Bike mags...

[ZaphodBeeble]

Why are they so bloody biased? I say that and realise that I already know the answer, it's cash. The big guys in the industry fairly obviously chuck a bundle of cash to the mags to get their bikes bumped up in the reviews. The main reason why I'm so frustrated is the way they slate the smaller bike manufacturers machines. Even if the uncommon machine is absolutely awesome they tend to give it a shit review. It's so annoying.

I remember a certain mag test riding the Moto Morini Corsaro 1200 Veloce and not really selling it as a decent machine at all. Having ridden this bike myself I know it to be a complete hooligan tool and is currently the best damn thing I have ridden.

I suppose I can tend to be a bit biased myself sometimes as I work for a dealer that sells the niche market Italian brands but I still get annoyed at all the hype surrounding the bikes that have the most marketing money spent on them.

/rant
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Current bike: VTR1000F Firestorm. Previous: Firestorm (written off) - XJ600 Divvy - NSR125 - DT125 and a load of offroaders.

[Stoner]

I think the majority of them aint even worth buying,MCN sport was the best untill it was no more.Preformance bikes now and then.
They print what sells best mate.

[petemell]

They do seem to favour featuring the more expensive bikes, considering most bikes are small capacity, would be better if they featured some cheaper stuff.

[Moonie]

Another slightly OT point about bike mags is that they all seem obsessed with executing the same boring tests between the big jap four on their 600's and thou's, and nothing interesting, except for Performance Bike, which perform interesting tests like whether there really is that much difference between a '99 SRAD and a K8, which to me is far more interesting...
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Don't practice it until you get it right, practice it until you don't get it wrong.
Presenting the one and only Chinkmobile

[Skudd]

some of the new bike journos have only been riding for 3-4 years and think they know it all. yes they have been to a few bike launches and fallen off a few times so that must mean they are gods. after reading the mags for the past 25 years you begin to realise that they only print what the manufacturers AND the readers want to hear. All the sports bikes are more or less the same with useable power and speed, there will be some differences but thats down to colour and the odd gizmo. but it is all the same tripe year in year out. if you want to know next years stuff just read last years mag and change a few names around .
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[G]

Have you ridden any of this bike's competitors? KTM Superduke, etc?

Bike magazines have to sell and the people splashing out cash to read reviews probably don't want to read about some old
Look at Top Gear on TV - they can't do sensible road tests of sensible cars any more because that just doesn't 'sell' - they will do sensible road tests of sporty cars, have to do silly things with sensible cars to get any interest.

Over the last 12-13 years I don't think bike mag's have really changed that much - I've just got used to the drivel they write .

[Endless Nameless]

I read BSH. They don't seem biased, except against OCC, which is perfectly understandable.

Probably wouldn't interest you superbike and enduro riders much though
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A2 passed 22/07/08; restriction up 22/07/10 (just so I don't forget)
'79 Suzuki GS550E. Yes, that's a GS550, not a GS500.
Supersports "In a video editing competition I'd kick your sorry ass"

[.Chris.]

Classic Motorcycle Mechanics is my favourite - always a good read. Obviously they don't review new bikes though, so it wouldn't be useful from that point of view.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[MarJay]

Bike and PB don't really 'do' tests like "600 shootout" any more. Thats left to stuff like SuperBike and FastBikes (which are both total crap, especially as most of the journos from both mags can't ride).

Bike is probably my favourite, because its witty, has amusing articles about bikes which aren't 'every day' bikes and also has some down to earth stuff.

I like PB for the projects and the lunacy, but Bike has some good top gear style stupidity too. For example the Bike 400 where they had to buy bikes for £400 and do a race at rockingham, a flat track and a drag race. I believe our very own Khal Harris (a member of this forum) actually added the scores up wrongly too - to add to the amusement factor!!

RiDE is ok but it can be a bit patronising, its often aimed at newer bikers, and is a little *too* down to earth for my tastes sometimes. That said, I still buy it, but I wouldn't ever subscribe to it.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Deckx]

[MarJay]

[Kris]

[Hetzer]

[AJI]

Not all bike mags are shite. I quite enjoy BIKE and PB. I used to subscribe to both but stopped when I was spending too much, but still buy the occasional issue of both.

BIKE is like the Autocar of bike mags, seems fairly well written and professional, there's obviously some handy riders on the editorial team, good photos, good features.

PB is a more interesting mag, all the 'build it don't buy it' features, the Guy Martin column, some really nice readers' bikes etc... they don't really do road tests as such and I think it's all the better for it.

Other than those two, I quite like Classic Bike mag which my dad buys, cheap and cheerful, no bullshit like you get with more established titles.
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TARMAC - Automotive blog *UPDATED 26/3/09 - Abandoned fuel stations to go electric? ~ Buy my eBay stuff!
You're gonna go far, kid

[Moonie]

The vote here appears to be for BIKE and PB.

Personally PB suits me down to the ground, just wish there was more of it lol.
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Don't practice it until you get it right, practice it until you don't get it wrong.
Presenting the one and only Chinkmobile

[ms51ves3]

[Kal]

Bike and TWO for preference... they actually have articles aimed at me as a rider. As for them doing 600 shootouts, well what do you expect. Take a quick look at the newbie page here and see how many "which 600cc bike should I buy" threads there are.

RiDE isn't bad, it's just not as good as the other two.

I enjoy 100% Biker and BSH, I used to like AWoL as well, because I love the energy and enterprise of the Bikes that are featured.

Mind you, I enjoy flicking through MCN as well.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

[virus]

100% is easily the best, closely followed by BSH.

shame aWoL stopped, that was awesome.

Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Moonie]

Streetfighter magazine, my mate asked if I wanted his when he was done with them and all I said was.....done what?
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Don't practice it until you get it right, practice it until you don't get it wrong.
Presenting the one and only Chinkmobile

[G]

[Kal]

[J.K.R]

[shaun_04]

I get PB a few times a year, the projects are often good. I was tempted to buy Bike in asda today when I see they were giving away a copy of the very first issue of Bike with it, but then decided to save myself four quid. I usually have a quick flick through a mag before buying it, to see if it's gunna be worth the dosh.

[MarJay]