2006 ZX10 in AMCN

Towards the front of this months AMCN is a picture of the 2006 ZX10R.
Biggest change in recent times is the exhaust exits from the belly pan. a la
GP style.
I've been looking everywhere on the net for the same picture but cant find
it.
If someone knows where the picture is can they post a link please or could
someone scan the pic from AMCN and email it to me? (I don't have a scanner
and am not a boffin).
TIA

 

it's an artist's impression

ck

 

Don't believe everything you read mate, it's someone's wildarse guess as
to what the next ZX10 will look like (and unlike the FZ1 guess I think
he's kidding himself)

JL

 

You mean the 2006 model is not yet in production? How about the 2007?

Theo

 

no, I mean it is an artist's impression as the article clearly states

ck

 

X-No-archive: yes

Phew.... So it IS in production then?
Clem

 

only in an artistic sense

ck

 

What's with these "artist's impressions" making big stories in AMCN?
I've seen at least 4 of them in the last 6 months. It's a crock of
shit. Since when is a speculative photoshop job a major news item?
Don't these guys have anything better to write about? Surely enough of
each mag is already dedicated to new machines anyway.

 

And while I'm ranting, it seems to me the bike mag market here is
pretty immature compared to the UK. Most UK mags spend equal amounts of
time on new metal, second-hand metal, racing, destinations and riding
tips - whereas a lot of Aussie mags seem totally fixated on selling new
bikes and covering the racing scene.

Perhaps I'm an old fart at heart but it seems to me that Aus Roadrider
is one of the few that actually dedicate some pages to helping people
who aren't immediately looking for new wheels to enjoy what they've got
and improve their riding and road knowledge.

 

Hey Clemmo, get your own hook.

Theo

 

Thanks for the response.
I realise that it is only an artisits impression... thats why I wrote
"picture" instead of photograph.
I wasnt aware that it wasnt being produced though. I was under the
impression that this bike was the next ZX10 to be produced.. suppose I
should go and read the article properly.
Needless to say I would still like to get a copy of this picture for my
computer.. I dont have a scanner or I would do it myself.. anyone??

 

Given that (according to a journo on a british bike mag I conversed
with) they sell considerably more bike mags here in Oz than they do in
UK they must be doing something right (considered that greater London
alone has the same pop'n as Oz).

I think your opening couple of lines(1) identifies you as being squarely
in Aus Road Rider's demographic, hence I'm not at all surprised you
approve of their content and sneer at the other mags. Conversely I've
gone from buying everything, to only buying AMCN regularly and getting 2
wheels when it looks interesting and grabbing Cycle Torque at the bike
shop or Mt White when I think of it (so I probably get one in two) and
occasionally buying a UK mag.

JL
(1) That'd be the "old fart" comment not the "while I'm ranting"
comment, although both probably apply equally well

 

Oi! It is not compulsory that one be an old fart to appreciate the
value of a quality publication like Australian Road Rider.

Moike

(which reminds me, my subscription has run out!)

 

No, it's just an amazing coincidence that most of their readers are, hey ?

JL

 

I buy maybe one glossy mag a year. I have a sub to the Moto Guzzi National
Owners Club mag. Runs to 36 pages a month but tends to be a bit biased
towards one brand. I have a life-time subscription (as you do) so can't even
cancel it.

Theo

 

*waves* I reckon it's better than the competition. Not quite
enough to get me to bother subscribing, but close ...

-----sharks

 

I did some work in the magazine industry last year, and found out that
Aus has the highest rates of magazine sales in the world. It's a
cultural thing.

But Aussie bike mags seem so skewed towards new products it strikes me
as strange. Another passion of mine is playing drums - and drum mags
spend a little bit of time on new gear, and a whole heap on interviews
with bgi stars, playing tips, helping readers develop their own playing
which will presumably get them up to the point where they're able to
appreciate the differences between good and better gear.

