I was just noticing the 3 magazine selections at the bottom and would like to subscribe to one. I want a magazine that focuses on all types of sport/standard bikes like TLs, CBRs, SVs, basically all of those, but not cruisers. Anyone here have a fave? Motor Cyclist is the cheapest, but not by much.
I'd like to hear what people read and how they rate the mags.
Dave :cheers:
i have suscribed to all three...trying to recall what was from which magazine is too confusing. :oops:
they all pretty much cover what's hot. but i think their demographic is mostly sports bike riders. and they all pretty much cover same stuff...
i would go to a bookstore or something and read all of them. then, subscribe to one you like the best.
or you can do what i do, rotate. i'm on motor cyclist now.
I flip through them all at the Barnes and Noble just to see the pretty pictures and look at the specs. The writing and commentary is so predictable in the "shoot-out" articles that I feel like I am reading the same article every month. None of them are worth the price to own, IMO. They contain about as many pages of adverts as they do articles :roll:
Super Street Bike or Sport Rider.
Streetfighter's bike mag from the UK kicks ass. check it out.
Sport Rider= focuses on Sportbikes, Racebikes, racing, and etc.
Motorcyclist= also leans towards sportbikes, but is more streetbikes and less racing.
Cycle world= Tries to cover everything, but has been sliding down the path of cruiserness for a while now.
I've subscribed to all of them at one point or another (mostly thru this site) but don't anymore, because they have become pretty much "infomercials" for the manufactures, esp Sport Rider and Cycle World.
If I had to sub to one now it would be Motorcyclist, they do alot more practical articles like gear review, trip ideas, techniques etc. The only thing I liked about Cycle World are the "TDC" tecnical articles by Cameron. For several years I have been secretly reading them at the book store.
:mrgreen:
Now I buy anything motorcycle related (except for the stunt/show bike crap) that I find in the PX newstand.
Motorcyclist.
It has a lot of practical information that some of the others don't. I last month's issue they even had a writer/rider whe defected from the #1 mag. to Motorcyclist because he felt his old mag. was becoming more flashy and less substantive. I mean really....how many choppers can you friggin look at..?? I hate choppers..!!
Motorcyclist even did a helmet expose that revealed some helmets not being up to code. they lost some major advertising because of the story but they ran it anyway. That's good enough for me. :thumb:
Motorcyclist is the one that seems to fit your bill. As Juggernaught says, they're willing to stick their neck out.
In my opinion, all three seem to spend too much time on the supersport 600's & litre bikes. But Motorcyclist has good riding tips and perspectives on the pre-owned market. Kinda miss the departure of Marc Cook (technical editor), but they picked up Brian Catterson, so it was more or less even again.
Agree with the other recomendations -- head to a magazine rack and compare. Oh, and Sport-Rider is published bi-monthly -- six issues per year.
As the name suggests, Cycle world covers just about everything from 600's to cruisers to off-road. They have had some good series like American Flyers where they show a variety of custom bikes (not just choppers) as well as bikes under $1000, stuff like that.
Personally I am bored with reading about the lastest 600 sportbike shootout since I am likely never going to own one. Who cares. I really liked the bits cycle world did showing some of the readers bikes. Like a GS550 made into a cafe racer.
If you get to a decent magazine stand, have a look at Two Wheels Only and Bike magazines. I find the Brit style of motorcycle journalism superior (and more diverse) to what I read on this side of the pond. More expensive but I find the extra worth the read. :thumb: