43 replies to this topic

[Geordie Guy]

For some unknown reason March's bike is out.

Went through the reviews of all the new bikes and was Fookin LIVID !!!! to read this.



This was complied by this editor !



mike@bikemagazine.co.uk

you may wish to drop him a line, be constructive, if you can.

I will be, will post it later.

Ivan

Edited by Geordie Guy, 01 February 2010 - 07:33 pm.

[dapleb]

Did you forget to post the bit that made you livid?

"850 has more spunk"......was that it.

[catsbum]

We who ride the 900 (and 850) all know what a bike they really are.
We all have passion, that's why the first gens created the RTT's

Move on, give the Editor a hanky.......

[Geordie Guy]

E-mail sent. to mike@bikemagazine.co.uk

Mike, I read with interest your professional review of the new TDM in March's edition of your magazine.
I am surprised to find words like "innocuous, forgettable" being used next to "supremely comfortable, practical ".I presume you meant these words in a condescending manner ?

However, Innocuous means to producing no ill effect, not injurious. By placing this next to supremely comfortable, should read that this bike can be used for "comfortable all day touring "Forgettable, means unnoticed, ie you can ride this bike all day and not notice, its so easy.

There are two things here, that you have written this for your typical reader, who you think probably likes bikes that, are uncomfortable to ride, drink petrol, scare the pants off them at every corner and costs a fortune to service, Bikes that break down now and again, just to keep the mechanics in employ.

The other thing to think about is: You may have some readers like me, who want a reliable bike, with fantastic mpg, easy to work on, easy to ride, steady work horse that they can ride all day on and still walk to the pub at the end, to talk with their mates how good biking is.

Who actually buys these?

Bikers who love to spend their time and money, on effortless riding, practical, supremely comfortable, economical, reliable bikes.... Like me.

I would like to think that someone at your magazine, would consider writing for Riders who are not hell bent on acting like Rossi, or pretending that every sunny, dry day is a track day to show their biker buddies how mental they are.

Some of your readers, don’t believe everything they read.

Cheers, Ivan

"850 has more spunk"......was that it.

Where's all the spunk coming from I wonder !

Edited by Geordie Guy, 01 February 2010 - 09:27 pm.

[Moose]

E-mail sent. to mike@bikemagazine.co.uk

Mike, I read with interest your professional review of the new TDM in March's edition of your magazine.
I am suprised to find words like "innocuous, forgettable" being used next to "supremely comfortable, practicle".I pressume you ment these words in a condescending manner ?

However, Innocuous means to producing no ill effect, not injurious. By placing this next to supremely comfortable, should read that this bike can be used for "comfortable all day touring"Forgettable, means unnoticed, ie you can ride this bike all day and not notice, its so easy.

There are two things here, that you have written this for your typical reader, who you think probably likes bikes that, are uncomfortable to ride, drink petrol, scare the pants off them at every corner and costs a fortune to service, Bikes that break down now and again, just to keep the mechanics in employ.

The other thing to think about is: You may have some readers like me, who want a reliable bike, with fantastic mpg, easy to work on, easy to ride, steady work horse that they can ride all day on and still walk to the pub at the end, to talk with their mates how good biking is.

Who actually buys these?

Bikers who love to spend their time and money, on effortless riding, practical, supremely comfortable, ecconomical, reliable bikes.... Like me.

I would like to think that someone at your magazine, would consider writing for Riders who are not hell bent on acting like Rossi, or pretending that every sunny, dry day is a track day to show their biker buddys how mental they are.

Some of your readers, dont believe everything they read.

Cheers, Ivan

Where's all the spunk coming from I wonder !

Hope you used a spell checker before you sent it

Moose

[Geordie Guy]

Hope you used a spell checker before you sent it

I have now, Moose.

