Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

[LeftCoast]

Well this is probably as off topic as I can get. I just finished it at age late 50’s. My brother read it back in the 70s as a teen and said it made a huge impression on him. Some interesting things about the author, IQ of 170 at age 9 and graduated high school at age 14. Both explaining why he is way smarter than me and why following his Chataquas on Quality was a struggle. I’ve never enjoyed philosophy as a subject much.

I find that the book to me ended up being a bit of a depressing read but that as a writer he is outstanding. His relationship with his son on the journey is also sad to me. I wish he’d written motorcycle touring books and articles, they’d have been a joy to read.

The newer books have an afterward written after his son was murdered outside the Zen center in San Francisco at age 22 and is reflective on that and what happened to his “soul” or “pattern” for lack of better words after death. It also touches on his experience with madness and asylums and electroshock therapy.

Anyone else read it? Impressions? (And if your impressions are only going to be snarky comments about SF and California please take a pass).

LC

[pegasus1300]

I read it back in the 70's and again in the 80's Although I enjoyed the book and the philosophy, I disagreed with his view point for the most part. It has now been over 30 years since I read it so I don't remember the details very well, but I do remember I found it quite negative and depressing and not in line with my view of things. I find some of the convoluted thinking typical of people of people with mental issues.

[LeftCoast]

Thanks Pegasus I appreciate the response. Given your recollection any reason you read it twice? I’m not sure I would read it again.

[Grizzly]

This thread prompted me to google the book. I located this pdf, https://www.bartneck.de/projects/research/pirsig/zen.pdf

I am going to start reading it.

[LeftCoast]

I’ll be interested in what you think.

[sandeejs]

I read it ages ago. What I remember was the authors feeling that you must work on your own bike to know it. He felt you were not experiencing the whole tide otherwise. (If I'm remembering correctly.) Is that why it ticks me off that I cant do most of the work on my Spyder?

Meh.

~Sandee~

[pegasus1300]

leftcoast I was working on some counseling ideas for my massage practice. Some friends recommended it so I read it again to see if I missed anything. I did get the impression that to really know your ride you have to work on it yourself. I felt that way anyway before I read it.

[Grizzly]

leftcoast I was working on some counseling ideas for my massage practice. Some friends recommended it so I read it again to see if I missed anything. I did get the impression that to really know your ride you have to work on it yourself. I felt that way anyway before I read it.

I kind of feel that way about everything I own. Guns, cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, computers, etc. The more you work on them the more you understand how that machine/item works. I find a lot of people are like "ohh I wish I could build a deck" "I wish I could do that myself to my motorcycle" " I wish I was handy like you"

I always tell them, you know how you become handy? You start doing handy stuff. No one is born with their knowledge, it is acquired and earned over the years. I leaned how to work on all of my machines by getting a service manual, watching youtube, and then getting dirty. Because of this i am rarely ever stranded with a broke down machine.

[PrairieSpyder]

My grad school roomie was in the English department and she raved about it after she read it. I started it and just couldn't get into it. Years later I tried again and had the same issue. But I like to hear others' discussion about it. That's the way I learn to fake it when I get into literary discussions.


I kind of feel that way about everything I own. Guns, cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, computers, etc. The more you work on them the more you understand how that machine/item works. I find a lot of people are like "ohh I wish I could build a deck" "I wish I could do that myself to my motorcycle" " I wish I was handy like you"

I always tell them, you know how you become handy? You start doing handy stuff. No one is born with their knowledge, it is acquired and earned over the years. I leaned how to work on all of my machines by getting a service manual, watching youtube, and then getting dirty. Because of this i am rarely ever stranded with a broke down machine.

Grizzly, I'm one of those people. My dad was really handy and my brother learned from him and others by working along-side them. So whenever I needed any "handy" type work done, my brother just handled it for me. Most of our dinner table discussions were about things like that. So after I was on my own and away from family, the best I could do was to understand when a mechanic was lying to me.

[Spyder 42]

Read it in the late 70’s, then picked up the audible version a few years back.

I agree with what has been said so far, it’s a depressing read. I do agree that the more you work on something, the better you understand it, whether it is mechanical or electrical in nature. FWIW, I’ve been throwing wrenches since I was about 3 years old (they may not have beeen the wrenches that my dad was looking for but I threw them to him anyway ��).