Forum

[Midge]

I've not bought a monthly mag for years now, so when I had a quick browse in the newsagents I was shocked to see that most are well over £4 each now. With the interwebbynet surely its difficult for any magazine publisher to write anything new? I used to have a big box of 1960's motorcycle mechanic magazines gathering dust in the garage which I threw out years ago when I gave up motorcycles for a few years, I wish I had kept them now

[Alan R]

Hi MIDGE ---double shocker there}----a)Yes, that's the average price these days and not just our bikes but any glossy mag is the same.----b) You GAVE-UP motorcycling a few years ago ?????? MIDGE, matey---you never GIVE-UP motorcycles, it's in the blood, old son. Once you've got that throttle / clutch / balance thing sorted it's with you FOREVER !!! I know, let's just say you were like those out-of-work actors put it, merely RESTING between engagements ?? As for thrown-out mags ?? same here-----Go onto E-bay, enter "Royal Enfield" and just see how many individual mags ( even fairly recent ones ) are on there. Glad you're still with us though-----------Be seeing you ( I used it first ).

[MadMike]

Midge I stopped buying "classic" mags years ago when they all started to turn Japanese. However I do subscribe to real Classic, it is not available in the shops, which is edited by Frank Westworth and Roena Hoseason. It is cheaper than all of the other mags, is the best of the bunch by a mile and it has still got an increasing number of readers/subscribers. Normal disclaimers apply.

[PeteF]

I've given up on mags as well - too much Jap stuff in them for me. I'll try Real Classic at Mike's suggestion - it's certainly cheaper and has a good on line site too.

[marsie]

Buy Real Classic & Motorcycle Sport & Leisure.
Compared to the Daily Paper, any Paper, these Mags are really good value and much more interesting.
Who reads back copies of the newspaper?

[geoffro]

Not bought a shiney magazine for years, same old thing from one year to another so did'nt realise they were that expensive either. The only thing i buy now is the OBM, The Old Bike Mart but it's not available in the shops so if you want a years subscription phone 01507 529423 It's full of adverts, bikes, spares etc as well as advice and only £1.90 a copy, cheaper if subscribing for a year.

[Alex.]

They can be a lot cheaper if you subscribe - I get Ride magazine for "modern" bike news and some good touring articles, and recently got an offer of £12.50 for 6 months, so much cheaper than in the shops.


For more classic stuff I like the American bi-monthly magazine Motorcycle Classics - £3.85, although not widely sold here, I get it in a larger town centre WH Smiths. There is some Japanese stuff, but plenty of variation, and not too much (sometimes no) oily bits which is what annoys me about the usual Brit mags - how to blah, blah, blah on a 1935 something or other - it's just too specific and of no interest to me..... I saw the current edition on sale in Glasgow yesterday, next edition due mid-July.


I'm old fashioned, I like to read a printed magazine, not a screen....


ALEX.

[MadMike]

Like Alex I still prefer to read a magazine. I find carrying the PC into the bathroom is a little inconveient if I want to read whilst in the bath.

[Alan R]

Blimey !! MAD MIKE ----to much information on that posting !!! Trying to get that image out of my head. Yes, I agree with the broad sentiments expressed here, especially on looking for those "value for money" mags. If you do go for the OBM paper then get your glasses uprated as, bearing in mind the targeted customer base----ie us old farty-bags------I think the print is a little small. But then I think our Policemen are getting younger all the time also !! The advantage of the REAL CLASSIC mag, apart from its' content, is that you can meet "Big" Frank and Rowena at the Stafford shows ( and probally others as well ?/). My other passion is Model Engineering-----5" gauge live steam locos----------- and I stopped buying the relevant glossies for that for similar reasons as given. But the ME mag does have a v.good site and access.

[Les H]

Back in the 60's I used to eagerly await every new monthly edition of "Motorcycle mechanics"...It seemed packed with mechanical information on engine rebuilds etc...just the thought of Motorcycle Mechanics makes that distinctive smell of "Red Hermetite" shoot through my senses as it seemed to be the jointing compound that they plastered everywhere with their colour photo rebuilds and we copied them when we started to rebuild our bikes.... The "Motor Cycle" and was a very good mag too. "Motorcycle Sport" did seem to have a more mature style and I liked that. "Classic Bike" up to about10 years ago was quite good but as mentioned above it seemed to loose something, became more trivial and far too many Japanese bikes were featured. They lost loads of readers when they had a Lambretta scooter win their machine of the year award. What ever the mag they cost far too much now, and lets face it, after a while you've seen and read it all before and with the enormous price they are now I've stopped buying them.