A few months ago, as a "reward" for an online purchase, I got an offer to four free magazine subscriptions. The catch is that you can't use the offer to extend a magazine you already subscribe to, so that meant the decent motorcycle magazines were out of the offer. I used my freebies for non-motorcycle magazines, with one exception. I subscribed to Cycle World just so that I'd have something else to compare my HD oriented reading to.

That's where it has gotten fun. A couple days ago I got my 2nd issue of the free magazine, Cycle World. This post is a few musings I've had after reading it.

First, I like all kinds of motorcycles, though I don't ride all kinds of motorcycles. I tend to like cruisers and touring bikes, with an obvious affection for HDs like the Ultra. But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate other bikes.

So CW is a good magazine for picking up information on bikes I will never ride, like the Aprilia RSV4. This road race ready bike scared the tar out of me, and that was just on the pages. I can't imagine trying to actually handle that thing around a corner, but it is fun to read about. And I liked the naked frame and engine pictures that are offered in the magazine. Any good gearhead would like that kidn of stuff, HD or not.

I also liked the comparison of the BMW K1300 to the Kawasaki Connie. Not that I'll buy either of these (though I will buy a new bike in the next couple months), but because one of my riding buds has a Kawasaki Concourse. At least now I'm armed with a little more information about his particular bike. He pretends to understand my Ultra and I pretend to understand his Connie. It makes for good riding companions.

Second, the magazine has a very sportbike slant, which is okay. The problem is that this magazine basically has sportbike journalist trying to write about HDs ... and it is not working. While the writing is okay, the approach is clearly not what an HD rider would appreciate.

Case in point, in this new issue they review the '10 FXDWG (Wide Glide), and the 3 journalist who add their personal opinions are clearly not cruiser much less HD riders. It's rather fun to read about them not liking the way the license plate is "hung out there in the wind" or how they "scraped the pegs, which don't even have feelers" like this is what normal HD riders care about.

C'mon, CW, if you want to write about HDs then at least get folks who understand HDs. It would be like sticking me on that Aprilia and then expecting die hard sportbike fans to like what I'd have to say. Talk about a fish out of water ...

 

a lot of magazines have dedicated writers for each type of bike. it helps keep advertisers placated and the truth suppressed.

 

That kind of stuff is normal.

I really hate it when a reviewer of any kind reviews something based on what their expectations are, rather than what it was made or used for.

 

I like Rider(all bikes) and its sister magazine, American Rider (more Harley oriented) for their bike and gear reviews. Rider doesn't present an anti-Harley attitude if anything, for a multi-bike mag, they seem to like HD. Their reviewers will tell you what they think is good and bad about any brand.

 

"So CW is a good magazine for picking up information on bikes I will never ride, like the Aprilia RSV4. This road race ready bike scared the tar out of me, and that was just on the pages. I can't imagine trying to actually handle that thing around a corner, but it is fun to read about. And I liked the naked frame and engine pictures that are offered in the magazine. Any good gearhead would like that kidn of stuff, HD or not."


You would probably be surprised to find that the RSV4 will take any corner much easier than a touring bike.

 

Checking out the other magazines that aren't just HD oriented is a good way to keep up with the industry and what other companies are bringing to the table.

 

I am a CW subscriber, and have been for years. I find their articles generally balanced, whatever cruiser they test, H-D or Metric, they will comment on peg scraping. The '10 FXDWG road test was extremely favorable IMO.