Bike mags reinventing the wheel..

[scubie]

Hi all


I wonder how many of you read these bike mags and papers and think they went to over this last year...


So on a plus point who can reccomend a decent bike mag that try's hard not to repeat itself.
____________________
The rumour about the welsh chasing sheep is not true. Ok its partially true but i was only ever helping it over the fence.

[Drax]

I think Ride magazine is guilty of this. It's also extremely dull to read. When my subscription runs out I won't be renewing.

It's sister magazine Bike is a much better magazine.

[scubie]

[D O G]

[bunglehaze]

I dont think any bike mags have value these days if I am honest, once their numbers whittle down to just a couple of mags left perhaps the content will get a bit better but speaking from the perspective of the owner of Bikechatter why would you pay for a magazine to read similar content you can get for free?

Bikechatter concentrates on articles and products and leaves forums to the likes of BCF as they are better (I have no interest in developing forums) but based on articles alone we get an average of 220,000 unique visitors a month compared to some mags selling 10-20,000 copies.

I think mags have had their day and you can see this is just how low content some of them have vs the pages and pages of ads.
____________________
https://bikechatter.net
Motorcycle Products Reviews and News
06 - ZZR600 > 07 - ZX6R J1 > 08 - ZX6R J2 > 09 - ZX636 A1P > 11 - ZX10R C1H

[scubie]

[st3v3]

[bunglehaze]

I know from my own battles trying to get info from sources that mags are still regarded as the 'safe' money to advertise in and internet traffic can be very widely dispersed but from Bikechatters perspective when we put out an article we hit the top of Google usually above all the other mags (including Visordown and MCN) within an hour, that SHOULD make the marketing bods start thinking how this is a benefit rather than sinking thousands of pounds a year into printed adverts that are not really quantifiable.

The web is packed full of ways to track stats and is clearly the popular direction for transacting information, granted there are times on the bog you want a hard copy of something to read but with mobile devices getting more web friendly by the day you can always load up your favourite website instead.

The problem these mags have is with sites like mine, motorbikesport and BCF in that the information is freely available and so less people NEED to buy a mag to find what they want. I im confident that Bikechatter does the highest quality product reviews in the UK, motorbikesport and the like offer excellent sport coverage that I only touch on and BCF has a great community, for mags to be able to offer more interesting content the advertising levels have to be increased which in itself waters down the content.

I used to have subs for Superbike, FastBikes and Bike mag and there are a lot of features I dont do on Bikechatter that I miss reading about - we are less about ride tests and the like - but during a recession people tend to take stock of what offers value for money and the ones that offer the least tend to go, this seems to be happening to a lot of mags so other than building up their online presence and getting with the times they have a catch 22.

leigh
____________________
https://bikechatter.net
Motorcycle Products Reviews and News
06 - ZZR600 > 07 - ZX6R J1 > 08 - ZX6R J2 > 09 - ZX636 A1P > 11 - ZX10R C1H

[st3v3]

In say 5 years, mag's will be almost non existant I reckon since the G'ment does the 'green eco drive' thing saving the trees, and online is where people go - how you's think google became a multi-million pound organisation? Ebay? etc..


Bike mags need an 'active' site with what readers want displayed, I don't want to see what 600 is best for our roads again this month if I did I'd get last months mag out and read it again, there'll be no difference.


Mag's need to review bikes a couple times a year and review gear more than not, review garages and stuff, test out what we all use to find the best deals and loops in the system since most of us are often too busy working to find out ourselves. If I want a lid il pop down my local infinity to see what they got.
I should be pickin up a superbike mag and checking what's the best helmet for the least cost and checking that out first. How many mags do that right now?
____________________
Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[G]

Having read many magazines for some years, I worked out that it's the same for all genres - basically newb's coming along are going to be interested in the same thing, and they're the most likely to be buying magazines, so the same things will be printed pretty regularly.

I dream about new shiny bikes less and less and my interests have gone to the more niche ends of biking, so haven't bothered with bike mags for some time - maybe one a year if I'm bored in a train station etc.

[ms51ves3]

Classic Motorcycle Mechanics is my personal favourite. As it's not really talking about the most up to date stuff, it doesn't matter if I buy issues that are getting a little old so I generally pick a few up when I go to Stafford for a £1 each.

[hellkat]

I'm still getting off on Greasy Kulture (recently changed to GKM as a title) ... but you gotta like that sort of thing, really.
____________________
Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[c-m]

For my sins i work in the Equestrian world and sometimes on a large equestrian trade magazine (well there's only two).

All magazine repeat the same stuff every year. They will take last years article and tweak it. Whats more, many magazine will not actually try the "tried and tested" product that have just reviewed. They get it in free and keep it, then give it a favourable review to keep advertisers happy.

[map]

As I think was said above the likes of RiDE to the same review stuff every year. Sometimes with the same lineup and it get different scores. I think it depends on who's paying the most for the advertising at the time.

All the magazines tend to review the same stuff/bikes at the same time. I guess that's down to the timing of the test rides and manufacturers junkets and freebies. Plus I'm guessing copy is syndicated between mags.

FWIW if I can see it on the magazine racks I'll pick up a copy of Motorcycling Sport and Leisure (MSL). It's a little different and does cover the whole bike experience. Useful as I don't focus on the sports bike scene.
____________________
...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[Pete1959]

BSH
____________________
No Fear - No Idea

[G]

[map]

[Handsome]

[skipper619]

When you're stuck at sea for 4 months bike mags are the closest you get to living life at home I'm sure it's the same for military folk

[kawakid]

I used to read them for about 5 years, 2 mags a month and MCN every week.

Last few months i've not bothered, i've not been fussed at all, perhaps its the shxt winter we have had. Too busy watching dvd boxsets to be honest.
____________________
I've a twin and a 4.

[thx1138]

Riders Digest is pretty good, and you can pay to get the big version, or pick up the smaller freebie version up form here various venues around the country.