As a mildly obsessed bike fan now I buy just about every rag I can get
my hands on, whether I want to or not, and I'm just blown away by the
way that most seem to be virtual mouthpieces for manufacturers. The
focus is squarely on this year's bikes, next year's bikes, comparing
new bikes from all the major companies - even after they just reviewed
all the same bikes individually.

It's getting like watching a TV channel that has nothing but ads.
Surely the vast majority of the readership isn't planning on buying a
brand new bike right away. Surely most of us are already riding
something. And while the new bike reviews are an important and
interesting bit of the mag, wouldn't it be better if there was more
about maintenance, riding, roads, tips...? Help the riders get better,
and the information on which supersport 600 has the finest "knife-edge"
track handling is going to become a lot more relevant.

/That said, new bikes are cool and I want them all.

 

Two wheels used to be far more like what you describe,AMCN sticks with
new bikes and racing roundups, AMCN now sells more each fortnight than
TW does each month...

ARR does what you describe to some extent (it's more short reviews plus
touring related info - routes, write ups etc), and sells each quarter
about a third of what AMCN does.

Well given the vast majority of bikes now sold are either dirt bikes or
scooter and neither AMCN, TW or ARR seriously delves into these niches,
I'd suggest firstly you have to recognise what their intended
demographics are (in my opinion, based on the articles they run) :

AMCN is primarily aimed at the under 40's who buy sports bikes and
sporty naked bikes,and are at least in passing interested in racing.
Basically hoons.

Two Wheels aims for a broader demographic and tries to be all things to
all people (and as is usually the case never quite hits the mark on
anyone of them), they run articles on everything from the good and
points of particular 2nd hand bikes to "bike doc" to touring writeups
and etc

ARR is squarely aimed at the touring rider, people who aren't too
interested in how quickly they can wear out their kneesliders (and
probably don't even own a pair).

Cycle Torque covers dirt and new road bikes, as well as anything else
that crosses the editor's mind to write about (AFAICT)

Then there are several dirt mags (I've never bought or read them so I
can't comment) as well as Rapid and Performance Streetbike (if it still
exists - haven't seen it in ages) for the people who like to modify
(albeit, as someone who fits that demographic I don't think either hit
the mark particularly well), plus the Live to ride mag aimed at the
1%ers and those who wish they were.

Certainly for AMCN and to a lesser extent TW I'd suggest that would be
the case, I've argued in here before (and been shouted down that
sportsbikes are very trend/fashion driven, hence, certainly in Sydney
anyway, people who buy new sports bikes rarely keep them more than two
years before upgrading.

If you don't do maintenance yourself, and will sell your bike before its
warranty has expired, you're not going to be the slightest bit
interested in articles about how to keep "old dungers" (ie anything more
than 2yr old and/or with more than 10,000km on the clock) alive.

If your primary riding consideration is to decide whether you're doing a
lap of the Putty Rd, Nasho, or the Old Rd this weekend (or can you
afford your 3rd track day this month), then who cares what the road
between Ceduna and Norseman is like ?

If you already think you're a riding god because you've done the first
level at the Superbike School (and you've now got 3 years riding
experience under your belt) are you going to care about an article on
how to ride ? You already know how to do that, why you passed that guy
on the R1 at the track day (dont mind the 400 people who lapped you,
that'll be forgotten)

If you're halfway through your first year of owning the latest 600SS
weapon and a newer one has just been released that apparently whips your
bike's arse then that explains why people keep overtaking you - it's the
bike's fault, so it's time to get a new one.

OK, being a bit sarky, but that is the general thought pattern of a not
insignificant portion of the bike riding pop'n.

Heheh you and me both !

JL

 

I stopped buying it when Bear lapsed into marketers mode on a Triumph test
and pasted in large sections of advertising copy rather that write something
new.

 

You still got some contacts in the mag trade?

I'm looking for free tat mags!

Bike mags are too lame to read these days (except the Pommie ones).

Hammo