Kiwi Rider

[James Deuce]

Big Dave - Nice reviews in the latest issue. Time for a palace coup - Big Dave for editor!

But seriously, once the printers sort their stuff out KR is going to be a seriously good looking publication. The quality of the content seems to have lifted to go with the format change too.

Good work all round.

Still give Bike Mart to the kids though :)

[John]

But seriously, once the printers sort the stuff out KR is goignto be a seriously good looking publication. The quality of the content seems to have lifted to go with the format change too.


I'm going to agree totally with you I always make sure I pick up the latest edition and I always read it more than once I love it :drinkup:

[sels1]

!
But seriously, once the printers sort their stuff out KR is going to be a seriously good looking publication. The quality of the content seems to have lifted to go with the format change too.

Yep, its not a bad read




!
Still give Bike Mart to the kids though :)

Mine goes to a bloke at works kids

[Lou Girardin]

I'd still prefer fewer pages on chicken chasers.

[RON SOAK]

I'd still prefer fewer pages on chicken chasers.

CHOOK. the antipodean word is CHOOK. aint no place fr stinkin chickens in this neck a the woods. :nono:

[Big Dave]

Big Dave - Nice reviews in the latest issue. Time for a palace coup - Big Dave for editor!

But seriously, once the printers sort their stuff out KR is going to be a seriously good looking publication. The quality of the content seems to have lifted to go with the format change too.

Good work all round.

Still give Bike Mart to the kids though :)

Editor - oh no thanks - too much heat on that chair for me, and Nash doesn't do anything i tell him. ;-)

But thank you very much.

Publisher vege and i met with the printers yesterday and have a good plan to lift the quality further. Printing issues aside i was very pleased with the design - it's close to how i 'imagined' it.
Osborne's and Lou Vincent's photography is really excellent and the new style does it justice.

Contents-wise we have some good news too. The well respected (until you get to know him) Dean 'deano' Priestley is coming on board as dirt writer, which although won't make Loueys chook chaser day, it means that the 'road' team will have more time for research and testing and hanging around in bars.

Don't think I'm giving away any trade secrets, but the plan is to bind the Bike mart (still on news print) into the back of the KR if it can be done economically - which will take it to around 300 pages for your 'tener'. It will get away from the plastic bag thing too.

And then once we get all that sorted it's on to tackle the OS market and let more than the ex-pats know how good it is to ride here.

Very encouraging to receive your feedback.
Thank you again.

[Motu]

Um,call me a thicko - but what has changed? I read the words and look at the pictures...is it some arty farty thing you have done?? The content is fine by me,always has been - I'm in the minority on this site,but not maybe for the mags market....I'll read a road test on the VRod and then turn to the Husaberg test,I can understand what each tester is saying and know what they mean,both bikes interest me,but I won't buy one.The Odd Couple was interesting,I like that - take two bikes out of their element and see how they go....obvious,we all do it,but to write about it is good.

[SPman]

Im with Motu here. While being a road rider, Im a closet off- roader/adventure rider, so its good to know whats going on in these areas.
Lets face it, there are probably far more chook-chaser riders in NZ than road riders.

[Big Dave]

Um,call me a thicko - but what has changed? I read the words and look at the pictures...is it some arty farty thing you have done?? The content is fine by me,always has been - I'm in the minority on this site,but not maybe for the mags market....I'll read a road test on the VRod and then turn to the Husaberg test,I can understand what each tester is saying and know what they mean,both bikes interest me,but I won't buy one.The Odd Couple was interesting,I like that - take two bikes out of their element and see how they go....obvious,we all do it,but to write about it is good.


You are a thicko. - happy?
It's bigger - A4
It's perfect bound rather than stapled
It's on better paper stock and cover.

Artsy wise (my dept)
New masthead and cover style.
The overall style of the layout has been much simplified to improve legibility and to lessen the likelihood of error.
Fewer, but much larger photographs.
Attention to picture captions and defined a style for placement of images.
Improved typography and less fonts - legibility primary consideration.
'Navigation' on pages.
Alignment of page items.
templated format for tests.
Some concessions to blank space for style.
and more but you get the drift.

Now pay attention!

[Motu]

Oh.........

[Big Dave]

Oh.........

it's all right mate - in what i do - no news is good news.
you don't notice good design till you concentrate on it.
bad design is obvious.

[riffer]

Hi Dave,

my $0.02 from checking out the new style mag.

Most impressed with the general layout and style so no bitches there.

My main problem was the pics.

The scanner operator has set them up for newspaper printing.

The UCR settings have been set up for what looks to be about a maximum of 50% of C, M and Y, with the black making up the majority of the shadows. Which would have been okay, except as you know, when you allow for dot gain on newspaper then print on a coated stock you get the problem of really washed out colours.

I would suggest you talk to the scanner operator about the pics. Are they supplying them as .tifs with the UCR done already or are they supplied as .EPS files (or maybe even DCS EPS's). If they are, they could look okay but the transfer curves could still be set up to allow for newspaper dot gain.

Get the pics sorted and the mag will look top-notch.