Cheers, Ivan

[Matlock]

I subscribe to Bike and to be honest I've enjoyed reading it ..... until recently. For the last few months they should have changed the magazine's name to "1 Litre Sports Bike"! There have been individual tests of eack of the major manufacturer's 1000cc sportsbikes each month. Then a group test of 1000cc sportsbikes the next month. Then, when a new 1000cc sportsbike comes out and they test that. Then, next month, they do another group comparison with the new bike. It's a pity because they have good columnists - Rupert Paul and Mat Oxley to name two and most issues usually have a interesting feature on some Top Gear style "challenge", but the rest of the mag has gone downhill. I'm not surprised about the TDM comments, I've come to expect it from bike journos. They get spoilt riding exotica that are out of most people's financial reach and look down on the kind of bike most riders enjoy riding day to day. I may cancel my subscription soon, but what magazine shall I get in it's place? I'll fire off an email to the editor tomorrow, just for the hell of it!

Edited by Matlock, 01 February 2010 - 09:39 pm.

[tdm850rider]

I don't consider 'innocuous' and 'forgettable' that negative. Flash is not the reason I buy a bike.

How does a person get to be an editor who uses 'innocuous' and 'forgettable' in the same description?
That's like 'it was a dark and stormy night'.
They mean practically the same thing.

[sidestand]

I subscribe to Bike and to be honest I've enjoyed reading it ..... until recently. For the last few months they should have changed the magazine's name to "1 Litre Sports Bike"! There have been individual tests of eack of the major manufacturer's 1000cc sportsbikes each month. Then a group test of 1000cc sportsbikes the next month. Then, when a new 1000cc sportsbike comes out and they test that. Then, next month, they do another group comparison with the new bike. It's a pity because they have good columnists - Rupert Paul and Mat Oxley to name two and most issues usually have a interesting feature on some Top Gear style "challenge", but the rest of the mag has gone downhill. I'm not surprised about the TDM comments, I've come to expect it from bike journos. They get spoilt riding exotica that are out of most people's financial reach and look down on the kind of bike most riders enjoy riding day to day. I may cancel my subscription soon, but what magazine shall I get in it's place? I'll fire off an email to the editor tomorrow, just for the hell of it!

I'm of the same opinion matlock ........most of the Bauer Media magazines are getting the same ......regurgitating the last 4 weeks MCN bike tests - so its all the sportsbikes in an endless carousel of reviews, without really changing any of the wording
I've got subscriptions to Bike, Ride, & Classic Bike .........I'm seriously thinking of knocking the first 2 on the head.

If you want a good alternataive read, then Motorcycle Sport & Leisure is a much more balanced & informative magazine with some very good columnists, like Kevin & Julia Sanders

[dandywarhol]

I'm of the same opinion matlock ........most of the Bauer Media magazines are getting the same ......regurgitating the last 4 weeks MCN bike tests - so its all the sportsbikes in an endless carousel of reviews, without really changing any of the wording
I've got subscriptions to Bike, Ride, & Classic Bike .........I'm seriously thinking of knocking the first 2 on the head.

If you want a good alternataive read, then Motorcycle Sport & Leisure is a much more balanced & informative magazine with some very good columnists, like Kevin & Julia Sanders

Aye MSL is on the up again IMO - even though it's that ginger fecker at the helm now

[pete7]

Well done Ivan and a bloody good response!

I have raged and written to the press before so let's hope they take notice if we all write this time.

I was so cheesed off a while back I cancelled my subscriptions to T.W.O. (bit too juvenile especially when it glamorizes acting like a t**t) and even MSL ( which was the only decent mag but still not enough to justify annual subs).

I first bought MSL as "Motorcycle Sport" in 1967 when the articles were about 2000 words long, authors only gave their initials and there were no colour pix (haha!). Surely "RK", "LJKS" and "PCV"( along with "Nitor" and "Onetrack") would have delighted in decribing the benefits of TDM performance and ownership in tedious great detail in the old MS mag, and without the clutter of new fangled colour photography. (it'll never catch on)

I think it's also worth telling them that, give the TDM and its 80-odd BHP a twisty road and a bit of enthusiasm, and it will hold its own with most bikes in the real world!

