OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: Graeme M on June 14, 2009, 09:52:01 pm
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(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/homepage/motoretro.gif)
You may recall the demise of the US publication Motorcyclist Retro after just 3 issues. Well, the editorial team from that one have been working hard at bringing a replacement to market and it's almost here. Called Moto Retro Illustrated, it is really pretty much Motorcyclist Retro reborn. Mitch Boehm has a great new website up and he's taking subscriptions now. Or just keep an eye open at your newsagents sometime after July 24.
Find out more at the Moto Retro Illustrated website here: http://www.motoretroillustrated.com/app/index.cfm
Here's the content of an email Mitch sent out to all subscribers and interested readers of the old Motorcyclist Retro:
The Retro Report
Edition 3
June 10, 2009
Dear Retro Army,
I hope you‘re having a blast as summer clicks into gear!
It‘s been three months since our last communication, and a lot has happened here at Retro headquarters. The biggest news is our website, which is now live and accepting subscriptions via credit cards and PayPal. It took way longer than I ever imagined to get up-and-running online, but we‘ve finally figured it out.
The other big news is this magazine‘s new name – Moto Retro Illustrated. It‘s a long and complex story, and I‘ll spare you the details. Boiled down, the working title we‘d been using in the aftermath of Motorcyclist Retro‘s demise last December – Motorcycle Retro – was deemed too close to the original by the publishing company I worked for. Not wanting to create confusion or problems, we‘ve simply changed the name prior to issue number one. As I‘ve told many people over the last few months: Our readers don‘t really care what the magazine is called as long as it‘s jam-packed with great stories and the sort of ‘60s, ‘70s and early-‘80s content many of you grew to love in the three issues of Retro we published last year. And let me assure you: issue one of Moto Retro Illustrated will be jam-packed with all that and more!
Please check out the website – www.motoretroillustrated.com – and let me know what you think at [email protected]. On the site you‘ll be able to buy U.S. and foreign subscriptions, single copies, and also get info on our dealer-sales program. Down the road we plan to add a whole range of cool stuff – Moto Retro swag, news, columns, photo archives, event coverage, a reader forum and much more.
Many moons ago I‘d targeted May/June as the launch date for issue one of Moto Retro. Of course, excitement got the better of me, as I honestly didn‘t realize the amount of work I had in front of me in terms of setting up the business and taking the website from concept to fruition. And that put us behind on the actual magazine-production front. Our revised goal – and it‘s one the team is committed to reaching – is to have issue one mailed out to subscribers and for sale by July 24th – Day One of the AMA‘s Vintage Motorcycle Days event at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. If you‘ve not been there, do yourself a favor and get to VMD this summer… It‘s literally a vintage event like no other.
We‘re in the midst of writing, shooting and laying out issue one as I type these words, and I‘m reasonably confident we‘ll make the deadline. Vintage Motorcycle Days is perhaps the event that best represents what we‘re doing here at Moto Retro, and having the magazine available there – and be the sponsor of some of VMD‘s goings-on – is a perfect way to introduce folks to what we‘re doing.
You folks, of course, the Retro Army, already know what we‘re about, and many of your have already stepped up to support us with subscriptions, advertising and/or dealer packages. And for that I want to thank each and every one of you. This magazine is largely reader-supported, and without your votes and dollars we simply couldn‘t do the two issues we‘re planning for 2009 (July and October) and the four issues we‘re planning for 2010. (Note: Current subscribers will get two issues this year, and two of the four in 2010.)
For those who haven‘t yet subscribed, I‘d like you to take a minute and consider it. You‘ll not only appreciate our unique brand of journalism on the dirt, street and mini bikes of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, you‘ll play a vital part in this magazine‘s future, have a say in what we cover and have our issue mailed directly to your doorstep in a protective plastic envelope. You folks can also help keep the magazine strong by spreading the word about Retro to every vintage-oriented enthusiast you know. Whether by word-of-mouth, email, Internet forums or through your local riding club, every single recommendation helps.
