What bikers REALLY want to read

[Bob]

Now I've been running the news pages for a fair time now (does anyone remember how long? I've forgotten and it'd be nice to do something for the 1st birthday). I was talking to a couple of current and former writing types and the subject came up of "Does the public get the biking press it deserves?"

So I looked at the top 10 'most read' items in the News Forum:

1. Britney Spears gives husband motorcycle
2. Tax bikes and scooters off the road *
3. ACC's new website *
4. Worlds most powerful production motorcycle makes European debut
5. TVR planning bike range
6. Driver ignores biker on car hood
7. Biker shot dead after collision
8. Honda studying airbags for bikes
9. Tomb Raider star BUYS Brutale
10. NZ Biker escapes tsunami on motorbike *

If you take out the three NZ specific items in there (*), just bubbling
under the top 10 are:

11. Mob kills motorcycle theif
12. Mobile call at bikers funeral... from beyond the grave
13. Triumph posts loss

Now I'm sure this says something... but I'm not sure what!

The top 2 items are streets ahead in terms of views of the article... so we're obviously very keen on Britney and against tax... or is that taxing Britney?

All thoughts appreciated!

[6Chris6]

Naked Britney seen on a scooter would have to be No1!

Your input here is much appreciated Bob, keep up the good work

[toads]

personally I am always keen to read anything pertaining to bikes, not particularly interested in what celebrities buy or wear or not!, but then I'm a realist!
I choose to read in order of preference, bike related news with regard firstly to new zealand, then about makes and models of bikes that I would like to own and so on, and then general reading about bikes that I am not interested in particularly but just want to be informed about for the sake of reading.

[SPORK]

I think it comes down to what people have been posting in the threads. Some people will read them, but whether they post or not determines if more people will read it (more replys, more interesting).

So I guess you could argue that the reason that those articles have more views is because people will be going back to read what other people have been saying. I know for a fact the the Brittany Spears thread went far off topic, and ended up as a Monty Python thread. So that's probably why it got right up there.


Just my opinion

[Waylander]

I just read what looks interesting to me havent read the Britny Spears thing cause i hate that slutty bitch. Anyway if there is something on here peaple dont like they dont have to read it. But maybe there should be some more stuff about bikes and bikers that isnt bad.

[moko]

You know my answer Bob,same style as the old UMG,for kiwi bikers who didnt get it it was a bike mag full of reports written by everyday bikers put together by some obnoxious Welsh git with a severe attitude problem.Pretty anarchic it had everything from tales of illegality,total bullshit to some well-written stuff.What it never was was boring,somehow lasted for 10 years without any advertising at all and a shit rep with the bike trade,which the editor took an almost psychotic delight in trashing in every issue.He also went very near to slandering one of Britain`s top bike journos on a regular basis,all his allusions being found true by the drugs squad in 2 countries incidentally.

[Hitcher]

Bob

Apart from noting that bikers, like other news readers, are attracted to weirdness and celebrities, I don't think it's possible to make sensible predictions using a rear-vision mirror.

Keep the news coming. People read it and mostly enjoy it.

Well done that man!