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Author Topic: Backup communication for Zero owners  (Read 2196 times)

Richard230

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Re: Backup communication for Zero owners
« Reply #30 on: March 18, 2018, 06:38:16 AM »

I just received my Cycle World issue "1", "2018" and have just looked at the cover so far.  I note that my subscription expiration date is no longer on the address sticker like it used to be.  Also, the cover price is now $12 each, which is the same as I occasionally pay for the British publication Bike at Barnes and Noble (unfortunately they never order enough copies and it sells out very fast), which is a much better and more interesting magazine. So whenever Cycle World stops coming to my mailbox, I am done with them - after 56 years of mostly enjoyable reading.
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Richard's motorcycle collection:  2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2020 KTM 390 Duke, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 (FZS1000N) and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.

Frank

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Re: Backup communication for Zero owners
« Reply #31 on: March 19, 2018, 08:52:33 AM »

They just moved to 4 issues per year according to the subscription card I just received.  I may also be done.
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wavelet

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Re: Backup communication for Zero owners
« Reply #32 on: March 19, 2018, 01:16:43 PM »

I just received my Cycle World issue "1", "2018" and have just looked at the cover so far.  I note that my subscription expiration date is no longer on the address sticker like it used to be.  Also, the cover price is now $12 each, which is the same as I occasionally pay for the British publication Bike at Barnes and Noble (unfortunately they never order enough copies and it sells out very fast), which is a much better and more interesting magazine. So whenever Cycle World stops coming to my mailbox, I am done with them - after 56 years of mostly enjoyable reading.
I haven't had any kind of print or digital subscription for a long time, but for quite a few years, I had a subscription to Motorcycle Consumer News (MCN) (*). They are 100% subscription supported, no ads at all, and it showed very clearly in their content... Their reviews were much more critical overall than other mags'.

Beyond having about 2x-3x the amount of actual content pages vs. any other magazine once you subtracted the ad pages, the content they did have was much more relevant. For one, a lot more objective details, for example, they pioneered giving full erogonomic measurements on their CycleStats page  (example), a full breakdown of what a standard maintenance interval includes & costs. They had a much more "actual rider, not motojournalist" focus, and it showed. In terms of types of bikes/riding covered, it was varied, but with probably more emphasis on standard road bikes, and a bit less on  hardcore sportbikes or offroad. They also had regular columns on several relevant subjects like "mental motorcycling" (written by a riding psychologist) and medical issues related to riding.

To keep costs down, they were black & white instead of color for many years as well, tho' I believe that's changed.

After a while, I stopped all other subscriptions, and even got it airmailed here when I returned to Israel.

I eventually got rid of all paid subscriptions -- no mag could remotely keep up with the Web; I don't know if they're still as good as they used to be, but worth checking out IMHO if you're still interested in a general-interest moto magazine.

(*) Not to be confused with the British magazine "Motorcycle News (MCN)".
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Richard230

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Re: Backup communication for Zero owners
« Reply #33 on: March 19, 2018, 08:20:30 PM »

I have saved every issue of Motorcycle Consumer News since their first issue dated November 1992 - after spending years as a Road Rider subscriber.  I still subscribe to and read the magazine.  They offer a free internet subscription to go with the print version I believe, but I can't stand reading anything long on my computer screen and much prefer a paper print version, which is also why I still subscribe to the local newspaper.  I might add that the other U.S. print motorcycle magazine that I like and subscribe to is Rider.

Coincidentally, I have also been a longtime subscriber to Popular Science and they just went to a quarterly format, with the same type of heavy paper and similar content as you now see in Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines. So it is definitely a print publishing trend and one that I do not appreciate.  >:(
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Richard's motorcycle collection:  2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2020 KTM 390 Duke, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 (FZS1000N) and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.

wavelet

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Re: Backup communication for Zero owners
« Reply #34 on: March 19, 2018, 09:06:19 PM »

I have saved every issue of Motorcycle Consumer News since their first issue dated November 1992 - after spending years as a Road Rider subscriber.  I still subscribe to and read the magazine.  They offer a free internet subscription to go with the print version I believe, but I can't stand reading anything long on my computer screen and much prefer a paper print version, which is also why I still subscribe to the local newspaper.  I might add that the other U.S. print motorcycle magazine that I like and subscribe to is Rider.
Oops, preachin' to the choir  :D  I also had a sub to Rider for a few years.

Quote
Coincidentally, I have also been a longtime subscriber to Popular Science and they just went to a quarterly format, with the same type of heavy paper and similar content as you now see in Cycle World and Motorcyclist magazines. So it is definitely a print publishing trend and one that I do not appreciate.  >:(

Print publishing is mostly dead, and I expect it to be fully dead in 10-15 years.
Potential customers aren't willing to pay for the physical distribution, and the lack of realtime information updates; a quaterly mag is beyond ridiculous on a subject lik motorcycles.

BTW, what's the issue you have with computer screens? there may be a tech solution (apologies if any of this is old hat):
-- If it's the seating position for reading, try a larger-format (10"-12") tablet.

-- If it's the luminous character of the display vs. reflective one of printed matter, try an OLED/AMOLED screen which has better contrast and no backlighting vs. standard IPS LCDs, so is less tiring (Samsung high- and mid-range tablets have AMOLED).
I waited nearly two years for a 8" e-ink reader solution (the 6" Amazon kindles are just too small for novels, IMO), expecting that standard-screen-tech tablets would be far too tiring. Eventually I gave up on an decent e-reader (several now exist), and bought a cheap tablet, and haven't looked back since; I easily read 8-10 hours of novels a day on it with no issues at all. For magazines, a larger screen is preferred.

-- Color e-ink hasn't been adopted yet (a few  attempts didn't get traction in the market), but if you're OK with monochrome, there are larger 10-13" e-ink e-readers, which are very easy on the eyes. Since you have a sub to MCN anyway, find a local acquaintance with such a device, and try reading an entire issue on it.
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