What's going on with MCN?

[Vagrant]

OK...I'm going to really date myself. I started reading MCN back when it was Road Rider magazine. I believe in the early-mid 70's. Been reading it all these years as  well as all the other cycle magazines that have come and gone. I still have most of my magazines from 1967 and on. It's a kick to go into my archives and pick out an issue from the 60's and 70's and read it again.

I like others have said find a pleasure in holding a magazine and thumbing through it. Reading on a PC, phone or tablet is not the same although I'm guilty of doing so.

Anyway sure hope MCN can survive and continue publishing what I think is one of the better magazines.

 
Me too! that's when Roger Hull, Bob and Patti Carpenter did real world tests of new bikes. usually 1000 - 3000 miles. none of this 30-100 miles crap you see today.

[sturgeon]

I like others have said find a pleasure in holding a magazine and thumbing through it. Reading on a PC, phone or tablet is not the same although I'm guilty of doing so.

I'm pretty much the same, but I never keep more than a couple of the most recent paper copies. That's where the e-versions come in handy. Way easier to store, and the ability to search them is invaluable.

[Kev m]

I find this forum, like most others dedicated to a single marque, to be much more biased in one direction than magazines. Brands other than Guzzi are regularly sneered at here, seemingly often without direct experience of what is being criticized.

No no - you want to learn about a Harley, you go to a Harley site. A BMW, you go to a BMW site, etc.

Each time you KNOW they're biased. BUT at the same time, they will tell you the straight poop about their bike. "I had to fix this bitch bitch bitch, I had to change that whine whine whine, this broke complain complain complain."

Much more so than any journalist just because of the time and miles involved.

[sturgeon]

No no - you want to learn about a Harley, you go to a Harley site. A BMW, you go to a BMW site, etc.

Each time you KNOW they're biased. BUT at the same time, they will tell you the straight poop about their bike. "I had to fix this bitch bitch bitch, I had to change that whine whine whine, this broke complain complain complain."

Much more so than any journalist just because of the time and miles involved.

Sample sizes of one are pretty much useless.

[Kev m]

I can't imagine more than a small percentage of said YouTube followers even ride motorcycles, never mind are actually Ducati customers.

The biggest lesson I'm taking away from social media is that we're learning to distrust everything we see and read on it.

I blame that on the crack pots that are everywhere from science deniers to morons who think Mark Zuckerberg is going to give 10% of his fortune to someone in FB that liked his post.

I've also come to the realization that I probably don't want to know which of my own friends or family IRL fall into this category if I want to interact with them again.

<shrugs>


But it is interesting to see where all this is going.

It seems to me that when I was a child I could reasonably trust that what I was told by a news source (professional journalist) was likely true. At least more often than not their stories were fact checked, even if they were sometimes biased.

Today half the "news" feeds we get are from tiny, unvetted sources, all too often telling half truths or outright lies with an agenda. Use Snopes to check the old stuff, now wait, there are articles discrediting Snopes... Grrrr

Woke up to post this week from a "friend" of one of Jenn's sisters. I liked this quirky person well enough before she started her farmstead live off the grid blog (see the irony) and could look past her militant vegan ways (did I mention she and another "vegan" family member were found crouching over a hotel pan of ribs after our wedding looking like a pair of blood lusting vampires on a binge, hey we served good food at our wedding!) But seriously, if you're following the tragic effects of the spreading Zika virus and the believed link to Microcephaly in newborns in South America (chiefly Brazil) then her anti-vaccer post regarding the TDAP - being the actual cause would be enough to make your head explode or at least want to pull the plug on social media.

What's that coffee mug making the rounds with a lot of Jenn's actual friends say "No your Google Search does Not Equal my medical doctorate".

[sturgeon]

Really? Yesterday, a Canadian motovlogger took on Ducati on YouTube, so far with 86,000 views.

Will be interesting to see how it plays out: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MF996juVd

I guess I should have added, useless to ME. I though it would have been obvious. I have no idea what is useful to others. But I would rather hear the kind of thing that comes from new product intros where many journalists get to ride and then, often, give a collective opinion.

PS, I am also Canadian, and quite possibly know the person you are referring to, but the YouTube link is invalid.

[jreagan]

MCN lost Ken Condon to Motorcyclist about a year ago and brought David Hough out of the nursing home (I do like David's writing).

