Motorcycle Mags - I've given up!

It's official folks! I have given up on Motorcycle magazines. I have yet to find one that I would even wipe my backside with. What the heck happened to good journalism?

I was checking Motorcycle Cruiser and noticed they did a test of "Light Tourers(?)" These are basically motorcycles that different motorcycle companies market as a tourer, but really only have a bunch of stuff on them that I could install in my garage in about an hour. That being said, the article focuses on all the large displacement bikes with leather bags, backrest and windshield. They forgot the v2k LT and it wasn't even mentioned.

Motorcycle Cruiser had struggled to keep my attention for quite some time now. Their reviews are long and boring typically. They constantly leave out other bikes in the same class. Why even bother to give a review if I can't read about everything that's available. It's kind of like the Wall Street Journal leaving out a bunch of the stocks for that day.

Last year I found what I thought was going to be a great mag called Hot Bike Baggers. They told me they would talk about touring baggers, and they would include Metrics. Great! Finally someone does a mag for someone who owns a bagger (no brand affiliation), likes to customize it, and actually tours on the damn thing. I have yet to really find any Metric bikes in this magazine. I don't think I have found a review of a new part for anything besides a Harley. They've shown one Nomad in a reader's rides area, and they won't dare to compare it against any other bikes. As a matter of fact, It's difficult to find the Nomad compared anywhere in a RECENT comparison test. Of course the reviews of the HD bikes are always glowing and they can do nothing wrong.

On a side note, I'd like to say I don't have anything against HD. The Street Glide is a great looking bike, and I love a bunch of their other models. I would buy one if, for 18,000, it truely was the best bike for the money (theres enough HD bashing on other threads I'll leave it at that).

So back to Baggers Mag. If they aren't going to do an actual unbiased test of ALL the bikes they choose to show, don't bother! Otherwise it's just a brochure for HD, and I can get a free one of those when I stop buy the dealer.

Vtwin. It used to be a great mag back when it first came out. They had some lightly customized bikes, of all makes, that were really nice. On top of that, they had some decent looking women in it and they were...sorta...clothed. Enough anyway that I could leave it on the coffee table and not be concerned when my kids picked it up or my mother stopped by. Then they pulled the women, put in a bunch of customs that now all look the same and I can't afford, oh, and the reviews suck.

I'm sorry for the long rant, but I just can't get past the fact that there isn't a mag called "Touring Bagger", or "All Baggers" that covers A) Bikes with actual bags. Not leather floppy thingies hanging off the side. B) FUNCTIONAL customization and reviews of parts (I'm sure the Nomad would look cool with eight degrees of rake in the neck and a springer front end, but c'mon. It would be easier to corner with an eighteen wheeler. Not to mention getting my 350mm rear tire to roll over in the corners). C) How 'bout covering some great rides across the US and Canada, and even Mexico or Europe. Lets leave the third world countries with dirt roads, fecal matter in the street, and Malaria out of it. I'm sure thats great for the Dual Sport guys but I'll stick to asphault on the Nomad, and go into the mountains on a CRF 450 when I want to get away from it all. D) Lastly, let's make it truely a non-denominational thing. Car and Driver, Motor Trend, and Automobile always seem to give a (fairly) unbiased review. Why is that so hard to get in the motorcycle world?

So am I crazy? Is there a magazine out there that covers at least some of this? If you know of one spill because I'm tired of wasting my time and money on something to line the litter box with. I think the bottom line is, most motorcycle mags are not making money of the newsstand, they are getting their income from advertising space. I always find it ironic that when Star, or Honda, or Harley, or anyone else puts out an all new motorcycle and advertises it in a mag, it somehow winds up as "Bike of the Year" or "Bagger of the Year". Suddenly a salesman tells me, this bike was voted "Bike of the Year" by blah blah magazine. At which point I can look at the salesman and calmly reply, "Of course it was, I saw the ad for it." At which point, I climb on my Nomad, which is now six years old and ONLY 1500cc's, and drive away knowing the media has not completly shaped my opinion about what a great motorcycle really is. After all, no one's done an article about it in the last 5 years!

