Demise of MCN magazine

[fulltimer]

Not sure if any or many of you read Motorcycle Consumer News motorcycle magazine, but it has gone bye bye. As a subscriber, I received a notice of bankruptcy in the mail. Personally I am very sad to see this one go. It was the the only one to my knowledge that was entirely subscriber supported. There was no advertising at all. Thus it was beholden to no one so the articles were always on target and honest. I guess the reason I'm whining is that I have read this mag for something over 30 years and admit I will miss it. The contributors will be missed, I'm sure, by many. The subjects covered pretty much everything regarding bikes and products motorcycle and news of the riding industry.

I attribute much of what I learned about riding technique and safety to the contributors of this publication.

I don't know what caused the demise of Lumina Media, (the owner of MCN), but I hope someone else picks up the magazine and breathes some new life in it. The company notice said "the Company has insufficient assets to satisfy all of its liabilities." I suppose that pretty well sums it up.

Are any of you out there MCN readers and what are your thoughts about its demise.

[PW2013STL]

I also have been a subscriber for many years, but I did not receive any notice. Sure will miss this mag as I could trust what they said since they took no ad money.

[Mazo EMS2]

I've never read the magazine, but I gotta believe that with everything at your fingertips these days, that not as many were subscribing anymore. Maybe they've replaced their magazine with something online..??

[NautiBrit]

Maybe they've replaced their magazine with something online..??

They were online for the last few years, but I guess that wasn't enough to save them. It was a very good magazine, well worth the subscription.

[RICZ]

I started subscribing back when it was Road Rider. The then publisher (can't remember his name) had a regular column where he expressed a contrarian point of view re MC matters.

[pegasus1300]

I too subscribed to the old Road Rider, It was a great magazine. I still remember the road test that Patty Carpenter did on the 1st Yamaha 650 that had electric start,1972 I think. She called it Big Red. I had one for awhile.

[CopperSpyder]

All print media has the same problem, the cost of doing business (mail, printing machines. material, employees, building, heating, cooling etc.) is more than you take in. Without have ads its even worse. The internet has changed all that now most people get there information on the net when they need it and research products that way also. I some mags that I use to like and could not wait to get each month. Sit down in the morning with my coffee and read a short story or new product review. Magazines are becoming like telephone booths everyone has one in their pocket they can pull up if you give them a minute.

[biker01red]

I started subscribing back when it was Road Rider. The then publisher (can't remember his name) had a regular column where he expressed a contrarian point of view re MC matters.

I believe the publisher was Fred Rau..... I was also a subscriber and attended several of his seminars at Americade in the early years.....

[SpyderConvert]

MCN was the only magazine that I subscribed to. I felt that it was honest and informative. Unlike so many other magazines, it was not Harley-Davidson oriented. JMHO

[Tango]

MCN was the best of the mags out there! Fred Rau was my absolute favorite. He was also a big Spyder fan. Tom

[RICZ]

In 1983, Bob and Patty Carpenter took the then new Yamaha Venture tourer for a little test ride. The object was to see how comfortable it was and if they could break it in the 5,300 miles they traveled. They hit all the lower 48 states and all the Canadian provinces and even rode it on the ties between RR tracks.
They reported that not only did it not break, but the saddle was state-of-the-art comfortable. I bought one without even taking a test ride and put 165K on it before replacing it with a '92. Thanks Bob and Patty.

[Arion]

I'll miss it as well. I had let my subscription lapse (don't recall why) and had just renewed when I received notice they were folding their tent. Shortly thereafter I received a full refund, which was unexpected. Still, I would rather have received the magazine. Ah well, I must be a Luddite page-turner who still prefers books over reading on a screen. Guess I fit in the "old dog" category.

[RICZ]

Arion....I"m with you. I so dislike reading long treatises on screen (some posts here qualify) that if it's something important that I want to read, I print it out so I can read it on a sheet of paper. I'm also a member of the Luddite Club.

[fulltimer]

I believe the publisher was Fred Rau..... I was also a subscriber and attended several of his seminars at Americade in the early years.....

I go back to the Road rider days also. The Carpenters were the publishers but Fred Rau was the editor if I remember correctly. Seems the sentiments are pretty well the same here. This one mag is a loss for motorcycling and good journalism.

[fulltimer]

Wow! Should we start an "old Luddites" club. I would love to be a charter member.

[Greven]

There is a charm and a special feel to read a good magazine. 20 years ago when I was a teenager I'd buy a car, bike or computer magazine allmost every week, but I must admit I allmost never buy any paper magazines these days. There is just so much good content for free online. Interesting youtube channels, forums like this one etc.
So it is probably not very easy to keep up volumes and profit margin on traditional magazines.

[troop]

I enjoy a paper magazine in my hands. Hoping Rider magazine can keep "riding" it out..

[ARtraveler]

In 1983, Bob and Patty Carpenter took the then new Yamaha Venture tourer for a little test ride. The object was to see how comfortable it was and if they could break it in the 5,300 miles they traveled. They hit all the lower 48 states and all the Canadian provinces and even rode it on the ties between RR tracks.
They reported that not only did it not break, but the saddle was state-of-the-art comfortable. I bought one without even taking a test ride and put 165K on it before replacing it with a '92. Thanks Bob and Patty.

I also bought one of those. Got a new 83 in 84. Believe it was about $4300 in those days. We did not cover the whole US, but it took us wherever we wanted to go in style.