Bit of a shock

[guest7]

I bought MCN yesterday, for the first time in years. It was quite interesting.

When did this happen? I always thought MCN was a byword for crap articles, rubbish bike news and simplistic advice for newbies.

Mind you the article on Alan Carter did miss out the fact that he famously punched a marshal in the face, on camera, at the British GP 

GC

[guest1247]

Hi Onepot, Regarding MCN, I haven't bought one for about 15 or 16 months now. They conducted a rather "one sided" comparison type test between a trio of "thumpers". Yes, they did say thumpers. A KTM 690 Duke (70hp), a Ducati Monster (V-twin), and a Yamaha MT-03 (43-44 hp). Apparently the Yamaha's attempts at keeping up with the other two were "laughable". Their word not mine...... That was the last copy I bought. I have just added up the number of £1.95's that have stayed in my pocket, and guess what, they have very nearly covered the cost of insuring my MT-03 and Honda FX650...!!! Regards, Tony.

[themoudie]

Aye Tony,
£2-10 is now required for expensive 'firelighters'! 
Tried to see if an e-copy was available and all I could find in the maelstrom of their site was stuff for something called an iPad! 'Nother expensive lump of cotton wool soaked in Optrex I 'spect!
Ah well it might rain soon, grass might grow and bankers will return their ill-gotten gains! Famine and pestilence on all 'Twitterers'!
Harrumph! Too polite to stick in 'Rants', but others on a leather chesterfield with a Leapfrog may care to do so! 

My regards, Bill.

[Andy M]

I don't do paper and don't see why I should pay for their barely informed, one sided, irrelevent opinions when I can listen to you lot for free (and get a better quality of fart joke) ! 

That said, one of the Wee sites posted a link to the MCN videos "channel" on you tube. They did a pretty effective demonstration (you can't call anything involving road cones and a tape measure a test) of bike ABS. All the loons claiming they can out brake the computer because it will release the brakes can watch the journos and their racer mates fail to do exactly that. They went up IMHO.

GC, I had to google who Alan Carter was. Back then I think I was more interested in Lego than bike racing. I think MCN may have decided you are in their demographic. Expect a special extended edition on Honda 500 singles, Gileras and petrol stoves! 

Andy

[guest7]

I think MCN may have decided you are in their demographic. Expect a special extended edition on Honda 500 singles, Gileras and petrol stoves! 

Feck! even I wouldn't read that 

I do like their sports coverage though, but you can get most of that via their website for free. Another great source of racing gossip and news, if you haven't heard of it, is www.crash.net

GC

[J.Y.Kelly]

I gave up buying MCN years ago. I dip in now and again to see if things have improved if I find a discarded copy, but I'm always disappointed.
None of the journo's writing for this comic live in the real world, and think everyone can afford, and should desire, the newest, fastest, most powerful, most complicated computerised piece of engineering each January when the newest models are released.
One cylinder is complicated enough for me, occasionally two.

[booxbr]

Alan Carter now races at CRMC meetings on tz 350

[002]

Have thought MCN was crap and still is. Have done for a very long time !

Jethro

[SteveC#222]

Some years ago I edited the Cossack Owners Club newsletter. One day I had a call from MCN saying they wanted to do an article of Russian bikes. I told them we had some really nice examples in the club but no, they only wanted 'Old grotty ones'....needless to say they didn't get any help. Crap comic for wannabes was then is now!

[Richard]

Journalists do love their stereotypes !

[Smithy]

Some years ago I edited the Cossack Owners Club newsletter. One day I had a call from MCN saying they wanted to do an article of Russian bikes. I told them we had some really nice examples in the club but no, they only wanted 'Old grotty ones'....needless to say they didn't get any help. Crap comic for wannabes was then is now!

They're all like that. Many years ago I offered my 52 A10 combo to Classic Bike for them to test as they said they wanted a used sidecar outfit to test. They did'nt go with mine fitted with leading link forks, a king/queen seat and hand painted balck even though I used it every day. No they went with an immaculate Matchless which was daringly painted the wrong colour!

[Andy M]

It's a notable difference between paper and the net. People who buy classic bike, the Sun, Gardeners World magazine and so forth are only looking for information about 10% of the time. The rest are using it as a passtime and want the comforting feeling of joining a mob to laugh at some bloke who fitted a '67 tank to his '63 bike because it's bigger, moan about foreigners making us eat straight bananas, have Monty Don confirm they've planted their fartichokes on the right day etc. You don't upset the biggest part of your audience by pointing out their prejudices.

The net has it too of course, go onto any Ural, Triumph Bonneville or BMW Owners board and ask about rust and all you'll get is a list of expensive cleaning products and reasons why you've failed to keep up to the machine they love. The fact they are made of cardboard but priced as metal is off limits.

The difference is that the net is so big there is space for the information as well.

Andy

[guest7]

Alan Carter now races at CRMC meetings on tz 350

I thought I'd seen his name in Classic Racer a few times. That's not intimidating is it? lining up alongside an ex-GP rider 

Mind you, I see that Jeremy McWiliams has been riding big Suzukis in classic races too.

GC

[Andy M]

Mind you, I see that Jeremy McWiliams has been riding big Suzukis in classic races too.

GC

Would that be the Jeremy McWilliams (born 4 April 1964 in Belfast, Northern Ireland), who is a motorcycle road racer and until Scott Redding's win at the 2008 125cc British Grand Prix was the only rider from the British Isles to win a race or pole in an FIM MotoGP World Championship class in the 2000s. 

OK, you all know I'd get bored when the same bikes came past 90 seconds after they'd set off  It's off Wikipedia 

Andy