Your favourite/least favourite motorcycle magazine, and why.

[gcdude]

I subscribe to Rider as it supports my daughter's school and at $.80 an issue, it's hard to beat. I really like Motorcycle Escape, RoadRunner MC Touring & Travel, and Motorcycle Sport & Leisure (but only buy them in the store when I find articles worth the high price).

[jagred]

I sub to "Motorcyclist". Used to have that and "Cycle World". But I decided not to keep both because it felt redundant.

I also have a Mustang and noticed something about "5.0" magazine that I really enjoy. They devote a huge portion of their article selections to individuals who have customized their cars. These people have lived with and cherished the featured cars for years.

I know that this is because it is a brand specific publication, and the comparison is not apples to apples. But it got me to thinking: how cool would that be with motorcycle mags? I would love to read more features on people who have lived with a bike for 5 years, with stories of their experiences. "Motorcyclist" does have a one page monthly article that does this very thing. And it is often my favorite page of the month.

Oh wait that is why we all come to forums like Advrider . This is the place where we find real world info.

Sorry, carry on the conversation!

[It'sNotTheBike]

Hands down, Cycle during the era with Phil Schilling, Cook Nielson, Jess Thomas,
Michael Shuter, Byron Black, Kevin Cameron, and Gordon Jennings was the best
motorcycle magazine in the history of the English-speaking world.

Everything since has sucked horribly. Even Peter Egan's schtick in Cycle World gets old.
Egan and Cameron are the only reason to read the magazine so I hope they are paid
well.

I met Nielson and Schilling at Daytona the year they kicked ass with Old Blue, and they
were both real gentlemen, in the old-school sense.

The motorcycling rags these days are written by a bunch of semi-literate Philistines who
apparently think acting like a punk helps gain street cred ( hint : it doesn't ).

Wow, do I miss Nielson, Schilling, and Jennings. They could write and they could ride
and they didn't write stuff which didn't have substance. If there is a motorcycle mag
hall of fame they all deserve a place of honor in it. I am sure those who remember
the glory days of Cycle understand exactly what I am talking about.

There is room for a good motorcycle mag now. The existence of the web makes dealing with
some money man ( publisher, e.g. Hachette who have RUINED everything they touched )
not nearly as necessary as it once was, so now the main barrier to entry is
talent ( or lack thereof ).

By the way I saw a comment by Jess Thomas on Bring A Trailer last year, so he is still around.
Last I heard Cook was hiding out in the northeastern US. I don't know about Schilling or
the rest of the folks, but I still remember the great work they did like it was yesterday.


.

[Hosebag]

[QUOTE=JohninVT;19691835]I hated Catterson. What a complete suck-ass he was.

+10, the guy had no business writing anything outside of ad copy or press releases

Cycle magazine ruled in the day.

Cycle Canada tries hard but hits the mark only occcasionally.

Roadracing World makes the grade with regularity (if you can get by the readers write page) Informed writing, first person, Mat Oxley, comparisons, tests, race reports etc.

[Warprints]

I'm a rag junkie. Subscribe to CW, MCN, Rider, Motorcyclist, Sportrider, and Roadracing News. MCN and Rider are the best of these. MCN because of the generally unbiased and in depth reviews, and Rider bc there isn't much bullshit.

[No False Enthusiasm]

I subscribe to Cycle World, Motorcyclist, and Rider.

Several decades ago, I subscribed to Cycle, the best of the bunch.

Time to let Motorcyclist go... I'm not in their target audience.

Will keep CW for Egan and Cameron... and Rider for the staff, as earlier mentioned.

Time to consider MCN...

NFE

BTW, the November issue of CW is focused on mid-sized motos... more of my riding style.

[scrannel]

Originally Posted by It'sNotTheBike

Hands down, Cycle during the era with Phil Schilling, Cook Nielson, Jess Thomas,
Michael Shuter, Byron Black, Kevin Cameron, and Gordon Jennings was the best
motorcycle magazine in the history of the English-speaking world.


.

This is the correct answer. It was brilliant.

[Motard_Menace]

Originally Posted by It'sNotTheBike

Hands down, Cycle during the era with Phil Schilling, Cook Nielson, Jess Thomas,
Michael Shuter, Byron Black, Kevin Cameron, and Gordon Jennings was the best
motorcycle magazine in the history of the English-speaking world.

Everything since has sucked horribly. Even Peter Egan's schtick in Cycle World gets old.
Egan and Cameron are the only reason to read the magazine so I hope they are paid
well.

I met Nielson and Schilling at Daytona the year they kicked ass with Old Blue, and they
were both real gentlemen, in the old-school sense.

The motorcycling rags these days are written by a bunch of semi-literate Philistines who
apparently think acting like a punk helps gain street cred ( hint : it doesn't ).

Wow, do I miss Nielson, Schilling, and Jennings. They could write and they could ride
and they didn't write stuff which didn't have substance. If there is a motorcycle mag
hall of fame they all deserve a place of honor in it. I am sure those who remember
the glory days of Cycle understand exactly what I am talking about.

