First of all let me say I like bikes... especially Harleys. My love affair with Harley-Davidson goes back a good many years. Love at first sight it was, or maybe love at first sound would be more accurate. The fact is, I like everything about them. I like the way they look...l like the way they sound...I even like the way they smell after a long run.
I remember my first ride (how can you forget) and after that the realization that Harley motorcycles are truly things of beauty. Raw, throbbing, gleaming icons of unspeakable POWER. I was in awe. And you know what? I still am. I suppose that makes me a very easy person to please in the biker magazine literary review department.
Over the years, I've realized that I'm not alone in my infatuation with these gorgeous machines. I suspect you'd agree with me when I say that pictures are super important in any Biker Magazine. Hot bikes + Good Photos + Great Content = Great Biker Magazine ... end of. Of course, articles about Harley shovelheads or knuckleheads immediately get my attention.
So to make things simple, I have divided biker magazines into two categories. First there are the ones my wife let's me leave around the house. And second, there are the ones I tend to look at in my buddy Zeke's garage. I have nothing against great looking biker women in scanty attire. But in the best interests of my 10 year old, wifey and I have an agreement - Biker Magazine and one or two others stay at Zeke's - if ya know what I mean.
Lastly, I am partial to good event coverage, with pictures galore of course, and the occasional product review. Biker shows, biker clubs, and biker ralleys interest me more than an article about say, "How to Stop Your Panhead Leaking Oil. " But that's just me. Ok, now that I've got that off my chest...let's get right into these Hot Biker Magazine reviews.
American Iron Magazine
If you like motorcycles...and I mean *American* motorcycles then "American Iron Magazine" could be the best biker magazine in print. You won't find loads of nekid chicks on the pages of American Iron, but you will find highly detailed tech content, excellent product reviews, and plenty of terrific looking scoots. Good mix of custom and older bikes with the emphasis on everyday rides. Simply put, this is a magazine for people who like to ride Harleys.
A friend summed it up quite nicely the other day. "There are two things in this life I would never sell he said, my 57' Les Paul and my 84' Softail". A nice sentiment I thought. A sentiment that certainly carries over to the pages of "American Iron".
V-Twin Magazine
V-Twin breaks new ground by moving outside the Harley Davidson market and devoting more pages to v-twins by other manufacturers as well. Superb looking choppers powered by the likes of Honda,Kawasaki, and others grace the pages of their hefty (170 page +) magazine. My friend Charley thinks anyone who paints an American flag on a Yamaha should be in therapy. Perhaps, but I can't fault the excellent craftsmanship and sleek looking lines on some of these metrics.
Good product reviews, v-twin trends and informative product guide complete the package. If you like bikes... I think you'll like this magazine. A little lean in the tech department, but they more than make up for it with terrific pictures. Two thumbs up.
Easyriders Magazine
One look at the cover will tell you that this is another publication we keep over at Zeke's. In my single days, I always kept a copy or two on the bathroom shelf for those occasions when I needed to sit and read. There's no shortage of great looking bikes on the pages of Easyriders. And if your magazine reading experience is enhanced by stunning biker chicks lounging on polished chrome or perched provocatively from a pair of ape hangers, who am I to argue? Didn't I say I was easy to please?
What you'll find here is great looking scooters with a little something extra. I'll go out on a limb here and say that Easyriders Magazine does the bike + babes thing better than anyone. Tasteful - not trashy. Good tech articles and the bike layouts (no pun intended) are well represented. Thumbs up on this one!
Street Chopper
Add a little downtube stretch, rake the neck, throw in a little jackshaft modification and voila'...you got a chopped bike. It's hard to believe it's just a fad. Fueled by the popularity of Discovery Channel's "American Chopper" and "West Coast Choppers", chopped bikes are definitely here to stay. Zeke fondly refers to them as "dig me" bikes...coined after the reaction some folks expect after pulling into their local watering hole on one of these creations.
I have nothing against chopped bikes, my only criticism is that the magazine seems a little lean on content especially after perusing the jam-packed pages of "American Iron" and "Easyriders". If you like bikes that look like works of art, "Street Chopper Magazine" should fit the bill nicely.
