I got a post card in the mail today saying Dirt Rider has ceased publication and instead I'll receive Motorcyclist magazine for the duration of my subscription. I'm kinda bummed to hear this, it was a nice way to stay up on new models and accessories.

 

Seems the publications are going down the tube. What a shame. It was nice to have them in hand. I guess I"ll have to look for another magaine now.

 

Dang!...same here. I liked Dirt Rider. All the hoopla revolves around moto-x which I enjoy watching on TV, but frankly reading about it is pretty boring.

 

How disappointing. I've let my dirt bike mag subscription lapse too.

 

Some here may remember the heyday of off road type publications. Dirt Bike had articles showing how to forward mount shocks on the swing arm and cantilever them on the frame for longer travel. Tips from riders were printed. Hop up articles with some descriptions of what and why were written. Now it's all bolt on stuff and they don't show any of it. I used to have a lot of the magazines from the 70s and 80s when those articles existed. I quit hanging on to them around 1992 or so. Last how to I remember was doing suspension and tires on a Zephyr 550 in 1991. But they didn't show any of the work, putting PS fork springs and new oil in the forks along with different tires and I think shocks too. No more. I think forums and youtube got to them.

 

What?...dirt bike magazines that actually showed and explained how to modify things more complicated than filling your fuel tank? Just how old are you? wink, wink.

 

Godon Jennings and Joe Minton wouldn't be able to get work in the current motorcycle media platforms.

 

I let my subscription run out after coming across a great free online magazine called Upshift at www.upshiftonline.com. I found out about it by meeting Simon Cudby one of the editors and photographers at Dumont Dunes where he was doing a piece on Andrew Short and Scott Bright training for the Sonora Rally. It comes out monthly and covers many topics that are interesting to read.

 

Now a guy has to put a lap top or notepad beside the toilet!

Personally I like printed media if it actually has something to say. Like Hot Rod Deluxe for hot rodding in the early years. Unfortunately there is nothing like that for bikes and no magazine actually does anything of any note that someone could do in their garage in this age of litigation because we're too stupid to know our limits and want to blame someone else if we exceed them.

 

Well, I vote Ed Hertfelder for president...and bring back "The Duct Tapes".