[mikesth]

Last year I found what I thought was going to be a great mag called Hot Bike Baggers. They told me they would talk about touring baggers, and they would include Metrics. Great! Finally someone does a mag for someone who owns a bagger (no brand affiliation), likes to customize it, and actually tours on the damn thing. I have yet to really find any Metric bikes in this magazine. I don't think I have found a review of a new part for anything besides a Harley. They've shown one Nomad in a reader's rides area, and they won't dare to compare it against any other bikes. As a matter of fact, It's difficult to find the Nomad compared anywhere in a RECENT comparison test. Of course the reviews of the HD bikes are always glowing and they can do nothing wrong.

I'm in full agreement, though I think they have shown 3 Nomads as Reader's Rides. Bottom line is that the only way to get good info and 'stuff' for our bikes is the internet and for the most part, it's free.

I let Cruiser lapse and will probably keep Baggers because it gives me some new ideas...no specific parts, but some ideas to apply.

[bkmaxvrb]

I get a couple of magazines that I really like. One is even free, which I really like.

First, the free one. Backroads

It's a regional magazine and is available at local dealerships and bike accessory shops. They tend to focus on the area surrounding NJ (since it's published there, it makes sense) but do venture out to other states and countries. A recent issue was dedicated almost solely to Nova Scotia. Anyway it's free, they tell about thier travels, they rant, they review gear and bikes (not comparisons though) and they have route sheets. It is also available by subscription although I think they're asking too much ($40 per year) and they have a web site.

The second is RoadRunner.

It's a lot like Backraods only on a much grander scale. They cover the entire US and have several articles on international travel. I could do without them as I'm pretty sure I won't be going to most of the countries they write about. Still, it can be interesting. I like thier "shamrock" tours. They pick a town as a base and, on each of four consecutive days, go in a different direction and end up back at the base town at night. Great concept. They normally have an article on a vintage bike and on a scooter as well or they incorporate one or the other in a trip. They are reasonably priced, are available by subscription and can be found in your local bookstore or grocery store's magazine rack.

Both magazines tend to be weighted more toward the travel aspect, which I like. Neither has had any how-to, maintenance, upgrade or customization articles that I can remember seeing. Both are well done and high quality so I would definately recommend them.

[ringadingh]

I too have given up reading bike magazines, and snowmobile ones as well. It seems that every bike or sled tested by them is almost flawless. Im sure this is because they are all after the advertising dollars from the manufacturers, and don't want to bite the hand that feeds them. So much for an honest review.

[cactusjack]

I agree wholeheartedly with the sentiments about "Hot Bike Baggers". It should be renamed Harley Davidson Showcase. The letters to the editor in the first couple of issues showed the true mentality of the Harley crowd. "My grandpa was held prisoner in a Japanese POW camp during World War II, and I'll be damned if I'm going to buy a magazine with pictures of Jap bikes!"

Motorcycle Cruiser I still like, but what's with publishing 8 issues a year?

Here's my "Gripe Du Jour" - All Metric Roadbike, the seemingly only bastion for riders of metric bikes, has changed their name to just "Roadbike" and they have started featuring Harleys. There are dozens of Harley/American V-twin magazines on the stands and very little that will feature V-Stars, Vulcans, Boulevards, etc.

I used to read Cycle World and Motorcyclist, but they carry too much crap that I couldn't care less about. Dirt bikes, sportbikes, moto GP, etc. I outgrew the dirtbike phase 30 years ago. I want to read about big street machines - specifically cruisers, although I do like to read up on Goldwings and Visions, too. I wouldn't care if a magazine carried HD stuff as long as they give equal time to metric bikes.

[kenb]

It appears to me that a new publication should be thrown into the mix. An unbiased testing of ALL motorcycles. Each motorcycle would be classified and compared with similarly classed motorcycles by professional and everyday riders to get a broad evaluation of each motorcycles strengths and weaknesses. Each motorcycle would be stock from the factory. No accessories that would enhance rider comfort. (other than adjustments that can be done per the owners manual)
The riders will fill out a form that only uses the one to ten scale for the different test areas. NO rider opinions will be printed. Each rider will evaluate, without bias, each motorcycle.

There would also be the maintenance/repair area. All motorcycles will be graded on ease of performing basic maintenance as well as repairs on items likely to fail, along with cost.

Average cost of dealership maintenance/repairs should be listed

After all the forms have been evaluated, an average of all the riders will be a printed result.

