+- Fazer Owners Club - Unofficial (https://foc-u.co.uk/mybb)
+-- Forum: General (https://foc-u.co.uk/mybb/forumdisplay.php?fid=65)
+--- Forum: General (https://foc-u.co.uk/mybb/forumdisplay.php?fid=69)
+--- Thread: Is MCN relevant any more? (/showthread.php?tid=80932)
Pages:
1
2
Is MCN relevant any more? - agricola - 26-06-19
First Wednesday for a considerable time that I have not picked up a copy of Motorcycle News. Ive found less and less of interest to me inside the pages, it seems to be preoccupied with high end, expensive, technologically advanced machines that most riders dont want (cos you hardly ever see them on the roads) or simply cant afford. I reckon it provides little entertainment or information for the majority of riders, so it looks like the parting of the ways. Anybody else any views on it?
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - fazersharp - 26-06-19
Not even looked at it for years. I always pick up one of these whenever I am in a place that dishes them out. Free to pick up in bike shops or you can pay for a postal subscription.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - Dudeofrude - 26-06-19
Haven't bought one in years. I use their website occasionally just to check basic reviews bit that's about it. If I get any bike related reading it tends to be RIDE magazine, and that's only if it's either free or very cheap
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - Arfa - 26-06-19
Used to regularly read their website fairly often to catch up on bike news, but they pissed me off when they installed the adblock blocker script. Now you're forced to load up a tonnes of huge intrusive ads that cover everything and cause my old laptop to grind to a halt. So just dunna bother with it anymore, no big loss.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - Frosties - 26-06-19
(26-06-19, 10:11 PM)Dudeofrude link Wrote: Haven't bought one in years. I use their website occasionally just to check basic reviews bit that's about it. If I get any bike related reading it tends to be RIDE magazine, and that's only if it's either free or very cheap
+1 for Ride mag. Yes it still has exotic road tests but tends to have "Buy a bike for 2k", "Best puncture kit, tank bags, touring tent & routes tyres etc". Tend to find I read more of it and keep it for reference.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - Grahamm - 26-06-19
(26-06-19, 10:59 PM)Arfa link Wrote: Used to regularly read their website fairly often to catch up on bike news, but they pissed me off when they installed the adblock blocker script.
Run NoScript and block anything you don't want running :thumbup
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - mtread - 26-06-19
My local market sells (new) previous copies of Ride, Bike, Classics etc for a quid. Usually only a month or two out of date
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - Frosties - 26-06-19
(26-06-19, 11:40 PM)mtread link Wrote: My local market sells (new) previous copies of Ride, Bike, Classics etc for a quid. Usually only a month or two out of date
Jammy Bar Steward.......grrrrrrrr !
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - steve 10562cc - 27-06-19
Bought a copy this week reminded me why I stopped buying it a few years back full of BMW's. Ducati's, KTM's, mainly adventure bikes. I'll stick to Ride and Practical Sportsbike they aren't yet full of euro adventure bikes.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - YamFazFan - 27-06-19
(26-06-19, 07:48 PM)agricola link Wrote: high end, expensive, technologically advanced machines
Isn't that every new bike nowadays?. Ever more stringent Euro laws have dictated that haven't they.
MCN is less relevant, but then so is motorcycling in general.
There used to be 7 main dealers in my City up until just a few years ago selling all the brands. Every single one has closed down. Says it all :\
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - fazersharp - 27-06-19
(27-06-19, 08:20 AM)YamFazFan link Wrote: There used to be 7 main dealers in my City up until just a few years ago selling all the brands. Every single one has closed down. Says it all :\Thats because of the likes of us keeping 21 year old bikes on the road :lol .
I forgot to add a link to my post last night
https://www.morebikes.co.uk/motor-cycle-monthly/
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - BBROWN1664 - 27-06-19
(27-06-19, 08:20 AM)YamFazFan link Wrote: There used to be 7 main dealers in my City up until just a few years ago selling all the brands. Every single one has closed down. Says it all :\
35 years ago when I started riding, in Crawley we had 4 bike dealerships. One did Kawasaki, one did Suzuki, one did motor cross stuff and one did all sorts. The next town to the west (Horsham) had one bike shop, the one to the east (East Grinstead) had 2 or three and the town to the north (Horley) had one. Today, we have P&H and Crawley having now taken over all the brands locally and T.Northeast in Horley. The next nearest bike shops are bout Triumph dealers which are about 40 mins away.
35 years ago, every 16 year old had a moped or wanted a moped and many went on to ride bigger bikes. Today, barely any mopeds are on the road and not many of those are ridden by people who want to go onto bigger bikes.
35 years ago, or thereabouts, the 2-part test was introduced with part one being in the car park dodging cones and part 2 was on the road riding around the block with an examiner jumping out from behind a tree to see you do an emergency stop. Once you took that test at 17 you could ride anything. Today, you need to do the CBT before you can even think about going on the road, then the hazard perception (which is really aimed at car drivers) then the theory then the cone avoidance and finally a long complicated road test with an examiner who may or may not be following you in a car because it goes against their H&S to let them ride a motorbike :pokefun
Is it any wonder less people are interested in bikes these days?
