David L. Hough[pronunciation?] (born 1937) is an American writer on motorcycle rider safety, education and training.
He has been a columnist for Motorcycle Consumer News, Sound RIDER! and BMW Owners News magazines. After his first book Proficient Motorcycling was published by Bow Tie Press it became one of the best selling motorcycle books. He currently has four published books and one 2nd ed. He has been recognized twice as a writer by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's (MSF) Excellence in Motorcycle Journalism award.[1]
Career
He has also designed a rider skills course for sidecar riders.[2] Hough has been called "a premier motorcycling journalist"[3][4][5] and the author of "one of the most widely respected books on safe street riding."[6] In the media he is frequently called upon to provide expert commentary on motorcycling issues, and his work is on the recommended reading lists of many other motorcycling writers.
Hough was inducted to the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in December 2009 for his work as a motorcycle journalist and riding safety books that "should be a mandatory read for every motorcyclist, from novice to expert."[7][8]
Motorcycling recommended reading lists that include David Hough's books.
"Parade Lap", American Motorcyclist, vol. 33, no. 10, American Motorcyclist Association, p. 13, November 1979, ISSN0277-9358, retrieved 2009-05-11, Hough's stuff — We continue to be impressed with the efforts of AMA biker David Hough, whose most recent project is a safe riding newsletter for the Boeing (as in airplane) Employees Motorcycle Club in Seattle. Hough deals succinctly with the gut issues of motorcycle safety. For example, 'If panic braking practice scares you, it's probably just what you need.' Well said, David.
Bishop, Randy (2008-02-12), Randy Bishop's Iron Butt Association SaddleSore 2000, May 29–30, 2004, archived from the original on 2011-03-14, retrieved 2009-05-11, As soon as I did that I remembered David Hough's admonitions in MCN about "edge traps" and knew I was stuck in the right lane for the length of the repaving project.
Coyner, Dale (2007), The Essential Guide to Motorcycle Travel: Tips, Technology, Advanced Techniques, Kogan Page Publishers, p. 172, ISBN978-1-884313-59-2, retrieved 2009-05-11, I also like Proficient Motorcycling, by David Hough, as a follow-up on responsible, safe riding because Hough's lessons are delivered in a patient, even tone using simple but vivid descriptions of common situations and hazards we face.
Dulyanai, Mark (2008-07-11), "Have You Read?: Motorcycle guides coming your way from the library", Tahoe Daily Tribune, archived from the original on 2011-09-28, retrieved 2009-05-11, "Proficient Motorcycling" is very much geared to the average rider. David Hough is well-known in the motorcycling community as a premier motorcycle journalist, with many decades of street riding under his belt. "Proficient Motorcycling" deals with the dangerous scenarios that many deal with in their daily commute. Hough provides real strategies for staying alive on the street, and I strongly suggest that all riders read his book.
Holmstrom, Darwin (2001), The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles (2nd ed.), Alpha Books, p. xxiii, ISBN0-02-864258-9, I'd like to give special thanks to journalists who wrote about safety issues, writers like David Hough and Lawrence Grodsky. Not only have they helped me learn what I needed to know to write this book, but they may have saved my life a time or two.
Parks, Lee (2003-07-12), Total control: high performance street riding techniques, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, p. 153, ISBN0-7603-1403-9, retrieved 2009-05-11, Recommended Reading Smart riders treat their sport as both a hobby and an intellectual pursuit. My recommended reading list will get you up to speed on most facets of performance riding and tuning. Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. Lots of useful riding info and strategies for staying safe on the street.
Stermer, Bill (15 December 2004), "Riding by the book: speed reading that could enhance your riding skills.(Book Review)", Rider, archived from the original on 16 January 2013, David L. Hough (pronounced "huff") approaches this book with a long list of credentials. He's not only a long-term rider and commuter, but also has written a monthly skills column for Motorcycle Consumer News and two previous books on proficient motorcycling
Stermer, Bill (2006-07-01), Streetbikes: Everything You Need to Know, MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company, ISBN0-7603-2362-3, retrieved 2009-05-11, Also, there are many books on basic riding skills (including those by David Hough and Pat Halm, to name a couple) and performance riding (by Reg Pridmore, Nick Ienatsch, and Lee Parks). Any or several of these should be on your shelf, as well. Those gentlemen can tell you how to ride better on the street; I'll tell you about many other aspects of street riding.
References
^Bowtie Press Authors, Bowtie Press, archived from the original on 3 May 2009, retrieved 2009-05-11, David L. Hough (Proficient Motorcycling) is a two-time winner of the National Motorcycle Safety Foundation's award for "Excellence in Motorcycle Safety Journalism." He wrote a column called "Proficient Motorcycling" in Motorcycle Consumer News for 20 years. His column is often cited by rider training professionals as the best single source of riding tips and advice ever written for both the novice and veteran rider. David is an artist, photographer, riding instructor, and world traveler, and he makes his home in Port Angeles, Washington.
^"Parade Lap", American Motorcyclist, vol. 36, no. i, American Motorcyclist Association, p. 35, August 1982, ISSN0277-9358, Governor John Spellman puts his signature on a piece of legislation that provides for a self-funded rider education program in Washington State. The Washington legislation was the second rider ed bill enacted during 1983. Looking over the governor's shoulder are (from left) David Hough of the Northwest Motorcycle Institute;
^Trick, Randy (2007-05-13), "Crashes put motorcyclists on defensive", Peninsula Daily News, archived from the original on 2007-05-17, retrieved 2009-05-11, But more importantly, said motorcycle journalist David Hough, riders need to ride smarter and safer. Hough estimates he's ridden a motorcycle more than a million miles across the world and around his home in Agnew. For 16 years he wrote the "Proficient Motorcycling" column for Motorcycle Consumer News. In 2000 he published a compendium of his columns under the same name. Hough has studied collision and fatality statistics from the federal government, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the insurance industry
^Grodsky, Lawrence (2003-09-01), "Brakes? Perhaps ...(Stayin' Safe)", Rider, archived from the original on 2013-01-16, David Hough, author of Proficient Motorcycling, one of the most widely respected books on safe street riding, takes an entirely different view. He says you should brake for every turn short of a freeway sweeper. Why? To get in the habit, says Hough.
