Cycle World -or- Motorcyclist?

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MCN really needs to punch up their writing. It's getting so I can get through an entire article without skipping paragraphs. I get MCN, Motorcyclist by subscription and religiously pick-up a copy of Friction Zone at the local car wash.
 
Are these magazines worth their subscription price?  $13 for 12 issues of CW.  $18 for 24 issues of Motorcyclist.Which has the best content?
Motorcyclist is geared more towards performance motorcycles since they have a sister magazine that covers cruisers. Cycle World has a lot of technical writeups that are very informative but sometimes hard to follow. Road Rider was one of my favorite magazines before it turned into MCN -- which now looks like junk mail and takes about 20 minutes to read from cover to cover. MCN prides itself on not having any advertisements but one of the reasons I read MC magazines is to look at the advertisements. You should try all 3 plus RIDER for a year and see which one(s) you want to keep.

 
Lets see, for about the price of a two 20 oz cokes a month at your local convenience store, this is a no brainer, get both!

MCN is a great magazine, but has its share of BS articles like any other mag. Subscribe to as many of them as you can and be well informed from all view points.

When the average newstand copy of most mags now is averaging between $4 and $5 a copy, you only have to see two copies of each a month that you can't live without and your subscription is paid for.

You'll learn something from all of them. I subscribe to every major street, HD and Dirt Bike publication and pick up great tips from all of them. You don't have to like the whole mag to enjoy it and learn something.

Just my 2 sense!

 
Almost all American moto-rags suck moist ***. Almost all of them.

Sport Rider and CityBike are two exceptions.... though Sport Rider suffers the same issues as Motorcyclist, but to a lesser degree.

MCN is arguably the least suckiest American rag, it is frequently informative... but can be awfully, awfully dry.

The best motorcycle magazine come from England. Which, sadly, often means they are more expensive... this is why I am happy there is a Starbucks in my local Barnes&Noble.... I can score a venti Java Chip, and settle in with some outstanding Brit magazines like BiKe, T.W.O, Fast Bikes, Performance Bike, SuperBike, etc.

A quick Warchild review:

Fast Bikes : This is by far my favorite. It is geared toward Sportbikes, though it also covers Sport-Touring bikes to a fair degree. Exquisite glossy photos, incredible photography, and excellent, quick-witted writing (if you can understand the Brit lingo...) Their web site is a LOT lamer than their magazine: https://www.fastbikesmag.com/

BiKe : This is probably the one most mainstream FJR owners would like. While it has a pretty good focus on Sport-Touring machine, it also hits up on touring rigs, sportbikes, naked/standard bikes, etc. Not much on the cruiser scene. The writing is arguably the best of them all.

T.W.O. : "Two Wheels Only" is similar in a number of ways to BiKe. In fact, some months it's better. Web site doesn't do it justice: Two Wheels Only This is an excellent magazine, usually pretty serious

Performance Bike : This is a sister magazine to BiKe mentioned above. What Sport Rider is to Motorcyclist, Performance Bike is to BiKe. A very, VERY good magazine, but again, focusing on the sportbike arena for the most part. They will do articles on sport-touring machines occasionally.

RiDe: These guys do a TON of product testing reports and write a lot of informative articles on riding tips and general moto-information. A very good magazine.

SuperBike : This is probably the least serious of the Brit magazines listed here, but they can have their moments. The photography and ads are excellent. While I'll buy a couple of the ones mentioned above on any given month, SuperBike usually is read and set aside in a B&N lounge chair. :lol: Their web site reflects their maturity level appropriately enough, and they can have some interesting babe shots, like this one: link is Not Work Safe!

 
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I find that I enjoy RoadRunner and Rider magazine the most. I get them all but MCN. They each have there strong suits and bad.

As said above, get them all and enjoy,

Dana

 
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I like roadrunner. I don't subscribe to cycle world anymore - everything is ALL about the hardware these days and not about the experience or places to go.

 
I enjoy WC's approach to most of the Cycle Mags. Sit in B&N/Starbucks with a cup in hand and read to my hearts content. MCN is the only subscription I currently have. I subscribed to Road Runner last year at the Cysle show. I'm letting it go, way to mushey for my taste.

 
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I'm planning on letting my subscription to Cycle World lapse. I picked up my first copy of Motorcyclist to read on a flight to Amsterdam and I couldn't believe how little actual content there was. I think it was the last issue of Cycle World that half of the rag was an Icon catalog.

I'm planning on subscribing to MCN at the International Motorcycle Show in Seattle. Last year they had a booth and were offering some kind of show discount.

BTW - You know that Barnes & Noble isn't a library, right? Try doing that at a New York magazine stand. :D

Cheers,

Jim

 
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I find that I enjoy RoadRunner and Rider magazine the most. I get them all but MCN. They each have there strong suits and bad. As said above, get them all and enjoy,

Dana
Roadrunner is a great magazine formerly edited by Christian Neuhauser (Austrian transplant). It has great travel stories and pics. Also features a "cloverleaf" ride each edition with tank bag maps in the back of the mag. Christian was killed in July and now his widow, Christa, is running the show. Best of luck to her and her staff. They are fine folks and the industry already misses Christian. :( :( :( :(

 
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Don't forget Roadracing World. It's racing oriented, but they do other stuff too. A very straightforward, interesting read. The website's Ok, roadracingworld.com.

 
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