Reviews

“People ride motorcycles in order to express a cultural identity. Yes, that’s part of it, Steve Thompson tells us, but not as important as the psycho-biological explanation of why we feel such a compelling urge to put our ‘bodies in motion.’ What happens when we ride? Steve draws on the experiences of a lifetime racing, riding, and writing about motorcycles. But here he does much more, analyzing the literature on human evolution that explains why we seek certain experiences, and drawing on his own unique study of the physical sensations delivered by iconic motorcycles, their ‘signatures.’ Nobody else could have written this book.”

– Robert C. Post, Ph.D.
Dr. Post is a former editor of Technology and Culture, a quarterly published for the Society for the History of Technology at Johns Hopkins University Press, and former curator of transportation at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

“Steve Thompson is a record-setting motorcycle racer with a strong interest in evolution and the biology of emotions and background in the history of technology. He brings these perspectives together as he explores the chemistry between motorcycles and their riders. From the evolutionary perspective, he brings us down from trees onto bikes. He delineates the vibrations between man and machine, both figuratively and literally, having commissioned a study of the types of vibrations produced by different types of motorcycles in a quest to understand what gives each bike its distinctive character and feel. Whether or not you’re known the allure of a motorcycle, Bodies In Motion will fascinate and entertain you.”

– Thomas Wehr M.D.
Dr. Wehr is a former Chief, Clinical Psychobiology Branch, National Institute of Mental Health.

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