Motorcycle (magazine)

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motorcycle
Logo of motorcycle
Area of ​​Expertise motorcycles
language German
publishing company Verlag Motor Presse Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG ( Germany )
First edition 4th October 1903
Frequency of publication biweekly
Sold edition 85,725 copies
( IVW 2/2020)
Widespread edition 87,076 copies
( IVW 2/2020)
Editor-in-chief Michael Pfeiffer
editor Paul Pietsch
Web link motorradonline.de
ISSN 0027-237X

The magazine Motorcycle (proper spelling: MOTORCYCLE ) is a popular magazine for motorcyclists and enthusiasts. With a sold circulation of 85,725 copies (according to IVW 2/2020) it is, according to its own statements, Europe's largest consumer magazine for this target audience. It is published fortnightly by the Motor Presse Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG publishing house , which also publishes the motorcycle-related titles PS , Motorrad Classic and Fuel (magazine) . Michael Pfeiffer is the editor-in-chief.

A unique selling point of the paper is the detailed tests of the motorcycles in individual, comparison and long-term tests over several tens of thousands of kilometers ( test and technology section ). Other sections include service, second-hand purchases, on the go (with travel descriptions and tips), magazine and sport .

history

On October 4th, 1903, the first edition of Das Motorrad was published in the Wroclaw printing and publishing house Paul Förster - the illustrated magazine for the general interests of motorcyclists, from 1907 under the title Der Motor - community organ for motorcycles and motor vehicles . With the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the magazine was discontinued.

After several unsuccessful attempts at revival, the Berlin publishing house Georg Koenig took over the title Das Motorrad in 1920 . The magazine experienced a boom under the direction of Paul Friedmann. In 1929 the frequency of publication was changed from biweekly to weekly.

In 1933 Das Motorrad was also subject to the National Socialist “ Gleichschaltung ”; Dipl.-Ing. Because of his Jewish origins, Paul Friedmann was replaced as editor-in-chief by Gustav Müller, who was loyal to the regime . Three and a half years after the start of World War II , on March 20, 1943, the title was discontinued. Instead, subscribers received the Deutsche Kraftfahrt published by NSKK , which formally combined the DDAC-Motorwelt, the Allgemeine Automobilzeitung (AAZ) as well as Motor und Sport - one of the forerunners of car, motor and sport - and appeared until 1944.

In 1949 Paul Pietsch , co-founder of Motor Presse Stuttgart , bought the rights to the title Das Motorrad for 3,000 German marks ; The first edition appeared in the same year, and a total of ten editions appeared in 1949. In the following year the publishing house moved from Freiburg im Breisgau to Stuttgart ; initially Gustav Müller was again editor-in-chief until his death in 1949, from 1950 Carl Hertweck . In 1951 the frequency of publication was changed from “twice a month” to “fortnightly”. In 1954, from issue 11, the title changed to Das Motorrad + der Scooter - but only until the end of 1954. With 60,000 issues, the circulation reached a new dimension. In 1958 Siegfried Rauch took over the editor-in-chief, which he held until 1976 - so he had this position longer than any other editor-in-chief since 1949; Hertweck switched to the Scope Journal - one of the first key figure journals on the German market.

From the end of the 1950s, the West German motorcycle industry was generally in a crisis, as many drivers now wanted to upgrade to more comfortable cars. The circulation of Das Motorrad reached a low of 30,000 copies that lasted until the mid-1960s.

In 1969, modern four-stroke four - cylinder , especially the Honda CB 750 Four , and the film Easy Rider triggered a new motorcycle boom. In 1976 Motorrad achieved a record circulation of 250,000 copies , now without the article in the title.

Other editors-in-chief were Helmut Luckner (1976–1983), Karl Maurer (1983–1985), Hans Joachim Nowitzki (1985–1989), Friedhelm Fiedler (1989–1996) and Walter Gottschick (until 1999).

Since 1997 the magazine has also been on the Internet with its website .

Motorcycle of the year

Once a year, the magazine determines the “motorcycle of the year” with the help of its readers. In 2017, readers choose their favorites from a preselection in the following categories: Tourers / Sports Tourers, Athletes, Chopper / Cruiser, Enduros / Supermoto, Crossover, Naked Bikes, Modern Classics, 125cc and scooters.

April fools

The magazine traditionally prints a few April Fools' jokes on the news page of its first April issue each year . Most of the time, some of them seem credible at first and only become recognizable through other, obviously absurd messages. In the issue of March 28, 2008, it was stated that there was a new tire profile spray that creates a new rubber layer on worn tires.

In 2007, the message that motorcycles would have to have four rear-view mirrors in the future was even adopted and printed by various daily newspapers.

Web links