Clem Salvadori has been writing a column for Rider magazine out of California since 1988, says the blurb, and that sounds about right to me — he’s certainly been a fixture on that touring-oriented mag as long as I can remember.
He’s earned the right to be listened to about touring, as well. He’s lived in Europe, Mexico, and South America and been around the world, all on motorcycles, and seems to know most of North America very well indeed.
I’ve met him once or twice on press affairs; he looks and acts a bit stand-offish although he’s friendly enough. He’s a big guy, well over six feet, with a goatee and always a beret when the helmet’s off. It’s probably the beret that puts me off, really … oh well.
This book is a collection of columns from Rider, the subject matter is almost completely the experiences and joys you’ll encounter while touring, although he wends off into talking about performance and "stuff" and other related items as well. Some of the best ones talk about utterly stupid mistakes that we all make (himself included), and usually get away with; he can be pretty funny and certainly isn’t afraid of poking fun at himself.
As the author says himself in his introduction, the book isn’t intended as a sit-down-and-read-through item, but something you might pick up to sample a story or two when you’ve got half an hour to spare.
I’m having fun browsing through it, you probably will to, and it’s a great idea for a birthday or Christmas gift for your favourite touring rider.
101 Road Tales, by Clement Salvadori, 382 pp, illustrated. Published by Whitehorse Press, Centre Conway, NH, www.WhitehorsePress.com, $24.95 U.S., ISBN 978-1-884313-73-8.
One rule I have always lived by:
Never trust a chap in a beret, or
one that keeps his change in a
change purse or those wee things
on a wallet.
Tell us when Peter Egan or Kevin
Cameron produce a tome.
(No need for Max Burns… I must
be on hos mailing list! lol )