From the company that gave us such how-to classics as The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Dealing with Stress for Teens, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Mafia, and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Tantric Sex comes this latest edition of their renowned motorcycle tome, and it more than lives up to its title.

The Complete Idiot series of books is designed for people who have no knowledge of the subject they’re interested in, be it “Understanding Catholicism,” “Playing the Guitar,” or “Knitting & Crocheting.” Here, with the help of Motorcyclist magazine, it tackles our favorite subject with all the patience and coddling you’d expect from a kindergarten teacher.

Not that it’s isn’t helpful and stuffed with useful information, quite the contrary. The Idiot’s Guide has got it all, from the history of motorbikes to tips on buying a motorcycle, instructions on how to ride and repair your bike, advice on joining (and avoiding) motorcycle clubs, information on how to choose the gear that’s right for you — anything and everything concerning two-wheeled motorized vehicles. It’s practically exhaustive.

Put it this way: the fact that you’re even reading RoadBike means that you, most likely, have a slight to fervent interest in motorcycles. That said, some or most of the information here is bound to be redundant. But that’s the point of this guide — by definition, it’s simply not geared toward you. It’s written for the total novice, the, yes, complete idiot, the person who knows nothing at all about motorcycles but wants to learn everything about them. It might be the perfect gift for your mother, your kid brother, or your significant other. The guide strives to be the only book about motorcycling one will ever need. And, for many people, it succeeds. RB

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Motorcycles, 3rd Edition $19.95
By the editors of Motorcyclist, with Darwin Holmstrom
422 pages
Alpha Books/Penguin Group USA
800/526-0275
Available on www.greaserag.com