The future of several U.S. motorcycle magazines, including Sport Rider, Motorcyclist, and Motorcycle Cruiser, appears to be uncertain due to the worsening American economy.
It’s been reported by Bloomberg and other sources that the publisher of the magazines, Source Interlink, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Source Interlink is owned by an American billionaire, Ron Burkle, and publishes 75 magazines, most of them in the car and bike trade.
Source Interlink has made an agreement with lenders for the cancellation of $1-billion in debt, according to news sources, but it’s not clear whether the major U.S. motorcycle magazines can survive the necessary cost-cutting measures.
if they had articles i wanted to read, I would have bought them more.
Firstly, all the magazines have the same articles and exact same bike reviews. there’s nothing original. I really like most of the editorials and letters. However, i find that the feature bike reviews lack a lot of substance. The brit bike mags are always a good read though.
I read road runner the most, and if i didn’t move 3 times a year to a new address, i’d have a full subscription.
(fwiw, i find the brit mags in general are of superior quality. i read brit photography and motorbike mags when i can)
Over the last 2 years my purchase of motorcycle magazines has become more selective.
Previously, I would pick up Cycle World every month. Even when it was a bit thin on content @ 4.99 it was a nice diversion over a couple glasses of beer at the pub. Occasionally I would get Motorcyclist.
I haven’t bought either in months and let my Cycle Canada subscription lapse as well. There just hasn’t been enough interesting content to justiify a purchase, though I have bought the last 2 issues of Cycle Canada.
Interesting as Ive not really read any of the bigger US magazines in the last 8 years. Instead Ive been reading magazines that provide what I want about what I ride. I think this is the same for many riders these days, and with so many niche market magazines out there the Cycle world’s and Motorcyclist’s just dont feed my literary appetite. My two favorite mags right now are Classic Motorcycle Mechanics and MotorCycle Classics. Not everyone is into the latest bling and latest new plastic covered bike from manufactures who vie for bike of the year with the most ad space bought.