Motorcycle Tests by Biking Press

[Whysub]

Reading the "Chinese Bikes" thread, it became apparent that the views of owners is at odds with those of of those of the biking press testing of the same bike.

I found this yesterday, Bike magazines June 1975 "Giant 250cc Test". This was back in the halcyon days when you could ride a 250 on L Plates.

htpps://davestestsandarticles.weebly.com/cz.html

Seems biking press journalists could write their own thoughts then, and not just reword the manufactures press releases, nor fear the manafacturers/importers withdrawing their advertising budgets. Well, at least until Bike totally rubbished the Goldwing shortly after, ensuring Honda withdrew from advertising with them.

Is journalism dead?

[Skub]

Does anyone read a bike test now before buying a bike?

I find reading the posts on owner groups on f/book give more of a real world insight. That's where you hear all the long term niggles.

[Taipan]

Yes I think journalism is dead, or at least to me it is. I don't believe the Bike press about anything, preferring to watch youtube reviews by random people.

[Whysub]

Does anyone read a bike test now before buying a bike?

I find reading the posts on owner groups on f/book give more of a real world insight. That's where you hear all the long term niggles.

I used to, at least to initially sort the wheat from the chaff. Not done so for many years.

The reason I bought my NC750 was reading owners forums based in the UK, USA, Australia and here. Very few faults reported, and nothing common.

Still hate the way the hazard lights won't work unless the ignition is on. Plainly stupid if breaking down at night.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Do you trust My Little Stud Pony to pick a bike for you?

[Skub]

Do you trust My Little Stud Pony to pick a bike for you?

That's not the Brexit we all voted for.

[Bustaspoke]

I don't think journalism's dead,but I can't remember ever buying a bike because of a bike review.Pre internet I would form an opinion on a bike through various influences,a magazine test might have made me aware of a bike & given me the specs but I would then go to the dealers & look at the bike.
I watched owners reviews on YT before buying my last two bikes.

[Supermofo]

I'd still read a bike review in a mag, but alongside YouTube and forums

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

These days I trust my own opinion, why would someone who's done a journalism degree know more about motorcycles than me, why would someone with a YouTube channel know more about motorcycles than me, especially about what motorcycle I want to ride, both of them have to consider advertising revenue.

[Horse]

why would someone with a YouTube channel know more about motorcycles than me

In the broadest sense, we can't know everything Well, I don't - you might

But what we need to do is listen to those others describe and explain something we do know about, to calibrate or validate their explanations of things we don't know or understand.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Nobody knows everything, but my point is, why does someone else know more than you, you're just as capable of test riding a load of bikes as they are

[Whysub]

Pre Forums and YouTube, the only way you could find out about bikes were from the press or word of mouth from the fat bloke down the pub.

Glad things have moved on, but read any test from the 70's and 80's to one published in the last year, and see the difference.

[Hot_Air]

Undoubtedly, independent journalism is dead because the magazines (print and online alike) rely on advertising revenue to survive.

[Bustaspoke]

Nobody knows everything, but my point is, why does someone else know more than you, you're just as capable of test riding a load of bikes as they are

I don't think that YT content creators know more than me,but if they've owned a bike for a couple of years or done a few thousand miles on a bike that I'm interested in I think that they'll give me a better idea on the everyday positives & negatives of owning said motorcycle.I also find the comments a good source of information & of more use to me than some journo or god forbid 'Influencer' hooning about for a couple of hours in some sunny location on a brand new bike on a all expenses paid jolly.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Nobody knows everything, but my point is, why does someone else know more than you, you're just as capable of test riding a load of bikes as they are

I don't think that YT content creators know more than me,but if they've owned a bike for a couple of years or done a few thousand miles on a bike that I'm interested in I think that they'll give me a better idea on the everyday positives & negatives of owning said motorcycle.I also find the comments a good source of information & of more use to me than some journo or god forbid 'Influencer' hooning about for a couple of hours in some sunny location on a brand new bike on a all expenses paid jolly.

I meant the influencer types, not people who'd owned the bike for a couple of years, I probably should have made that clear.

[Taipan]

Does anyone read a bike test now before buying a bike?

I find reading the posts on owner groups on f/book give more of a real world insight. That's where you hear all the long term niggles.

I used to, at least to initially sort the wheat from the chaff. Not done so for many years.

The reason I bought my NC750 was reading owners forums based in the UK, USA, Australia and here. Very few faults reported, and nothing common.

Still hate the way the hazard lights won't work unless the ignition is on. Plainly stupid if breaking down at night.

The ignition has to be on to put them on, then if you turn the ignition off they stay on.

[roadster]

Up until the 1990s I always bought at least two bike magazines and/or papers every month. But as the road test content became meaningless and predictable I found I could no longer get useful facts or comparisons. Journalistic accuracy was replaced by laziness and meaningful independent performance figures were replaced by thinly disguised manufacturers claims. Finally the immature writing style of articles drove me away completely.

[Hot_Air]

Journalistic accuracy was replaced by laziness and meaningful independent performance figures were replaced by thinly disguised manufacturers claims.

+1. It’s why I stopped my magazine subscriptions, too.

[Bustaspoke]

Up until the 1990s I always bought at least two bike magazines and/or papers every month. But as the road test content became meaningless and predictable I found I could no longer get useful facts or comparisons. Journalistic accuracy was replaced by laziness and meaningful independent performance figures were replaced by thinly disguised manufacturers claims. Finally the immature writing style of articles drove me away completely.

Mostly the same here,I would occasionally buy a copy of what was my favourite magazine (Bike) when they had a racing feature,really enjoyed Team Bike's campaigns in World Endurance & some of the 'lifestyle' stuff,but reviews became less & less relevant.I think the journo's got influenced by the Hunter S Thompson Gonzo style of reporting Fair enough when your'e doing a travel or lifestyle piece,but not what I want in a review.

[Whysub]

Does anyone read a bike test now before buying a bike?

I find reading the posts on owner groups on f/book give more of a real world insight. That's where you hear all the long term niggles.

I used to, at least to initially sort the wheat from the chaff. Not done so for many years.

The reason I bought my NC750 was reading owners forums based in the UK, USA, Australia and here. Very few faults reported, and nothing common.

Still hate the way the hazard lights won't work unless the ignition is on. Plainly stupid if breaking down at night.

The ignition has to be on to put them on, then if you turn the ignition off they stay on.

Nope. The '23 model has the "lit indicators". Hazards only work with the ignition on.

The hazards on my 2006 X-Max work as I expected the NC's to work. Ignition on, hazards on, ignition off, hazards flashing.

Seems I would need to put in another switch, a relay, and wiring. Possibly four additional indicators. Stupid EU regs!