Mordern Moto Journlism ?

[evo550]

I recently did some long haul travel, and spent alot of time reading Bike mags. After about my second one I realised they all wrote the same articles on the same bikes. I just spent about $100 on the same Husaberg 2t and KX250F tests, alright if they where good reads, but unfortunatley not, boring as bat shit and full of the same dribble.
Whats going on?
Firko?

[Nathan S]

Nah, Firko's not to blame!


I agree with what you're saying. In the rush to be first to print with the articles, we get a bunch of nearly identical tests based on an afternoon or two at the bike's media release, and then hear nothing about them for another year... Sometimes the test of the next year's model came to remarkably different conclusions, even though the bikes were identical...

I liked what SideTrack (and others) sometimes did - they'd go to the launch, ride the bike and print something ASAP (usually with the disclaimer "We've only ridden this for a few hours, but what we found was..."). Then they'd get hold of a bike for a bit longer (and on familiar territory) and put a proper test in the following issue.

Plus they're all so chicken-poop about saying something bad about a bike. I doubt that we'll ever see 1970s US Dirt Bike style poop-canning of a bike, but at least old ADB, old Dirt Action and SideTrack would allow you to read between the lines.
Instead its page after page of bland waffle about how everything is peachy, and the harshest criticism is "a quick revalve will surely fix that".

One of the great things about not being in the market for a new bike is that I don't have to depend on magazine reports before making a purchase...

[vmx42]

Plus they're all so chicken-poop about saying something bad about a bike.

I could understand why they would be scared if they had tested a Montesa…

[Davey Crocket]

Now, now Jeeffy.....dont make em cry again, now go stand in the corner and suck your thumb for 2 hours, and repeat after me....I will not say bad things about shitboxes.....

[Lozza]

It's the same as the mainstream media.  Concentration of ownership has 'corpratised' journalism, one need to only refer to any  of News Ltd's major daily papers the headlines and editorials all have remarkably similar themes, especialy during events like elections and wars. The line between advertising and journalism has has no demarkation these days, there is a nod and wink agreement that fully paid for press junkets will receive favourable press or you don't get the invite next time.

[tony27]

Say anything bad about a mainstream manufacturers bike & it'll be the last bike or dollar you'll see from them. You'd swear that half the tests are written by the american advertising departments of the manufacturers.

[trailietrash]

boring as bat shit and full of the same dribble

Well, In Australia, at least... that may be part due to the same sun seeking Pommies, who have been in the industry for many years playing musical chairs amongst the established publications.

I flip through, or read, an article from the magazines that I find may capture my interest from those in the local library. I may also pick up a free Cycletorque if I feel I can be bothered but, most of the mainstream "pay for" magazines are a bit "boring". The same journo's getting the same freebies to tell US! how good it is.

But, then again, I may also be part of the problem as I, like many of my mates, don't buy bike magazines any more. So then publishers have to target a wider market to sell their product and that market may be so wide that the publishers no longer need to focus on existing riders for sales. there just may be enough new riders entering every discipline of motorcycle riding along with their subscribers to maintain acceptable growth in the mainstream magazine industry.

Much less embarrassing for someone new to motorcycling who is an adult to find answers to the very basic questions, that we all know the answers too, in the magazines than ask and be flamed on a bike forum.
and I am sure this market helps to drive sales of mainstreem bike mags more than a "Think I know it all, but I don't really, but 'gees I wish I did" type bloke like me 

[Marc.com]

I don't know I would be so hard on the journos, when they have a odd Euro bike like Husky or Gas Gas then they can have a bit more to say as the differences are more pronounced between bikes. But when you have the 2010 RM/KX etc that share a lot of suspension and engine technology or just have 'bold new graphics' then you are a little stuck.

Had the pleasure a ride on the new RMZ and 2009 KTM back to back recently, I here by declare based on the limited time I have on the bike the RMZ is a real shit kicker.

[Tex]

At it's worst it could even be a case of 'press release' journalism, where an official media release issued by the product maker is used as the basis for the article. This is not that uncommon in the mass media, so why not motorcycle media?

Funnily enough I have always found the British road bike mags were streets ahead (pardon the pun), of the local ones as far as the standard  of writing, humour and imagination goes. They also seem far more ready to point out a new bikes faults than the mags here.

I could understand why they would be scared if they had tested a Montesa…

 

[Marc.com]

Funnily enough I have always found the British road bike mags were streets ahead (pardon the pun), of the local ones as far as the standard  of writing, humour and imagination goes.

Yeah I always like 'Performance Bike' as they were not afraid to go there or build there own bike in the shed.