Editor’s Letter
Over the last few months you may have noticed that Ultimate MotorCycling indeed has a new logo. Just over a year ago we were Robb Report MotorCycling, but as part of the acquisition of the magazine by its founder, Arthur Coldwells, we were rechristened Ultimate MotorCycling to reflect the subtle shift in editorial direction.
Over the last few issues we have been upgrading various design elements-with thanks to Art Director Joe Viescas-and as someone who enjoys looking at the magazine as much as I do editing it, I am quite impressed by the results. As we have continued to evolve, it became clear to us that the legacy Robb Report-style masthead no longer represented our increasingly modern, streamlined approach, so we now present to you the culmination of our redesign project.
However, this 2010 model of Ultimate MotorCycling is not simply Bold New Graphics. We have been re-evaluating our editorial policy during this time, and have reconfirmed our commitment to our sport and its fantastic machinery. In the March issue, in addition to our four tests up-front (which we like to call Alchemy-some things haven’t changed), many of our features focus primarily on new motorcycles. The stories on the groundbreaking BMW S 1000 RR and Honda VFR1200F are extended tests, as these motorcycles did not fit into our testing template. We pride ourselves on being succinct, but we believe these two bikes required a bit more of your time to fully appreciate.
Shawn Pickett’s feature on the new Victory Cross Country doubles as both a bike test and a travel story, and we hope it inspires you to explore this fantastic country on two-wheels. We could have done a simple test on the Dirico Speedster, but there is so much more to tell about the story of Dirico-I think you will find Mike Schulte’s reporting on the motorcycle and the company that builds it to be an illuminating read.
Our surveys have told us that you would like to read more product evaluations. To that end, we have expanded our brief QuickShift Reviews up front and our more in-depth Gear Change test section in the rear. Even if you have not been in the market for a new motorcycle lately, we do know that our readers enjoy upgrading their apparel, as well as upgrading and personalizing the motorcycles they already own. We endeavor to facilitate those choices.
Some things at Ultimate MotorCycling will not change. Our editorial focus is still on the experience of riding. We work to provide you with unique information that is unavailable elsewhere, which is why we dedicate our pages to our many encounters with the motorcycle, rather than copying specs from a press kit. When a technical specification impacts your riding, rest assured we will tell you about it, but we will not bog you down with arcane jargon and marketing mumbo-jumbo. It is not about bucket-and-shims or valve-stem spring-rates for us-it’s about the ride.
As we welcome 2010 into our lives, we see that people are still riding motorcycles. I am happy to report that more people than ever are buying and subscribing to our magazine, and our existing subscribers are more loyal than ever. We have a few more things in store for you for 2010, so pull right up next to us and let’s throttle up!