Pete
(awld git)

[sidestand]

I think that up until last year, you could have argued with the bike press, that if the TDM was put up against some of the monster trailies like the GS - it would have represented very good value for money for almost as good performance.
Now it is a different story, as the list prices have gone up so much, you could go for a GS at £3K more & have that enhanced performance (especially the 2010 model) and have yourself a bike that doesn't depreciate very much.
The Journos will use this argument all the time .............and after all, the TDM hasn't had any significant upgrades for 8 years now......as far as they're concerned, both the bike,
and us are just Dinosaurs

[pete7]

I think that up until last year, you could have argued with the bike press, that if the TDM was put up against some of the monster trailies like the GS - it would have represented very good value for money for almost as good performance.
Now it is a different story, as the list prices have gone up so much, you could go for a GS at £3K more & have that enhanced performance (especially the 2010 model) and have yourself a bike that doesn't depreciate very much.
The Journos will use this argument all the time .............and after all, the TDM hasn't had any significant upgrades for 8 years now......as far as they're concerned, both the bike,
and us are just Dinosaurs

Good point SS

I have to agree that, only since the price increases, if you put the TDM at £7500 against the Tiger at £8500 (poss. incl hard luggage deal) the choice is difficult for us.

However the journos attitide has been around for years and I just fancied a bit of a grumble..........

What is interesting is that, despite the media sports-bike fixation, the "adventure" market as a whole is growing faster than any other. It might (possibly) herald a change in emphasis to motorcycle media across the board.


D. O'Saur

[Oafski]

Aye MSL is on the up again IMO - even though it's that ginger fecker at the helm now

Agree about MSL, I've been reading it since the 1960s. I can also heartily reccommend The Riders Digest, £2.50 from your local WH Smith or a smaller edition FREE from outlets like the Ace Cafe, The Tea Hut at High Beech etc.

[Studley Ramrod]

Dear Mr Armitage,

in response to your question 'who actually buys these' posed in the somewhat meaningless comments you provided for the TDM900, may I say this.

After conducting a little research into the 3,000 members of Carpe-TDM, I would say that the average buyer is male, predominantly over 6ft tall and quite often built like a brick shytehouse.

The said members of this site have all been most interested to read your comments and have cordially invited you to attend, as a guest speaker, our annual G2G. This is, of course, on the provisio that your mummy will let you stay out late that night.

Kind Regards

[silver]

Dear Mr Armitage,

in response to your question 'who actually buys these' posed in the somewhat meaningless comments you provided for the TDM900, may I say this.

After conducting a little research into the 3,000 members of Carpe-TDM, I would say that the average buyer is male, predominantly over 6ft tall and quite often built like a brick shytehouse.

The said members of this site have all been most interested to read your comments and have cordially invited you to attend, as a guest speaker, our annual G2G. This is, of course, on the provisio that your mummy will let you stay out late that night.

Kind Regards

I feel quite short now at 5' 10".
That is brilliant! are you going to send it? Maybe leave out the last line, we wouldnt want to appear juvenile eh?
Dave

[mat41174]

The TDM has been getting some good reviews down here in the local mags.

Yamaha Australia even built one with a flat seat and changed front end for bigger tyre to show its fire trail capabilities.

Anyway, isnt there a rumour that magazines and newspapers are going under?

[Geordie Guy]

This was Mike's reply .........

Hi Ivan, thanks for the response.

The comments on the TDM were intended to highlight its genuine usefulness. It is a good bike. But, at the same time, it's not as young as it used to be - suspension and equipment levels have progressed significantly in recent years and, while 900 is still clearly capable, it hasn't quite the polished edge of newer machines.

Obviously, on its own, away from the microscopic world of magazine tests, there's nothing to complain about. And, personally, I've a soft spot for the twin - we ran one on a previous magazine I worked for, and it was the office favourite whenever someone actually needed a 'proper' motorbike!

Thanks again, and hope you continue to enjoy reading Bike.

Mike

Why did he not reflect this in his magazine then !!!!!!!

[wolfrunner]

All the comments above are true and worth reading but How many Bike forum's like our own are now Advertising this mag for free because of the comment's about a certain bike .

So if they get a lot of mail in referance this article , good or bad it dont matter tbh. Because the more mail they get in the more they can show the people who pay to advertise in there mag, This show's they get noticed and its worth paying bucks to them as this is the end result.

So if you agree or disagree with the comment's published about any bike within this mag, the more you complain the more they will slag off the said bike's as it gets them noticed.

The more they get noticed the more copy's they sell and the more people will want to advertise .

This is a simplistic view i am afraid but one the papers like News of the world and the Sun ect ( in the UK) have made big bucks off for year's .