Also, if you have a favorite bike shop, especially one run by folks who dig the retro hardware we all love, ask if they‘d like to carry Moto Retro in their store. If so, they can also contact me at [email protected]. Our goal is to have 100 outstanding bike shops carrying Retro nationally by the end of the year.
Before I go I‘d like to invite you all to take part in something very near and dear to me – the Kevin Schwantz School, now based at beautiful Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama. About a month ago I was asked to be the school‘s lead classroom instructor, and as you might imagine it‘s a role I‘m extremely excited about. I attended the school three years ago at Road Atlanta and came away shocked at not only how much I learned, but how much better my riding became in three short days. Going in, I wasn‘t sure an old roadracer like myself could learn much in an environment with other students and actual classroom time. But Kevin and his superb instructors made it all work, and also helped make the experience a helluva good time. I‘m confident all of you would enjoy and benefit from the Schwantz School experience, and I want you to know about a special, $100-off price for new students that‘ll be announced shortly. See their website – www.schwantzschool.com – for more information, and please shoot me a note if you have questions about the school.
As always, feel free to email me at the above address with comments, criticisms, ideas, photos and, above all, back-in-the-day stories and pix of you when you were young and had hair! We‘re going to feature more of these BITD bits in Moto Retro Illustrated than before, so we‘ll need plenty of material. Be sure the photos are relatively hi-rez (the more kilo- or megabytes the better) as you scan them.
Once again, thanks for the support you‘ve shown the magazine. It helps more than you can imagine. And please continue to spread the word. I‘ll be back in touch as issue one launches in about a month.
Best regards,
Mitch
Mitch Boehm
Editor/Publisher
Moto Retro Illustrated
PO Box 202
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274
www.motoretroillustrated.com
[email protected]
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The third issue of Moto Retro just arrived and I'm pretty impressed. It gets better each issue. Now all Mitch has to do is get his deadlines back on track and he should be onto a winner......
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Hi Graeme & Firko, sounds like a cool magazine, so I have just subscribed. Thanks for the info.
Regards Stan.
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Yep, i agree with Firko.
First two issues took forever to arrive, but arrive they did and were worth the wait.
Third issue is a cracker, well done
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its a cracker all right, straight through the hay barn racing --way cool 8)
and Last Page
1982 streetbike world.
skinny leather's,the way we were. :P
These advert shots always remind me of RS
Brian Jones
Ronnie Wood
Mick Jagger
non stop energy ;D
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Think the subscription is cool, got the first 3 as back issues as part of the deal. ;D
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Just when I'd given up hope of ever receiving a new copy of Moto Retro, a mate in the USA emailed me overnight to tell me that he's just received issue # 4. Mitch seems to be on a bumpy ride with the mag but he's hung in longer than I thought he would. Let's see how long it takes to get our sub copies here in Oz.
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I was just wondering the other night whatever happened to that mag... Look forward to it when it arrives.
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I took out an annual subscription when the mag first started and issue four will complete it. To his credit Mitch has kept subscribers up to date through facebook. Going forward I will probably just by it issue by issue through the website.
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I had an email nearly 3 weeks ago from Mitch saying he was sending out issue 4 the following day, I also read today that the yanks are just getting issue 4 just now ???.
Moto Retro Illustrated is a supurb mag and I am a subscriber but after this issue I am like Mike, if it survives I'll just buy single issues when they come out, to risky to subscribe for a full year ooops I meant 4 issues in advance ;D
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I just received my copy of Moto Retro. I haven't read it yet but a quick scan looked pretty interesting.
