From One Enthusiast To Another
From One Enthusiast to Another
UP FRONT
Mark Hoyer
THERE ARE SOME SEATS IN THIS Business that trade hands only about as frequently as that of the Pope. Editor-in-Chief of Cycle World is one of them. First off, Em definitely not suggesting that there is anything papal about the position, just that the EIC chair doesn’t flip very often and that anybody in this religion we call motorcycling would love to give it a try. Which, among many reasons, is why I feel so honored to have it now. From the time I picked up my first copy of Cycle World in 1982 as a 13-year-old kid, I have counted on it as the source of definitive information about the best of everything on two wheels. Weird thing was that I already knew how to touch-type by then and, like everybody, thought working at the magazine would be the coolest job in the world-even if I had yet to get my driver’s license! After 10 years working here, typing more words than I ever thought possible and riding more bikes in more places than I'll ever remember, I can say this: It is absolutely the best job in the world.
Taking over from David Edwards after a decade of learning and guidance is also an honor. ETis 25 years at the mag (with 21 of them in the top chair!) meant we all benefited from his intelligence, insight and judgment. During his tenure, David not only maintained the original vision of quality and integrity CW founder Joe Parkhurst established in 1962, he elevated it.
“As I depart Cycle World after a quarter-century, I’m inundated with a kaleidoscope of memories-places ridden, people met, motorcycles tested, events attended, races run,” says David. “The magazines that resulted are the best scrapbook a man ever had. To the readers who made it all possible, I say a heartfelt thanks for your support. Putting out a publication that 300,000 of you found an indispensable part of your lifestyle has been my pleasure and privilege. If I’ve done my job correctly and hired the best people for the job-as I believe I have-you should hardly miss me at all. But I will surely miss you. It’s been a helluva ride these past 25 years. Thanks for buying the gas.”
We all thank you, David, for being the enthusiast’s enthusiast, for never compromising and for leaving a legacy of quality and vision we all plan to carry forward.
Because while we are cognizant of and indebted to our past, we are 100 percent dedicated to the future. And our future is you, the enthusiast. In fact, we are you. So we strive not only to reflect your desires, but also to guide them entertainingly and honestly through the morass of unqualified “stuff” that masquerades as information out there in this increasingly digital age. And so our enthusiasm for motorcycling evolves with the culture and therefore so must Cycle World. “Editing” the noise in the two-wheel world is more important than ever due to the sheer, overwhelming volume of information, most of it very distant from the satisfying reality provided by the insight and experience Cycle World represents. This means we now strive to deliver the best of CW and our sport to wherever you may come across us, from a 140-character Twitter post to our iPhone app (called, what else, “Best of Cycle World”) to the weekly radio show to the latest breaking news on www.cycleworld.com to the grandest features and most beautiful photos we can craft for the magazine you hold in your hands now.
It is because of this that we all look forward with huge excitement to discovering and delivering everything you need to know about motorcycles.
It doesn’t hurt our effort that, as a staff, we bring several lifetimes of hands-on engagement with the machinery we love best, a wealth of experience and immersion in motorcycling that is unmatched in this business. Fleck, Senior Editor Paul Dean (himself a former EIC and the one who handed over the reigns to David in 1989) alone has a couple lifetimes of experience! For my part, I am fortunate to inherit these people, this group of united individuals I have worked with and respected from Day One.
But one of the fondest memories of all? I was lucky enough to meet Joe Parkhurst in 1999. My office was then shared with our archives, and Joe was researching for a book he planned to write. Aside from our obvious common interests in motorcycling and CW, it turns out he was a jazz drummer and as much of a “transportation enthusiast” as I am. So we also talked music, cars, boats and aircraft, and generally diverted each other from the actual work we were trying to accomplish. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. As we talked more, I asked him about the early days and what his guiding principles were for the magazine at the beginning. Joe’s words echoed the advice he shared with David for his first Up Front column (an appropriate title I intend to keep).
“Use a shotgun instead of a rifle. Fan out: As long as it has two wheels, cover it. Cycle World was always meant to be a magazine devoted to all motorcycles, with no restrictions. Communicate that devotion to the reader. Be honest, thorough and objective, and never be afraid to be critical. Be sophisticated, but remember that you still have to have fun.”
Joe, seen at left, died in December, 2000, but remained-just like everyone at CW who came after him and the millions of people over nearly 50 years who have read this magazine-an enthusiast’s enthusiast.
So from one enthusiast to another, I am honored to ride with each and every one of you.
