Donny's Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present: Volume I: The Twin CAM

I wish I'd bought this book years ago. I've been riding my Dyna FXDX since 2000. About 100 000 miles on it now and curently having an engine overall. Wish I'd known a little more about some of the (little) problems I've had earlier. On my 2nd set of SE cams now with an SE tensioner and oil pump upgrade. Wish I 'd changed that ages ago.I like the talk, the little details and the way it's written. It's not a service manual but then I have that. The Harley manual and the Haynes - not so good. Shame there aren't more photos - maybe there will be in the 2nd performance volume.I'm only 100 pages into the 700 but I like the approach he has. I've always thought this was one of the best Harley's built. I'm not a trained mechanic but a self-taught one and there is so much extra info that I'm enjoyng. And really good explanations about the manufacturing and design process.My only beef is that it's pricey and the second volume is also costly.And having driven through Virginia and the the Blue Ridge, Skyline and Gettysberg area this year I really loved the "Harley Fantasy Tour of 1999" part. A nice coincidence.

WOW! I had sticker shock at the price but after just one afternoon with this book I can honestly say that this is THE go to book on all twin cam issues. Should be a must for Harley enthusiasts as it dispels all the rumors and speculation on imagines (read internet) issues and non issues with the air cooled Harley. The section discussing types of oil to use is alone worth the price of the book. Honest real world observations on types of problems and fixes are clear and straightforward. SYN 3 vs 360 vs redline vs SYN 3 in all holes ALL these issues are clearly and logically addressed. I had purchased the kindle version but the print version has all diagrams and pictures and this adds a lot to completely understanding the twin cam technology. Super resource!!!!!!!

The absolute best book I have ever come across on the subject of vtwins. This is sort of a manual and part historical document. If you want to know how a twin cam works, how Harley got here, and the reason it was plagued early on with problems, not to mention how to repair them, this is the book. I will keep it forever, never lend it out and refer to it often. I'm hooked and will be buying the rest of his books in the series. Make sure you get the second edition updated as of 2011

So far have enjoyed reading this book, I've been highlighting as I go. So much helpful info. Wish there were more diagrams and pictures since I am a visual learner. But overall worth the investment. So far I learned that I should stay with synthetic oil and get an oil cooler for my '07 Softail Deluxe since I live in SC.

This book if full of Donny Petersen's personal opinions on what it means to be a Harley owner or "biker", as well as a lot of self-congratulatory drivel. After you sift through that, some of the technical knowledge and history is good, but it is poorly written and is in bad need of editing. I also found information in one area of the book that was later contradicted in another section. At the end of the day it is one motorcycle mechanic's opinions on Harley's. You know what they say about opinions. Buy it used if you can.

Awesome!!!

Any Gear Heads who want to know what makes Harley's the best product should read this. Danny is one of the few outsiders who is let into the inner Harley circle because of his knowledge and aptitude.It is well written and the diagrams are very clear. If You want to talk Harley and know what Your talking about. This is a must read.

If you like / live Harley Davidson & really are a gear head that enjoys working on bikes then all of these books are a must read. I learned so much from these books & am thankful for his ability to share his years of experience with us. They are all very well written & are filled with useful information / tips. I anxiously await the completion of this volume set.

The content of this book is excellent. Highly detailed and technical for those who really want to understand the history, the weak spots and what the motor company has been doing to solve the issues over the years. Donny is one about the most knowledgeable writers on the subject of HD motors I have ever read. The only reason for not giving it 5 stars is that I bought the hard cover version, and the book is physically very thick (almost 700 pages and packed with content), but the page size is only slightly larger than 1/2 sheet of normal letter size paper and the font is so small I struggle to read this without a magnifing glass. For me it takes away a lot of the enjoyment of reading it. This is the very first book I have ever had to use a magnifying glass to read. Great book, but would have been better printed on normal letter size format.

Great read and reference for any Harley fan.

Most informative book I've found. Wish I could find the entire series.

very happy with purchase and arrived as promised

Good information source .. love it!!