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Message started by engineer on 03/18/18 at 18:49:20

Title: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by engineer on 03/18/18 at 18:49:20

I got my issue of Cycle World in the mail yesterday. New format and new price, $11 per issue! I'm terribly disappointed, lots of large pictures so they don't need to pay anyone to write much anymore. Hey, I sent in money and signed up for 2 or 3 years, 12 issues per year, now they say I'll get one every quarter. Where's my refund for all the missing issues. The biggest joke is that the editor tells us we will want to keep the newly formatted magazine for a lifetime.
The articles are very light weight and basically useless. No more road test or comparisons of new bikes. I spent maybe 5 minutes looking at it and then pitched it into the trash. They don't have a section for letters to the editor probably because they didn't want to hear all the complaints.
The magazine Motorcyclist went the same way last year and they must have been inspired by that failure. Motorcyclist made the mistake of keeping the reader feedback section and people were cancelling their subscriptions. When Motorcyclist arrives in my mailbox I just pitch into the trash along with the junk mail. I have subscriptions for both those magazines.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by jcstokes on 03/18/18 at 22:07:41

Might have something to do with declining motorcycle sales in the US, might have something to do with less print media being read as people go on the web. Might have something to do with less advertisers willing to fund it.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/19/18 at 02:57:45

I've been watching Readers Digest get smaller and smaller over the years. Price goes up. Size goes down.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by Eegore on 03/19/18 at 08:27:47

Print magazines have historically been funded by ad revenue.

A YouTube comparison video can reach millions within hours of release.

Google can place a polygon over a specific event, or demographic and advertise specifically to that group and adjust ads in real time based off of views.

That right there is a big reason to drop print ads if you are selling a product.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by IslandRoad on 03/20/18 at 00:08:32

A couple of years ago I met an editor of a niche magazine (non-motorcycle). She was in charge of the online section of the mag. She told me her job had been pretty much reduced to, getting up early to find out which click-bait 'articles' were trending that day, and making sure they linked to them on their mag.

I said "That sounds a bit disheartening". She said "It is".

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 03/20/18 at 00:25:04

Couldn't that be done by software?

Yeah, disheartening, bummer for sure

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by IslandRoad on 03/20/18 at 00:57:24

736C6A6D70774676467E6C602B190 wrote:

Couldn't that be done by software?

Yeah, disheartening, bummer for sure

Would probably cost more!

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by MMRanch on 03/21/18 at 21:21:53

I got my issue of Cycle World in the mail yesterday

Same here . 114 pages (book) of higher quality paper . I got mine started when they were giving-a-way those "Over night" bags with all the pockets .
I've got three of those bags now and been getting the magazines for five or more years. All that and I only paid them once . Oh yea they sent bills and "one more chance" bills . Fact is I didn't want the magazines in the first place , I wanted the Over-Night bag. ::)
Well all the bikes they write about are those Crazy HP sport-bikes or those Crazy $$,$$$ rolling road blocks.

But , they do make a nice over-night bag ;D

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by LANCER on 03/22/18 at 04:46:41

Yep, got my upgraded mag too, nice paper and photos but after thumbing through it did not see anything of interest. Oh, and I did not see anything about the change in number of issues per year. Maybe I need to read the section by the editor.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by zipidachimp on 03/22/18 at 12:26:12

Motorcycle Classics and Cafe Racer magazine are 2 bi-monthlies published on alternate months. Both cover all the bases I need in a bike mag.
Sadly, it looks like Cafe Racer is no longer crossing the border, so I have to. At least the gas is cheap on your side.
Alternate months mean I buy 1 mag a month, but get both mags! Such a deal!!! 8-)

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by engineer on 03/22/18 at 15:36:59

Motor Cycle Classics is also one of my favorites but I usually pick it up at the grocery store news stand when they feature a bike I am interested in. I've heard good things about MCN, Motorcycle Consumer News, but have never seen a copy. Has anyone given it a try?

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by springman on 04/13/18 at 14:33:52

Seeing the post about Minnesota reminded me about this post. I get Rider magazine and I like it. The last issue had an article about the Otter Trail somewhere in Minnesota. Supposedly a bunch of twisty roads because of the lakes that are all around.

Rider magazine always has articles about places to ride, articles on different types of bikes and info on gear. Also, each mag has a 2 page article on an old or peculiar bike at the very end of the magazine (usually what I read first).

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by jcstokes on 04/14/18 at 02:04:40

Unrelated to motorcycles, but, in my country a very significant thing that has got smaller is The Yellow Pages. Just the way the digital world is moving.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by norm92de on 04/14/18 at 08:16:19

I don't have anything to add except that I get both Motorcycle and Cycle World. I don't want to ride at 160 mph nor ride a land yacht.

Very sad! What would happen if they did a feature on our bike. Quirky and fun withhout costing an arm and a leg. :'(

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by Serowbot on 04/14/18 at 09:07:40

My buddy Andy used to write for a few magazines,... when he wrote for RIder, I used to buy it. He was their "Tech Guru"...
I'm not really interested in the latest. greatest, biggest, fastest.
I liked articles on how to, where to, and what to.
... and classic bikes and history.

I get more of what I want on the fancy new interweb...

Magazines are going the way of video rentals, and record shops.
Times change.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by LANCER on 04/14/18 at 18:37:13

3523342931242932460 wrote:

Magazines are going the way of video rentals, and record shops.
Times change.

Sadly I agree. I do still like Classics mag and there are 1 or 2 maybe that are still interesting but they are big on the naked stuff so don't get those.
So I now get Classics, the AMA mag and CMA mag, and thats it.

Title: Re: Motorcycle magazines going down the tubes
Post by springman on 04/14/18 at 21:45:11

You can get a feel for the mag if you want by going to ridermagazine.com.