The Story of the Motorcycle By Don Morley
The Story of the Motorcycle (Collectible First Edition)
A Masterfully Illustrated Decade-by-Decade History from a Distinctly British and European Perspective
A Masterfully Illustrated Decade-by-Decade History from a Distinctly British and European Perspective
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Story of the Motorcycle
- Author: Don Morley
- Publisher: Optimum Books, London
- Publication Date: 1983
- ISBN-10: 060303103X / ISBN-13: 9780603031038
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Impression. Highly sought-after 1980s transport monograph.
- Binding: Hardcover with original publisher's heavy boards, housed in the original illustrated dust jacket under a protective archive cellophane wrapper.
- Physical Format: Large Quarto Format (Oversized 4to), 144 pages. Lavishly enhanced with archival engineering blueprints, rare racing logs, and full-colour and monochrome mechanical photographs.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's heavy boards are clean, sharp, and uniform across all edges. The spine is completely straight, robust, tightly bound, and remains structurally undamaged with bright, crisp lettering.
- Interior: Superbly preserved and structurally crisp. The internal text pages and fine illustration spreads are remarkably clean, clear, white, and fully intact. Free from handling soils, workshop grease, previous owner gift inscriptions, or dealer pencil notations.
- Protection: This comprehensive reference work has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far, now beautifully preserved in a professional, removable archival cellophane sleeve.
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The Dust Jacket: Used – Very Good (VG)
- Condition: The original illustrated dust jacket is complete and unclipped. It exhibits some typical, limited signs of vintage storage-related edge wear, light rubbing, and small surface stress lines along the head and tail of the spine. It is free from large chips or deep tears and presents beautifully behind its protective archival cellophane cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1983 by Optimum Books, The Story of the Motorcycle is an authoritative, visually spectacular history that tracks the evolution of two-wheeled engineering from a decidedly British and European perspective. Author and renowned motoring journalist Don Morley bypasses generic global summaries to deliver a focused, deep-dive evaluation of the legendary marques that defined the golden age of motorcycling. The narrative meticulously pieces together the engineering leaps, frame designs, and engine triumphs of iconic European dynasties—including Triumph, Norton, BSA, BMW, Ducati, and Moto Guzzi. Spanning primitive late-19th-century motorized bicycles to the high-performance superbikes of the early 1980s, this first edition acts as a vital historical time capsule documenting classic design culture and serving as an invaluable resource for restoration experts and vintage bike bibliophiles.
Published in 1983 by Optimum Books, The Story of the Motorcycle is an authoritative, visually spectacular history that tracks the evolution of two-wheeled engineering from a decidedly British and European perspective. Author and renowned motoring journalist Don Morley bypasses generic global summaries to deliver a focused, deep-dive evaluation of the legendary marques that defined the golden age of motorcycling. The narrative meticulously pieces together the engineering leaps, frame designs, and engine triumphs of iconic European dynasties—including Triumph, Norton, BSA, BMW, Ducati, and Moto Guzzi. Spanning primitive late-19th-century motorized bicycles to the high-performance superbikes of the early 1980s, this first edition acts as a vital historical time capsule documenting classic design culture and serving as an invaluable resource for restoration experts and vintage bike bibliophiles.
Author Profile: Don Morley
Don Morley is an exceptionally prominent British transport historian, photojournalist, and author who is widely regarded as one of the world's leading authorities on classic motorcycle engineering and racing history. Over a decorated career spanning multiple decades, Morley authored dozens of highly acclaimed monographs specializing in specific factory racing teams and individual mechanical lineages (such as his legendary volumes on BMW and classic trials bikes). Renowned within the motoring community for his massive personal archive, sharp technical accuracy, and stunning action photography, his 1980s reference works remain foundational texts across private collector libraries globally.
Don Morley is an exceptionally prominent British transport historian, photojournalist, and author who is widely regarded as one of the world's leading authorities on classic motorcycle engineering and racing history. Over a decorated career spanning multiple decades, Morley authored dozens of highly acclaimed monographs specializing in specific factory racing teams and individual mechanical lineages (such as his legendary volumes on BMW and classic trials bikes). Renowned within the motoring community for his massive personal archive, sharp technical accuracy, and stunning action photography, his 1980s reference works remain foundational texts across private collector libraries globally.
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