The Cw Library

THE CW LIBRARY

Harley-Davidson

HERE COMES FUN. THIS book's subtitle, A Three Dimensional Tribute to an American Icon, says it all. Contained within five spreads are no less than 30 pop-up pictographs-one, an eagle clutching the H-D bar-and-shield, rising to a lofty 9 inches above the page.

The engineering required to pull all this off is fairly amaz ing stuff. We particularly like the big yellow `54 Panhead that unfolds to reveal both side views and a top view, including a set of handlebars with a 2 1/2-inch span. Other items of interest: A spinnable carousel of photographs depicting Harley's Army bikes, and a Sportster frame and engine that can be accessorized, paper doll-like, with cut-out wheels, exhausts and handlebars. Amaze your pals at parties by touching just the right spot on the cover to activate an audio track of a Big Twin going through the gears.

WOrdS accompanying all this animation are few, but give a pretty good overview of Harley history. As an Officially Licensed Product, the book sometimes lapses into Milwaukee propoganda, but given the intended audience this is a forgivable sin. Besides, it's those amazing 3-D pop ups, not the text, that make this book such a hoot. Buy one for the kids, keep it for yourself.-David Edwards

Harley-Davidson: A Three-Dimensional Tribute to an American Icon, Jerry Hatfield & Dawn Bentley, 10 pages, $40; Pop-Up Press, 2716 Ocean Park Blvd., Suite 2020, Santa Monica, CA 90405; available at Harley-Davidson dealerships and select bookstores

Vincents With Big Sid

S IDNEY "BIG Sill)" Biberman bought his first Vincent, a red Touring Rapide, in 1951 and has been captivated by the leg endary bikes from Stevenage ever since, riding on the street, building fast drag racers and win ning awards for his superb restora tions. He knows Vincents as few others do, and this book is his own heartfelt memoir, with scores of pho tographs from his own and other private collections-most never seen in print before-with Sid's (and his English professor son Matthew's) eloquent narration flowing around them. - -.

The book covers alot of ground-a little standard Vincent history, recollections of designer Philip Vincent and engineer Phil Irving, tales of early rides and rivalries on the East Coast in the Fifties, first-hand recollections by famous Vincent drag racers and speed-record holders, etc.-but puts it all together in a conversational, easy-to-read style. Even for those who have little interest in Vincents, specifically, the book is worth read ing just to get the pungent flavor of what the American motorcycle scene was all about in the Fifties, when the Harley-Indian wars were no joking matter and Vincent per formance was dropping jaws in both camps. Fascinating stuff

Sid's book is a labor of love, from its introduction by Jay Leno to its concluding chapter, and is a must-have for the enthusiast's shelf. Printed on nice thick paper, with a big 32page color photo center section, and visually stunning design and layout by Timothy O'Keeffe. -Peter Egan

Vincents With Big Sid, S.M. & Matthew Biberman, 159 pages, $45; Classic Motorbooks, 729 Prospect Ave., Osceloa, WI 54020; 800/826-6600 (autographed copies by mail order for $50 from The Rapide press, 510 Thole St., Norfolk, VA 23505)

Classic Motorcycles

E VER BEEN MILLING AROUND THE LOCAL BOOKSTORE AND notice those micro-manuscripts being passed off as books? They usually have titles like Cats are People Too or All About Muffins. Don't-we repeat, don't-lump Classic Motorcycles into that category. They might be tiny (6x5 inches), but these books are chock full of info. Pint-sized portions of Hugo Wilson's The Encyclopedia I of the Motorcycle, they come from the same author and each is devoted to a specific marque. Currently, only BMW, HarleyDavidson Honda and Triumph are available, and they all follow the same format.

A short introduction opens the book, and is succeeded by a timeline delineating decades important to the manufacturer. This is accompanied by photos of bikes from that era and a short explanation of why the period was significant.

Next come the bikes them selves. Because of the books' size, the selection of motorcy cles is limited to the more notewor thy models. Each is allotted two pages. Coverage includes a brief overview, specs and a photo. The latter incorporates a diagram showing the bike's particular points of interest. When available, little-known facts or additional pictures are added.

After a quick perusal. it's obvious that the books are more detailed, albeit shrunken-down, chapters from Wilson's larger tome. Perfect for getting dish on a particular make or model. Our only question is, when will we get more?-Wendv F. Black Classic Motorcycles, Hugo Wilson, 44 pages, $9 each; Darling Kindersley Publishing, 95 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016; 212/213-4800