Posts
1189
Joined
9/1/2011
Location
FI
MBR
1/25/2018 1:57pm
1/25/2018 1:57pm
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2018 9:00am
The whole preface of the article is about how horrible is it that manufacturers actually try to do something different or special with their introductions. Second part is how their shootout is the only truth and how everyone else do really bad job with their shootouts and finally third part is actually the shootout. MXA seems to be the bitter old guy of MX media. https://motocrossactionmag.com/2018-motocross-action-450-shootout/
These shootouts are embarrassing and cringeworthy. Just look at the video on YouTube, that should be enough.
My sources for information on bikes are Vital, Keefer, Offroad Pro & Xracing(both finnish mags)
The Shop
As a side note, yes I'm an MXA fan, and I'm really glad they are still around after all these years.
MXA shootout: 6,891 words 38,759 characters total size - 2,541 words 14,062 characters of that is talking about how they test, why they don't like going to bike intros outside SoCal, who should read theres and why, along with dealing with media pr reps.
Vital Shootout: 24,214 words 129,840 characters total size - 1,180 words 6,521 characters of that is intro, dyno charts, and bike weights...then you dive right into opinions on the bike.
For taking so long to get it out...it doesn't offer as much detail as say ours or Keefers...especially since in either of ours we share our test rider's individual comments so you can see/hear how people differ in opinion. MXA's is what I term as a "we test"...we think this, we think that...
"We don't always agree."
I'm not saying their's isn't worth reading, unlike their stance on being the only ones that are right...
This is my take on it. MXA is still alive because of "older" people that still think it's the shit.
I can't see any other reason to it when there are obviously better publications.
In a magazine, you can only create so much content as there's a required content to ad ratio that print lives by. That's why some magazines have become so small...the amount of content they will publish is dictated by how many pages of ads they have to run in each issue. If they are running on a 60/40 ratio, for every 60 pages of content there needs to be 40 pages worth of ads. Our Shootout alone would eat up the majority of a magazine, especially if it was laid out with as many photos and charts as we use...
Other print publications choose to publish their shootouts online first, knowing that waiting to put them in print (few weeks delay of laying them out, printing, and mailing) murders the value it can reach with a much larger online audience. By example, our 450 Shootout currently has more onsite views than MXA even has subscribers for print. Video wise, on YouTube, ours has around 6.5 times as many views (nearly 240k) as their video does...we're nearly double the next closest outlet. This was also done with our channel having less than 1/10th the subscribers of MXA's channel on YouTube, 1/8th the amount of DirtBike's YouTube subscribers...and 1/23th of Transworld's channel.
I'm quite proud that our Shootout has been seen worldwide by over 300,000 people...including being hosted in a Finish and British motocross magazine.
The KX 300 X on the cover is bad ass.
Pit Row
They seem unbiased to me. (My most modern MX bike is a YZF, btw)
Not afraid to call a spade, a spade.
Their journalistic style and editorial content is a matter of personal taste.
Their stance and evaluation of air forks has been fairly prophetic. Most other publications were on the airfork band wagon. Ignoring the average rider. IMHO.
I like that they actually weigh the test bikes.
I like that they are open about weak spots, and fixes. (KTM foot peg springs, Husky clutch slave cylinders, for eg)
Their magazine app is below par, but I keep subscribing.
Viv la difference
Vitals shootouts are very well done as well, but to bust on guys that been doing tests for longer than most Vitards have been alive is just a bit weak. I realize that Jody has pissed in a lot of Wheaties bowls over the years,(particularly in the SoCa area) but MXA is still a good read, and experience is a great asset. Again.....just my opinion
For 2018 we remapped the Yamaha YZ450F and Kawasaki KX450F; put stiffer clutch springs in the KX450F, Suzuki RM-Z450 and Honda CRF450; raised the fork-oil height on the RM-Z450; put lower bar mounts on the YZ450F; added a higher-pressure radiator cap to the CRF450; ran a longer shock link on the RM-Z450; updated the KX450F chain guide to a TM Designworks chain guide; put a Husqvarna FC250 muffler on the FC450 to get rid of the restrictive ice-cream-cone baffles; and changed the gearing on virtually every bike to suit the tastes of test riders or the demands of the tracks."
Uhm... hmm..... ok. Whatever.
Given our druthers
It should be noted
My comments in this thread are more-or-less my own frustration with them labeling theirs as the most thorough, the most prestigious, etc...I like more of a transparent approach but that's my own opinion.
Was KTM even in the top 5 last Saturday night?
Post a reply to: Negative much? MXA sure comes out that way with their 450 shootout