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - Don71uk - 27-06-19
With my local library, West Sussex, you can read MCN and other bike mags, including BikE, Ride, etc, for free, you just need to use PressReader, and login with you library number.
Don.
Got an app on the iPad.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - VNA - 27-06-19
Never been a regular reader of MCN.
The impression I get is that bike sales are relatively healthy. I suspect also cheap credit and PCP deals are keeping the stock rolling out the door.
Harley Davidson seems to be one of the big sellers up here – piloted by folks dressed up as outlaws and often wearing silly masks as if they are off to rob a bank or hold up a post office or something.
There seems to be a lot more to choose from in the way of new bikes, but then it seems hard to find something to fit the bill.
There seems to be shit loads more bikes on the road. But then as bikes are now generally kept for leisure use or toys, they seldom get run into the ground and scrapped.
Quote:technologically advanced machines that most riders dont want
It seems to be there is a demand for stuff like rider modes, traction control and electronically adjustable suspension etc.
Can’t argue with ABS. I’m surprised that tyre pressure monitors are not mandatory now as they are in cars – it can be a life saver.
I’ve been pouring over the options list for BMW’s R1250R
I like and I want;
Heated grips, Tyre Pressure Control, Cruise Control and Centre stand. (why are these not standard on the beemer anyway FFS?)
I’m tempted by Dynamic ESA (electronically controlled active suspension)
I could not care less about;
Keyless ride, daytime running lights, Quick shifter, Riding modes pro, GPS prep, alarm, Intelligent emergency call etc.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - coffee - 28-06-19
I agree with most of the above,you'd buy MCN because it was for the bikers of the time,affordable transport,now it's a rich mans' hobby if you want anything new,big and powerfull it's getting so £10,000 is actually cheap! I'd like an MT10,but if I chopped mine in or sold it I'd have to find about £7,000 to change, nearly twice as much as my FZ1! MCN back in the day was something every biker looked forward to,couldn't wait for Wednesday to catch up on stuff,I sometimes buy it if I'm on hols or got a hospital appointment and want to read something but it's just full of exotic stuff I could never afford and you can forget about PCP deals,IMO it's just a way for dealers to stitch you up for years,then end up with fuck all if you can't afford the payments or the big lump sum tacked on to the end,WANKERS :finger
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - YamFazFan - 28-06-19
(27-06-19, 06:36 PM)VNA link Wrote: There seems to be a lot more to choose from in the way of new bikes
Complete nonsense. If look back through the archives at the Japanese manufacturers ranges from years ago the choice on offer was immense compared with today.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - YamFazFan - 28-06-19
(27-06-19, 06:36 PM)VNA link Wrote: There seems to be shit loads more bikes on the road.
Really?. It's the complete opposite down this way.
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - YamFazFan - 28-06-19
(27-06-19, 06:36 PM)VNA link Wrote: The impression I get is that bike sales are relatively healthy.
The other week you were telling us how it was all going down the pan due to the dreaded B word :rolleyes
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - agricola - 28-06-19
(28-06-19, 08:06 AM)YamFazFan link Wrote: [quote author=VNA link=topic=25411.msg299943#msg299943 date=1561656995]
The impression I get is that bike sales are relatively healthy.
The other week you were telling us how it was all going down the pan due to the dreaded B word :rolleyes
[/quote]
:lol
Re: Is MCN relevant any more? - agricola - 28-06-19
(27-06-19, 06:36 PM)VNA link Wrote: Never been a regular reader of MCN.
The impression I get is that bike sales are relatively healthy. I suspect also cheap credit and PCP deals are keeping the stock rolling out the door.
Harley Davidson seems to be one of the big sellers up here – piloted by folks dressed up as outlaws and often wearing silly masks as if they are off to rob a bank or hold up a post office or something.
There seems to be a lot more to choose from in the way of new bikes, but then it seems hard to find something to fit the bill.
There seems to be shit loads more bikes on the road. But then as bikes are now generally kept for leisure use or toys, they seldom get run into the ground and scrapped.
Quote:technologically advanced machines that most riders dont want
It seems to be there is a demand for stuff like rider modes, traction control and electronically adjustable suspension etc.
Can’t argue with ABS. I’m surprised that tyre pressure monitors are not mandatory now as they are in cars – it can be a life saver.
I’ve been pouring over the options list for BMW’s R1250R
I like and I want;
Heated grips, Tyre Pressure Control, Cruise Control and Centre stand. (why are these not standard on the beemer anyway FFS?)
I’m tempted by Dynamic ESA (electronically controlled active suspension)
I could not care less about;
Keyless ride, daytime running lights, Quick shifter, Riding modes pro, GPS prep, alarm, Intelligent emergency call etc.
Wow. Bikes are a rare sight indeed down here in the east midlands. When i first started work in 68, i reckon perhaps 20% of the workforce at the old steel works travelled to work by motorcycle, 30% on pushbike (including me) 30% by bus (there were dozens servicing the steel works daily at all times), and the rest either walked or could afford a motor car. When I finished work 3 years ago, my motorcycle was generally the only one in the bike racks, along with half a dozen cycles. No buses came into the site (a major pharma site), and the car parks were rammed such that you had to arrive really early to get a parking spot at all. The Council twigged on and introduced a car park tax