The magazine should be called....................Motorcyclist Reports.

Oh yeah, No advertising, Period. Do not want to be accused of being bias.

[schoeney]

A few thoughts.

A) Magazines like newspapers are getting killed by the INTERNET.

B) I wish this thread started 2 days earlier before I bought my first bike magazine subscription....to Motorcycle Cruiser.

C) It may be a sign that they they are hurting financially but I bought my subscription to Motorcycle Cruiser (8 issues) and they threw in 12 issues of Motorcyclist Magazine for free. Total cost for all was $14.97

D) I agree with most...would be nice to have more substance, lack of bias, and true critique....not vanilla articles focusing just on the pros while ignoring the cons.

[dantama]

Anyone notice that the tv broadcast news has gotten a lot worse too?

I'm still following individual writers like Clement Salvadori and Peter Egan and enjoy them.

I like reading about motorcycles better than cars, but my car magazines are better than my motorcycle ones. I get four motorcycle ones just because I have the time to read them, but if time were an issue, I'd probably only keep Rider magazine.

[Top Cat]

yridehd , First thing I would like to clear up is the v2k LT is not really a LIGHT TOURER it has a 2053cc engine. Thats why they left it out of the review.
The October 2008 issue of Motorcycle Cruiser indeed has a Hard Baggers Smackdown. It includes the Nomad, the Road King and the Victory Vision.
Anyway, I read Road Tourer, Motorcycle Cruiser, Motorcyclist , Road Ride, etc.
Anything all Harley I avoid.

[goldstar225]

I still take Rider, it has interesting destination articles. If you want a magazine that doesn't take advertising, lists the warts on a bike or a product being reviewed and publicizes problems or flaws with a model (including recalls) subscribe to Motorcycle Consumer News. $44.00 a year and worth it. It's far more expensive than other mags but that's what happens when a magazine isn't subsidized by advertising dollars. MCN does give opinions of the testers but without that all you have are numbers and numbers don't tell the whole story.

[dhomoney]

It would appear that the Motorcycle magazines are like 99% of gun mags, totally bias. Such and such gun is the greatest gun in history, until next month when it is usurped by the next gun released. There has never been a review of a gun in a mag that they didn't love. The cons may be listed in two sentences in a multi-paged article, and then they blow over them. I remember Guns and Ammo reviewing a bullpup AK that had a 13+ pound trigger pull and they just brushed it off. MC mags seem to be the same. I read Motorcycle Cruiser magazine, and so far it is the best. I have seen plenty of metrics in there so for now I will keep it. Most are just published by HD Marketing department. Same for the TV show American Thunder which is sponsored by HD. I have seen them review the Victory Vision, which they liked, but the 30 minute show spend half of it's time talking about Harleys. I like Harley's I just don't like the price.

[nighthawk700]

I get a couple of magazines that I really like. One is even free, which I really like.

First, the free one. Backroads

It's a regional magazine and is available at local dealerships and bike accessory shops. They tend to focus on the area surrounding NJ (since it's published there, it makes sense) but do venture out to other states and countries. A recent issue was dedicated almost solely to Nova Scotia. Anyway it's free, they tell about thier travels, they rant, they review gear and bikes (not comparisons though) and they have route sheets. It is also available by subscription although I think they're asking too much ($40 per year) and they have a web site.


I subscribed to Backroads up to their major postage bump in prices. I understand why they had to do it, but it just wasn't worth the extra.

At the IMS Motorcycle show, I spent $27 to get 3 years of Motorcycle Cruiser, $30 to renew for 3 years of Rider, and $44 to renew for two years of MCN. I was hoping for Roadbike as I occasionally pick that up as well. Some articles are good, some aren't, but since I come from a Concours, I'm getting better pictures and ideas of cruising. And MCN, I started subscribing when I started riding in '95, and have been subscribing since.

[glwilson]

Some of you may have noticed that several "theme" magazines are actually published by the same "parent" publishing company.

For example; if a magazine is about "gardening"; it is highly likely that several of the various gardening "title-themed" magazines are published by the same "main" publisher using different names for the magazines.

There is one publisher (a rather large company) that publishes the most "theme" magazines around -- covering almost any topic you can possibly think of. They also are the largest publisher of "industry" theme magazines.