Keep up the good work :niceone:

[Jantar]

Years ago I was a regular reader of Kiwi Rider, but then quality of the articles seemed to be lacking and the bike tests developed a "sameness". I am now a firm fan of the opposition - Bike Rider Magazine.

However, is there a website where I can peruse Kiwi Rider and see these improvements you talk about?

[Sensei]

$10 was alittle steep tho . But good read . Be better when some of our bikes are in there :wait:

[Big Dave]

Hi Dave,

my $0.02 from checking out the new style mag.

Most impressed with the general layout and style so no bitches there.

My main problem was the pics.

The scanner operator has set them up for newspaper printing.

Get the pics sorted and the mag will look top-notch.

Keep up the good work :niceone:


Thank you very much - If i didn't know better I would make the same comment - but we don't have a scanner or operator - it's 100% shot on (mostly cannon) digital.

We've got our dot gain and distiller settings correct too - your dissatisfaction is an issue at the printing press - we met with them on Thursday and have identified a process to further improve the results. I knew it would take an issue or two to 'bed in'.

But appreciate the call - I'm still quite proud of the results and the improvements we are making and will continue to make.

chz

[Big Dave]

Years ago I was a regular reader of Kiwi Rider, but then quality of the articles seemed to be lacking and the bike tests developed a "sameness". I am now a firm fan of the opposition - Bike Rider Magazine.

However, is there a website where I can peruse Kiwi Rider and see these improvements you talk about?


Good for you - Glen is a good man and you see a number of adverts I have created in that publication too.

I have 2 web sites slated for construction and will then build something for KR. At the moment revenue is concentrated on the revamp of the print edition.

Meantime, 10 bucks at your news stand and there's lots of pictures of me - as well as numerous subjects and categories of NZ motorcycling not covered by BRM.

[Big Dave]

$10 was alittle steep tho . But good read . Be better when some of our bikes are in there :wait:


Bugger me - I'm going to storm into mackays office on monday and demand he run your piece - just to get my peaceful life back :yes:

I was actually going to talk to him about DCD sponsoring the readers rides page - but I'm starting to get worried you'll stalk me if you don't win :devil2:

[XTC]

One of the things I have liked about the last two issues is that when you look at the contents page and then go to the page you want the article that is supposed to be there is actually there.... well done guys n gals(are there any gals?)
Can still remember the issue with the XT660's went to the page that the R was sposed to be on and it was not there at all - was in the next issue tho :killingme

[riffer]

Sounds like a classic case of sending the contents section to the printers before the rest of it's finalised. Happens a lot with magazine work...

Interesting what you say about the pics being a printers problem Dave.

Especially when I look at the supplied adverts, which is suspect you are getting as .pdf's

There's definitely something awry in the distiller settings maybe then. Do you send the files to the printer as pdf's from your system?

If you want to discuss any of this either Skunk or I may be able to problem solve too, if the printer is no help.

Skunk's a photolithographer. I used to be - now I'm the Prepress Manager for the second-largest buyer of print in this country.

The article about the Steadman special in the May issue is my favourite so far. I'm fascinated by stuff like that...

[Sutage]

I thought it was a cool mag but too much offroad stuff, i dont care for it and dont want half my mag to be about it so probably wont buy it again, 5 bucks of my 10 bucks isnt getting read

[FROSTY]

Just a thought here dunno maybee totally outa line. Some of the threads posted by KBers would make really good KR articles I think.
A couple of road tests are really good and some ride reports are really exciting to read.

[Motu]

I thought it was a cool mag but too much offroad stuff, i dont care for it and dont want half my mag to be about it so probably wont buy it again, 5 bucks of my 10 bucks isnt getting read

Me too - I only buy Penthouse for the interesting articles,and more than half the bloody magazine is full of pictures I don't even look at!I'm sure one day someone will produce a NZ only Sports Bike magazine,it'll have a production run in the hundreds,not hundreds of thousands and to keep costs under $50 it will be printed on toilet paper (heh,heh) KR could drop the road section and still maintain readership,drop the dirt section and they'll sink.

[LB]

.
.

I definitely prefer the new paper.

I skim through Bike Mart, but really only for the road racing bits.

I only skim through the dirty stuff in KR.

But yes, it's certainly better in this format.

I do get better value from BRM, as it's all road stuff.

At this stage while Hamish's finances permit I'll be buying both publications.

.
.

[Yarg]

What I would like to know is: On the front cover an article amy be listed and a page refernece shown , but turning to that page you don't find that article.
EG May issue of kiwi Rider. Lists Adventure - Absolute beginners on page 176.
BUT page 176 is places to ride - yamaha raceway.
If you care to hunt the article on adventure is on page 182.
SO why can't the correct page numbers be shown onthe front cover?? is it too difficult or am I being over picky?? :ride:

[Big Dave]

SO why can't the correct page numbers be shown onthe front cover?? is it too difficult or am I being over picky?? :ride:


no you're not being over picky - we shall try and not do that again.
Yamaha raceway page was nice but, I laid that one out.