Motorsport Aftermarket Group Acquires The Cycle News Brand

You remember that Cycle News, a printed weekly motorcycle newspaper for more than 40 years ceased publication August 31, 2010. Motorsport Aftermarket Group (MAG), a family of leading brands and businesses in the motorsport industry, announced today that it has acquired the Cycle News brand. In addition to acquiring the name brand, MAG also announced the hiring of Paul Carruthers to return to his position as Editor of Cycle News. In the press releasr, no mention was made about how MAG intends to relaunch Cycle News, if there will be a print edition or just an online presence. As far as I know, it’s the first time that MAG invests in the publishing business. The MAG companies include Performance Machine, Vance & Hines, Kuryakyn, Mustang Seats, Burly Brand, etc.

7 Responses to “Motorsport Aftermarket Group Acquires The Cycle News Brand”


  1. 1 Pitbull Nov 23rd, 2010 at 6:24 pm

    MAG is like the China of Motosports industries, what will they buy next.

  2. 2 Ken. Hubbard Nov 23rd, 2010 at 6:38 pm

    MAG is a financial enterprise. They know nothing about the motorcycle industry. They are there to make money and will end up destroying all companies in which they took a participation by controling all their decisions and making the wrong ones. MAG bought the Cycle News name, not the business. The business was in deep, worth nothing. Intangible assets (the name Cycle News) has no much value anymore because the print business is dead forever, and Cycle News doesn’t know how to do online business. Some do it better since many years. I bet MAG paid almost nothing for the name, just what they think the website address is worth when reselling it on auction when Cycle News website will also fail to attract any money. MAG knows nothing about online business.

  3. 3 Windy Nov 24th, 2010 at 8:33 am

    Ken, are you an employee of MAG? I was for many years, and can tell you they are a great company (and yes the top guys ride). Ask anyone who works for a company MAG owns, they bring resources and knowledge, not destruction.

    PS: All companies are in business to make money. If they don’t make money, they are out of business.

  4. 4 Sam Nov 24th, 2010 at 10:59 am

    Just because some executive rides, it doesn’t make him a biker. I drive fast, does that make me a race car driver?

  5. 5 mike corbin Nov 29th, 2010 at 5:13 pm

    I hope this gives Cycle News a way to live on..

  6. 6 Jim Gianatsis / FastDates.com Nov 29th, 2010 at 6:05 pm

    Cycle News is an advertising revenue gold-mine when all the motorcycle manufacturers are selling new bikes, and trying to out shine each other by running 2-page race win and new model bike ads.

    It all ended 2 years ago when the economy crashed and new bike sales dropped 80% and all their advertising money dried up.
    They had to close the doors at Cycle News. Subscribers only pay for the postage to mail out the publication, not the actual publication costs of staff, building overhead, travel, contributors and printing.

    We’d certainly like to see Cycle News return. But with all the product companies owned by the MAG group also still suffering from the economy and seeing huge sales losses, there is certainly some reason why MAG would now purchase and start back up a failed publication.

    One good possibility, they could model Cycle News after England’s very successful MCN Motorcycle News and cover the entire enthusiast and business world of motorcycling, not just dirt bikes and roadracing like Cycle News only did . The MAG needs to broaden its audience, market and success. Bringing back editor Carruthers could only be a short term solution to start the publication back up

    The other possibility, perhaps more likely and not as good, the MAG Group will use Cycle News to showcase their different product lines, much like Parts Magazine and Drag magazines showcase the product lines of Parts Unlimited and Drag Specialities. This of course, would be unfortunate for the consumer, and competing product manufacturers, dealers and the buying public.

    Freedom of the press and getting a balanced coverage of products and events requires the media to be independent.
    Advertisers already influence too much of the reporting and news in the motorcycle industry. When that media is owned my a mega company looking to promote only its own product lines in a difficult economy, everyone else is sure to suffer even more.

    Jim Gianatsis / Former Cycle News Editor

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