The name escapes me now.

Many times a magazine will have a different publishing company name listed rather than the "main" publisher -- I suppose to not reveal that many mags are being put-out by the same company.

Anyway -- just know; themed mags are only profitable by the advertisement revenue. Your subscription price barely pays for the postage and handling to get it to your door.

Given that; you can expect what you pay for. ;)

[kjaxntn]

HD must be putting a ton of money in these mags. HD has some nice but im not going to pay the price for one. My brother has a low rider and i feel cramped on it , the same is true with a friend of mines sportster. The year we went to bike in Myrtle Beach all the could say is "i need to air my bike out". I got my christmas issue from J&P cycle and nothing for metric bikes. Would be nice to have deals for something other than HD.

Alright - now that I have had a few hours to calm down, I'm better. My issue stemmed from the fact that I have been looking for a mag to subscribe to. I haven't subscribed for several years, but I enjoy reading everything I can about bikes. I have yet to be able to find one that address all (or any) of the real stuff that a true touring bike owner wants. I think too much time is spent in many magazines on trying to get bike owners to be the next OCC or Jesse James. The bottom line is I went down that road, and found that I enjoy the rides and customzing my bike from time to time (not radically). Lets face it 95% of bike owners are not going to drop 30,000 into their bikes to customize them, yet thats what the bike world has been pushing.

So I'll pose the next part of this question, and perhaps I should have just started another thread on this, has the success of OCC and others actually been negative to the motorcycling community? I used to watch the show, but the last few seasons have really gone down hill. What are your thoughts.

I plan on asking for MCN as a birthday gift for me. And there is another mag (the name escapes me right now) the focuses pretty specifically on rides.

Also, does anyone know how to get a loan to start my own magazine that will feature ALL touring bikes from GWings to FJR's to Nomads (I might even throw in an Ultra). :)

[dantama]

So I'll pose the next part of this question, and perhaps I should have just started another thread on this, has the success of OCC and others actually been negative to the motorcycling community? I used to watch the show, but the last few seasons have really gone down hill. What are your thoughts.



I've only watched about one episode of any of them, plus what I've caught on others show in reference to them.

I hate em, hate em, hate em. And I think that they have been horrible for our image. They are to motorcycling what WWF is to Olympic wrestling. Just a big cartoon that paints a picture to the public of motorcyclist being thick headed neanderthals with no education or people skills.

On top of all that, they build stupid bikes. Who would buy a car that is only comfortable for a short hop across town? I think every one of their bikes is a p***s extender for guys with a need to compensate. Women get boob jobs for other women (they can get laid just fine with small boobs) it is to peacock in front of other women. Guys ride those bikes to try to gain stature in front of other guys. I've got huge dangley bits, and can ride a practical bike; no extender needed.

For me a motorcycle can be a work of art, but it has to look like it is worth riding somewhere all day in order to look good at all to me. A big ass fat tire and only comfortable to bar hop on type of bike is a total waste of rubber and iron. It could be put to better use building baby strollers. :)

Needles to say, when I see those guys with the foot wide rear tire, I'm not impressed. I'd be impressed by an 80 year old on a goldwing long before that.

If you want to know how I really feel, just ask. :)

[cactusjack]

I watched American Chopper for the first season or so. It is so repetitive you know what's going to happen next. The stuff that's filmed for TV only shows a portion of OCC's business. Besides the flashy, high-dollar "vanity" choppers, they also mass produce more mainstream choppers. It's interesting though, how commercial the Teutels have become since the show started. They are masters of product placement. See all the banners hanging on the shop walls (Snap-On, etc)? I'm sure they are compensated handsomely for displaying those.

The only consistently good part of the show is Mikey. That dude cracks me up. He's probably made a pretty comfy living being nothing more than a slacker.

[dhomoney]

Never watched the show. I don't feel like watching people argue for an hour. I pretty much hate all "reality" tv as it doesn't really reflect reality. Frankly, I like some of the chopper look. You can get a big rear tire, which I like, on a ride that is comfortable. You have the HD Rockers, Victory Vegs, Yamaha Raider, and with some money the Kawi 900c can be made with a wide tire. In the case of the aforementioned bikes you can have the chopper look on a comfortable bike.