few faint similarities to both our lives. I was lucky enough to have been born into an era where Paxil was the cure for a mental breakdown, and not what he got.... electro shock therapy.

I'm not sure if it was the authors intention or not..... but I found it funny that I kept saying to myself... I love the way  he describes the detail and beauty of his surrounding while on the bike, but kept thinking.... he's not seeing it for himself. Was it a play on both the classical and the romantic points of view?

[Nitewaif]

Hey guys, I'm a little late to the party here (as usual  ).  I've been in the process of moving and just ran across this book, if anybody wants it.  Just shoot me a PM with your address, or if you are in SF, I can drop it off to you or whatever.

I've read Grapes of Wrath, too, BP.  It might be worth picking up again. 

[sbrguy]

from what i gatthered from teh book the main thing was his different style of teaching in college that people didn't like, ie, the teaching class without grades or without knowing your grade until the end, so that you are there to actually learn instead. 

what i got was that if you combined the best properties of various view points ie, the harley and bmw guy, that you get a person that can truly enjoy motorcycling, ie life.

instead of grapes of wrath how about cannery row or sweet thurs, i think those were much better books by steinbeck.

[Nitewaif]

I've never read either of those other Steinbeck books, so I'm up for it, though I did enjoy Grapes of Wrath.  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was something I had to be in a certain mood to read.  For me it was kinda like talking to old hippy schizophrenic patients at work who skipped back and forth between personalities and discussions.  I appreciate the guy's intellect and at times, I liked him, but mostly it just reminded me of ramblings of the old dudes in the ER.