When I moved from my 1962 Honda 150 and My 1976 Honda 550 Four, I bought a Triumph 650 (1964).

I decided, since I was going to build a chopper out of it, removing the electrics and replacing them with non-Lucas, changing oil feeds, exhaust, intakes and carbs, that I should get a book to help with working on motorcycles. The book I chose was "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance"

A Great Book, not much use for actually working on motorcycles, it was more a working with yourself while working on motorcycles. It had some excellent quotes, some dealing with motorcycles others dealing wit dealing with motorcycles.

“When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called a Religion.” 

“You look at where you're going and where you are and it never makes sense, but then you look back at where you've been and a pattern seems to emerge.” 

“Is it hard?'
Not if you have the right attitudes. Its having the right attitudes that's hard.” 

“You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. They know it's going to rise tomorrow. When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kinds of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt.” 

“In a car you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it you don't realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. 
On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming.”

“The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn't any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it's right. If it disturbs you it's wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed.”

“The real purpose of the scientific method is to make sure nature hasn’t misled you into thinking you know something you actually don’t know.” 

“The pencil is mightier than the pen.” 

“Other people can talk about how to expand the destiny of mankind. I just want to talk about how to fix a motorcycle. I think that what I have to say has more lasting value.” 

“Although motorcycle riding is romantic, motorcycle maintenance is purely classic.”

“The more you look, the more you see.”

“...to arrive in the Rocky Mountains by plane would be to see them in one kind of context,as pretty scenery. But to arrive after days of hard travel across the prairies would be to see them in another way, as a goal, a promised land.”

"If you use distilled water in a battery it will last 6 months, if you use tap water it will last about a half a year"

“One of the first warning signs of impatience is frustration at not being able to lay your hand on the tool you need right away.” 

“Yah-da, yah-da, yah-da, yah-da, yah, carburetor, gear ratio, compression, yah-da-yah, piston, plugs, intake, yah-da-yah, on and on and on. That is the romantic face of the classic mode. Dull, awkward and ugly. Few romantics get beyond that point.”

"the Americans write electrical Schematics in English, The Japanese write their electrical schematics in English, the English write theirs in Martian".