British Literature and bikes

[xchaotic]

Hi.

I am about to write a thesis in the area of British Literature. I have a bunch of ideas, but what I'd love to write about is motorcycles and the surrounding culture, lifestyle etc
I just got the idea, I think it could be a little bit biased into philosophical aspect of riding, so I could use some of the riding manuals too. I think I might use references to stuff like Easy Rider or even "Motorcycle Diaries", but I think I miss the main ingredient, a good prose with motorcycles. Perhaps a movie could be a good source ("The Worlds Fastest Indian" comes to mind), but please I want to keep it British and maybe there is a great book that I managed to miss?
Any suggestion, hints, references are highly welcome and deeply appreciated.

[pnaberhaus]

XC,
Welcome to GS Twin Forum.

You want EXCELLENT motorcycle reading? Get a copy of Peter Egan's "LEANINGS" and "LEANINGS 2". I've got both books. I typically read only one small chapter at a time so that I don't finish the book too soon. I've read the first one, and I'm about 90% finished with the second book.

Egan's books contain a significant amount of Brit themed bike prose, stemming no doubt from his own admiration and ownership of several Triumph twins and his first hand accounts of his motorcycle trips in England and Ireland.  His trip to the Isle of Man for the TT races is a masterpiece of motorcycle prose as you can almost sense the atmosphere as surely you would the fog off the Irish Sea.

Highly recommended reading. BTW, Peter Egan writes a monthly column in both Road & Track and Cycle World and occasionally contributes a feature article in both journals. Good stuff, all

[xchaotic]

Thanks for the excellent tips, "leanings" should provide for a very nice material. Any further hints are still very welcome.

[Kasumi]

The Long Way Round, great movie/series of Ewan McGreggor and Charly Boorman traveling around the world on their motorcycles, most importantly highlights that there is nothing like experiencing the world on a motorcycle which is one of the commonest experience every motorcyclist wishes to fulfill.