AMCA magazine

[T. Cotten]

I received Volume 64 Number 3 of the 'Antique Motorcycle' earlier this week. It is 82 pages which I leafed through and then put it on the shelf.

I keep my issues by the 'throne', Eric!

...Cotten

[chuckthebeatertruck]

There are two things which contribute strongly to the "direction" of our NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL magazine:

1) Whether members submit articles with quality photos
2) Whether there is sufficient advertising revenue to support the print run

The first thing is dependent on all of us as members. We'll only get out of the magazine what we put in. The editor is some what "stuck" filling in their own articles if there is not enough content. It is the bane of all club/chapter magazine/newsletter editors.

The second is dependent on whether advertisers see value in the magazine and membership. Generally, the broader the base, the more advertising you can sell. If the magazine is totally devoted to true antique bikes say prior to 1919; then the number of advertisers will drop accordingly as the market and the base is smaller. The end result would be a death spiral and a greatly diminished magazine.

Balance of articles is the key and whilst you may dislike David Edwards and the old Cycle World -- he's pretty darn easy to talk to (via email) and pretty open to suggestions. He also will edit your copy into something professional. You can easily transfer articles AND pictures to him using a gmail account and google drive -- which is FREE to use. Just remember, he's not an "employee" of the Club in a traditional sense -- he's one of us with a particular skill set and he'll get back to you in a couple of weeks, not hours.

Therefore, if you have a gripe and want to see something different -- then WRITE THE ARTICLE. Don't say it "can't be done" or that you "don't know how." Edwards has his email listed twice in the magazine. Just reach out. You can also consider an "article" like Ted Borman shares 6 times a year -- an extended photo essay. Then, it's a matter of quality images that tell your story. Our modern cell phones make this a lot easier than in the days of film!

It really is that easy and, yes, I've done it myself. Recently, too.

Usually, the reply gripe to my suggestion to write the article follows along the lines of: "well, I"m not a writer." That's OK. If you have trouble writing -- why don't you ask another member if they will help you with your article. There's a lot of folks who will help -- but not if you don't ask. And, if you "don't know enough" -- what does that actually mean? Does it mean you know a lot more than the average person but less than your mentor/hero? If so; you still have a lot to share and, if you're right that young folks don't know anything . . .than you'd be doing the club and young people a service by sharing.

[chuckthebeatertruck]

...disc brake(s) are my personal definition

Disc brakes were available on Douglas Motorcycles in 1923 and used by Douglas for the TT races in 1926.

A lot of what we consider: "modern" technology was tried and in many cases offered for several seasons by major makers between 1900 and 1925. The first 25 years of motorcycling in the 20th century were a hot bed of creativity.

[41craig]

So,...

What's two or three decades of this magazine worth in hardcopy, Folks? (Too big and heavy to haul to D-port..)

My dues only serve me to access this forum; The mag gets brief attention before stacked in the 'reading room'.

Sorry I got back to ascribed topic,

...Cotten

I put my old my old AMCA mags on Ebay and got 99 cents. I got more for my old chopper mags. It was worth the money to free up my closet space!

[Rubone]

I have decades of new still in the mailer club magazines. For years I paid for two full memberships, one for me and one for my wife. I only opened one but got two. They are available but only as a lot. Not even sure of starting and stopping dates without digging them out.

[Speeding Big Twin]

I read a lot of articles in The Antique Motorcycle. For example in the current issue the story by Greg Williams was of particular interest to me because my first bike was a Triumph Twenty-One. In that story I even learnt a few things I did not know before.

Also interesting were the articles beginning on pages 32 and 42.
Eric

[exeric]

Received the July/August Vol.64 No.4 of 'The Antique Motorcycle' magazine the other day. I always appreciate the effort that goes into making that a reality for us AMCA members, but an old grouch can't not complain. The Oley coverage was good, but is it really necessary to devote 2 (two) full color pages (pages 38,39) to a close-up of a 1962 panhead gas tank? I know it's arty-farty to do that in photojournalism, but those 2 pages could have been divided into 8 pictures of motorcycles that were at Oley. Oley gets some of the best looking antique motorcycles in the world, and anyone could throw a rock and easily hit one or take pictures of many bikes at that place. . . Personally, I want to see pictures of the gorgeous motorcycles that members bring to our National meets.