I'll read it in bed tonight.... ;)
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OH YER---- HOLY @#>//
125 Suzuki article 8)
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OH YER---- HOLY @#>//
125 Suzuki article
And it's about the only thing in the mag that is related to vintage dirt bikes. There's a lengthy piece on Honda Monkey bikes, an even lengthier piece on the VF750 Honda and a giant JT history piece that's pretty timely considering JT's return to the market. ::) The RM125 Suzuki has been done to death in other mags so if I was the editor I would have assumed that the readership had probably already read everything there is to read on the RM in VMX and CDB and choose something more interesting and original for the only proper dirt bike piece in the mag(barring the bloody Monkey bikes). After reading the truly awful current edition of CDB and now, after waiting months to be disappointed by Moto Retro's effort, VMX is still king of the roost by a long way.
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I agree with Firko. I had a quick flick through and after the first three issues this issue is disappointing.
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I reckon it's O.K.,But then I'm into honda minis ;)
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Never saw Issue 5 and no mention of that on the website. Wonder if it's all over for Mitch's magazine?
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Just had a look on the website,it says issue #5 done,sending out 22/23 July, If thats the case it shouldn't be too far away ;D
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I just got #5 of Moto Retro. A quick scan tells me that it looks pretty good. I longer look later this arvo will give the true story. There's a little piece on Hannah's OW27 and a lengthy article on the '72 Superbowl od Motocross. Apparently my subscription ran out with #4 so he's sent #5 on the hope I'll renew my sub.
It's a dodgy situation with Mitch's continuously missed deadlines and the state of the US economy but despite those downers it's a nice, professionally produced magazine so it'd be a shame to see it disappear. I'll take the punt and renew later today.
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Firko I was talkin to Mitch yesterday (via email) and he said the mags should be hitting our shores in the next couple of days, like you I don't want to see this mag disappear, so far most issues have been a great read, I'd like to know how you being a non subscriber got yours before us paying subscribers ;D
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I'd like to know how you being a non subscriber got yours before us paying subscribers
Probably me Brad Pity like good looks Mini!.
With my copy came a printed flyer letter stating among other stuff.....''actually issue #4 was the final issue of your subscription. But because I realize folks don't always know when their subscriptions expire, and because I believe strongly that you'll continue to support what many feel is the best retro/vintage magazine in the industry*, I'm sending you issue #5 in hopes you'll renew your subscription today".
That's a big leap of faith for Mitch considering his shalky delivery deadlines and rumoured financial dificulties. I'd assume I'm not the only punter to get issue 5 for free, hoping that I'll renew my sub so it's a big financial risk on Mitch's behalf. I respect his faith in my renewing my subscription so in return I'll do just that and hope I haven't sacrificed my 60 bucks ;).
* I'm probably biased but I'm an unabashed VMX Magazine fan, despite me being one of the crew. Moto Retro is a quality publication but in my opinion the Brit mags Classic Bike and Classic Racer cover the classic road bike and road racing side a little better while I reckon VMX is head and shoulders ahead of Moto Retro for in depth coverage of old dirt bikes. Classic Dirt Bike from the UK is the closest to VMX for content but their lack of care with photo's and the use of sub standard subject bikes doesn't help their cause. Their strong classic trials coverage is what separates them from the others. All of the magazines have different focus so in a way they all have their own place in the classic scene. Moto Retro do in depth history pieces very well as Mitch Boehm's piece on the Superbowl of Motocross and Lexington 125GP in issue 5 show. It deserves to live if just for that reason.
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Looks like the next issue is going to the printers next week going by Mitch's web site http://www.motoretroillustrated.com/news.htm
It appears he has some financial backing/help into getting the mag back on track as well ???.
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The latest issue of Mitch Boehm's Moto Retro Magazine has a good in depth 17 page article plus a cover shot on the RH67.(http://i333.photobucket.com/albums/m392/cherie_jones/cover_six_motoretro.jpg)
What a cracker issue along with the 73 Works Kawa,58 RC70 Honda,68 f21m,three wheeler wonder ATC90~ its got all the old juice in it. 8)
Issue #6 Spring 2012 will be renewing our subs :P