Cycle World Articles
News
Cycle World sold to Bonnier
Cycle World has been sold to Bonnier Corp — the publisher of titles like PopSci and Field & Stream — it was announced earlier today. The sale should mean stability for the brand, which bounced from Lagardère SCA to Hearst earlier this year, and hopefully a fresh infusion of capital. Bonnier plans to retain CW staff, including editor Mark Hoyer and vp Andy Leisner while rolling the brand into ...
30 September 2011
News
Cycle World for sale, again
Two sources with inside knowledge of the deal, who prefer to remain anonymous, have confirmed to us that Cycle World is for sale yet again. Albeit quietly. We’ve reached out to Cycle World to confirm this and have yet to hear back. The magazine was only acquired by its current owner, Hearst, last month. Being sold on again so soon is a sign which many will read as ominous. Why should you care? T...
15 June 2011
News
Cycle World sold to Hearst
Hearst has completed the much-rumored purchase of Lagardère SCA’s international publishing wing, acquiring 102 publications in 15 countries including Cycle World, Car and Driver and Road & Track. Hearst paid $889 million in the deal, the crown jewel of which is women’s fashion title Elle (1.1 million readers a month). At 310,971 readers, Cycle World claims the largest circulation of any print...
31 January 2011
News
Eric Bostrom and JD Beach on racing Kawasakis at Daytona, learning to swim and the trouble with healthcare
Flying to New York straight from their first test at Daytona with Team Cycle World Attack Performance last week, Eric Bostrom and JD Beach took the time to take me out for Sushi. We talked about racing on a banked NASCAR track, the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R, Eric’s gnarly leg injury (gross pic below!) and a new era of motorcycle performance. In an age of over-managed athletes, it’s nice to know the...
26 January 2011
The Dark Side: moto-journalism in the age of the Internet
So, Mr. Editor Siler says to write us something about the good old days, y'know, when PR accounts were flush and motorcycle magazine editors were plied with heaping mounds of cocaine and rows of leggy high-class hookers. Sorry, Wes, nothing nearly that sordid, though things did get kinda ugly in a Rome clipjoint once when I refused to pay $300 for a demi of cheap champagne, a plate of ladyfingers ...
08 November 2010
News
Cycle World fires “Song of the Sausage Creature” art director
It’s ironic, but Hell For Leather seems to be the publication of record for any items involving print motorcycle magazines these days, i.e. the whole "Dexter Chronicles" affair and the busted Kawasaki ZX-10R embargo. So the following may be of interest. Elaine Anderson, Cycle World's longtime art director, is no longer with the magazine, a move lost in all the recent firings and bloodletting at ...
21 October 2010
Readers come to Hell For Leather’s rescue
Last night we were accused of surreptitiously obtaining an unreleased copy of Cycle World in order to enact some sort of dastardly plan to break the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R’s embargo and pin it on someone else. The phrase “fell off the back of a truck” was actually used. Irked by this accusation, we posted a quick request for help on Facebook at 1:20 am. Within minutes, we were flooded with i...
29 September 2010
2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R leaks in Cycle World
Looks like Cycle World has gone ahead and published embargoed information and images of the 2011 Kawasaki ZX-10R ahead of the model's official unveiling on October 5. Even more images below. Update: we've just spoken to Kawasaki who say CW's 200hp claim is only an estimate. The company hasn't arrived at an official horsepower number yet as it's still trying to finalize the arrangement of the exha...
28 September 2010
News
Buell Barracuda 2: what could have been
Making 11bhp more and weighing a full 20 pounds less, this fully-faired superbike was intended to replace the The Buell Barracuda 2 was supposed to be the Buell that we'd finally not have to make excuses for. Dropping the weight to 355lbs (161kg) dry would have made it about 22lbs lighter than the Ducati 1198, making up for the power deficit: 157bhp and 82lb-ft...
28 March 2010