Good Vibrations

September 15, 2012
An American-built Harley-Davidson motorcycle is like a fine sail boat, according to British sailor and television documentarian Cunliffe. Open to the elements of weather and requiring constant driving attention, a Harley on the open road is a platform for discovery. After retiring from his life at sea in the mid-1990s, Cunliffe and his wife, Roz, fulfilled a dream by riding a pair of Harleys from Baltimore to San Francisco and back, 12,000 miles in less than three months. Sticking mostly to backroads, they encountered broken pavement, hurricanes, insects, desert heat, and a diverse cross-section of the American public. With his affable accent, Cunliffe charmed dangerous drug dealers, industrious midwestern farmers, and the vigilant Texas Highway Patrol. Good reading for those who enjoy adventurous travel.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)