And CycleWorld and Motorcyclist are now both owned by Bonnier so there is bound to be some consolidation there.  MC just lost Peter Egan

[Lcarlson]

David Hough's writing has taken a strange turn of late. After many years as the dean of motorcycle writing about riding techniques, and many awards, he has become obsessed with the idea that the motorcycle industry is pursuing a conspiracy to falsely portray motorcycling to new riders as "safe". Initially, he focused on the adoption of a European-style tiered licensing system (probably a pretty good idea), but he has since devolved into rants that the sport is essentially too dangerous to enjoy. He is 78 years old, and no longer does any riding to speak of (see his responses on the subject of "Fear" in the February MCN), but I'm sorry to see what appears to be the loss of the perspective he demonstrated for so many years.

[stevet]

The March 2016 electronic version was in my email today.  The cover bike- read all (little) about it in the World Motorcycling column.  It's a one-off fantasy bike built up from a 15 year old Honda, using 4000 hours of design/build time.   

The big, multi-page comparison article of the month- sunglasses.

Dave has a one-page column at the back all about potholes, just before Fred's article titled "Carpe Diem".  Mark Barnes gives his autobiography, as inspired by Dave from a few issues back.  Hmmm.

Next month, comparisons between v-twin cruisers from HD, Star, and Indian.

Still only 32 pages, 16 less than (what was) normal.  These transition months should prove to be interesting, to say the least.  There is no Page 2 editorial... there is no Editor.  Yet.

Steve.

[Kev m]

The March 2016 electronic version was in my email today.  The cover bike- read all (little) about it in the World Motorcycling column.  It's a one-off fantasy bike built up from a 15 year old Honda, using 4000 hours of design/build time.   

The big, multi-page comparison article of the month- sunglasses.

Dave has a one-page column at the back all about potholes, just before Fred's article titled "Carpe Diem".  Mark Barnes gives his autobiography, as inspired by Dave from a few issues back.  Hmmm.

Next month, comparisons between v-twin cruisers from HD, Star, and Indian.

Still only 32 pages, 16 less than (what was) normal.  These transition months should prove to be interesting, to say the least.  There is no Page 2 editorial... there is no Editor.  Yet.

Steve.

There was still no article on the Scout 60 too. lol but as you noted it looks like that's next month in the V-twin comparo.

[Two Checks]

Thats another reason I stopped taking m/c magazines. The use of the word(?), "comparo".

[bad Chad]

But did the dip weeds, at least acknowledge the screw up of last month?

[Kev m]

But did the dip weeds, at least acknowledge the screw up of last month?

Not that I noticed in a cursory skim.

[canuguzzi]

I find this forum, like most others dedicated to a single marque, to be much more biased in one direction than magazines. Brands other than Guzzi are regularly sneered at here, seemingly often without direct experience of what is being criticized.

Sorry, I should have been clearer, I was referring to Guzzi motorcycles. The rest of what you said is spot on.

[Kev m]

I should add that in my cursory perusal I noticed an article on design which includes (and I believe criticizes) the Nevada, as well as a historical piece on a racer that mentions Guzzi.

[jbell]

I know some prefer paper, but you're in the ever dwindling minority.

Kev, I'm only dwindling in certain aspects (help me, help me, I'm shrinking).

On a brighter note, I'm very happy to hear David Hough is writing again.  I left MCN quite a few years ago and the last I had heard about David was that he was quite ill. 

[K250]

Read it off and on over the years.   Not a surprise they are having a rough time making a go of it.  Many "content" providers are - how many motorcycling websites have come and gone.   The ones making big money right now are the ones that use other peoples content and don't make any of their own.  Google and Facebook mostly.   Can't fight the trend.   

[Johncolleary]

Spoke to someone on the inside today about MCN and was told they are going down probably won't be around much longer.

[Kev m]

Spoke to someone on the inside today about MCN and was told they are going down probably won't be around much longer.

 

[sturgeon]

Spoke to someone on the inside today about MCN and was told they are going down probably won't be around much longer.

If it turns out to be the case, that would indeed be sad news. Not least of all because I renewed my subscription for 2 more years just last fall 

[stormshearon]

Krap - and I'll bet those of us with active subscriptions won't get our money back..

[BMWDavid]

I just received latest issue of MCN today. No road test of any bikes. Very thin issue.

[HardAspie]

Me too! that's when Roger Hull, Bob and Patti Carpenter did real world tests of new bikes. usually 1000 - 3000 miles. none of this 30-100 miles crap you see today.

Road Rider Magazine

I lived nearby and visited the office a couple of times. Had my name signed on the signature wall. I miss that magazine, and those people.

[drw916]

Yep.  This months magazine was the first one I have ever thrown away after reading.  Nothing in it worth keeping.

[Cage Free]

Spoke to someone on the inside today about MCN and was told they are going down probably won't be around much longer.

Last two issues have been crap, obviously having problems and Amazon selling subscriptions for $5.00 can't be good. Really too bad, been a subscriber for many years and would hate to see it go away.