Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is not about traditional Zen, although Pirsig was clearly inspired by Zen Buddhism. His philosophical investigations began through teaching English composition to college students and asking himself the simple question of what made writing good. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance begins as a narrative account of a motorcycle trip that author Robert Pirsig took with his son Chris. It quickly becomes much more than a travel Overview. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was published in 1974. Told through the frame of a long motorcycle trip across America, the book explores life and how to best live it. The world of ideas takes center stage, providing both the conflict and resolution for living such a balanced approach to life. hakzx6x.