There is room for a good motorcycle mag now. The existence of the web makes dealing with
some money man ( publisher, e.g. Hachette who have RUINED everything they touched )
not nearly as necessary as it once was, so now the main barrier to entry is
talent ( or lack thereof ).

By the way I saw a comment by Jess Thomas on Bring A Trailer last year, so he is still around.
Last I heard Cook was hiding out in the northeastern US. I don't know about Schilling or
the rest of the folks, but I still remember the great work they did like it was yesterday.


.

Try MCN the USA version as I think you might enjoy it by reading your comments. Well written articles that are articulate and a knowledgeable staff that is not beholden to advertisers. If I could have only one magazine this would be the one although it is four times as expensive.

[lobsta]

Brit mag "Fast Bikes" @ fastbikesmag.com

[jjgres]

Motorcyclist magazine is head and shoulders above all the rest. Save yourself stress and just subscribe for the next 1000 years! All you ever need moto-wise is contained within its hallowed covers.

Cycle World? Forget it! The pages are so slick the mag keeps falling from my fingers. Sure, Cameron and Egan are great but when's the last time you saw them alive? Think about it!

Motorcycle Consumer mag? How can you trust a publication that has no ads? What the hell? How do their writers make money? Stealing office supplies?

Brit mags? Ha! They don't even write in American! You need a Babel friggin fish to understand what the hell they're on about! Besides, it rains a lot over there.

No, you need to subscribe to Motorcyclist magazine before it gets even better!

[Barnone]

I use to subscribe to a bunch but now am down to Cycle World and that is not going to be renewed.
Google in my answer for moto news now days.

[Mr. Canoehead]

Originally Posted by EetsOK

I've also noticed (along with Cycle Canada too) a trend towards immature writing. I don't really expect to read so many "fuck"'s from self proclaimed professional journalists.

Originally Posted by ZZ-R Rider

Fave would have to be Canadian Biker ... not only 'cause I'm a Kanuck, but 'cause it's generally a good rag ... another good Kanuck motorcycle mag is Motorcycle Mojo.

Funny, I think Cycle Canada has really taken off with Neil Graham as editor and I find Mojo tedious (with the exception of Paddy). Never tried Canadian Biker - the name puts me off even trying.

I read Motorcyclist for Jack Lewis and Joe Gresch, Cycle World for Peter Egan and Kevin Cameron and MotoRetro because Mitch needs support in his new venture (and I'm the target market).

[Rider]

Originally Posted by It'sNotTheBike

Hands down, Cycle during the era with Phil Schilling, Cook Nielson, Jess Thomas,
Michael Shuter, Byron Black, Kevin Cameron, and Gordon Jennings was the best
motorcycle magazine in the history of the English-speaking world.

Everything since has sucked horribly. Even Peter Egan's schtick in Cycle World gets old.
Egan and Cameron are the only reason to read the magazine so I hope they are paid
well.

I met Nielson and Schilling at Daytona the year they kicked ass with Old Blue, and they
were both real gentlemen, in the old-school sense.

The motorcycling rags these days are written by a bunch of semi-literate Philistines who
apparently think acting like a punk helps gain street cred ( hint : it doesn't ).

Wow, do I miss Nielson, Schilling, and Jennings. They could write and they could ride
and they didn't write stuff which didn't have substance. If there is a motorcycle mag
hall of fame they all deserve a place of honor in it. I am sure those who remember
the glory days of Cycle understand exactly what I am talking about.

There is room for a good motorcycle mag now. The existence of the web makes dealing with
some money man ( publisher, e.g. Hachette who have RUINED everything they touched )
not nearly as necessary as it once was, so now the main barrier to entry is
talent ( or lack thereof ).

By the way I saw a comment by Jess Thomas on Bring A Trailer last year, so he is still around.
Last I heard Cook was hiding out in the northeastern US. I don't know about Schilling or
the rest of the folks, but I still remember the great work they did like it was yesterday.


.

What he said.

[farmboyfz1]

Quit suscribing to 4 mags, just got to be too much fluff and similar content. When you test ride REPORT put the damn thing thru hell and beat the $#!+ out of it and find its limitations. And don't be afraid to piss off the manufacture and tell the truth in your opinion, not worry if they will let you demo the next new model because you didn't have something nice to say. Then after grabbing the bull by the horns and writing the complete REPORT for a few years I will faithfully start reading and suscribing to your rag and possible recommend your information. Also be a motorcyclist, not a cruiser guy, or adventure guy, dirt or tourer. Judge a bike by its own merits not your three piece comparos where one is $xx,xxx.xx to $x,xxx.xx and the other last years model. Besides there is more info on forums like this than any bike rag and also really good travel info and tips, plus good places to eat (with pics in some cases). Who needs magazines. ( one thing though, when one of my bikes makes the cover for bike of the year, yeah I do buy that one. My little piece of vanity.)

[EetsOK]

Originally Posted by RaY YreKa

Dan doesn't earn a living as a writer, not exclusivey anyway.

He's an Inmate here on ADV too.

Good for him.
I await a pathetic attempt at a flame any time now.