xBhp magazine feedback thread!!

[sherry_unicornlover]

I want a poster in all the issues.
Not the ones from the manufacturer but clicked by our very own xBhp-ians.

[shark80]

I want a poster in all the issues.
Not the ones from the manufacturer but clicked by our very own xBhp-ians.

Like FaceBook, if we had "Like" button, I would have clicked Like for this post

(Like button for posts is not a bad idea, it will give weightage to the post)

[Praful]

Like FaceBook, if we had "Like" button, I would have clicked Like for this post

(Like button for posts is not a bad idea, it will give weightage to the post)

OT: That is actually a feature of the latest vBulletin 4.0. We are currently on 3.8.2 though....

[Anish71]

Congrats and kudos to everyone who were behind the xBhp mag, and made it a success. carry on this great work in the upcoming issues.
I read the entire magazine, found it very informative and interesting.
here's my review

Pros:
*Paper Quality(The best in any mag i've seen so far)
*Articles were great(specially "100 tips on street survival")
*Pictures and drawings throughout the magazine
*The cover was fantastic
*Documentaries
*Coverage of G2Gs
*DIY section
*and many other things....

Cons:
*Many pictures were monotonous(having afterdark or b/w theme)
*The documentary sometimes felt amateurish
*Ladakh being hyped

P.S.:Being a fellow xBhpian i think i can give some advice.
It would be nice if we could have a riding gears/helmets section, where they could be reviewed.
There should also be a gizmo section(gizmos related to bikes etc)
Indian bikes should also be given some importance as only superbikes were highlighted
This issues had a theme "I, THE BIKER" ,it would be nice if upcoming issues also have such one lined themes, i think it will make the mag a collectible
(though i already consider it as a collectible)

All being said.... xBhp mag is simply awesome and it has an edge above others. looking forward to the future issues.....

Anish

[dushyant123]

i was gonna subscribe online the xbhp mag being a huge fan of the forums...
but one look at the cover i changed my mind...
not to sound offensive but it looked to me like a european magazine with all superbike stuff and new zealand roadtrip etc...
i mean where is the "DESI" touch which is actually relevant to me?
please guys do provide some Indian bikes info in your mags....
till then bikeindia subscription stays.....

[aargee]

@Dushyant - IIRC, there're some road trips of Indian motorcycles done in India too; though I cannot recall them, I believe there's one.

Its a life style magazine, so one cannot expect a 0-60 & 0-100. You can only expect things such as, what gear to use, which location to ride, what things to carry, survival kits, route map, adventure that Bike India provides, WHICH, is already covered in the online forum. Why dupe the efforts? If you're visiting xBhp regularly, you don't need any regular motorcycle magazine.

[Sunny]

i was gonna subscribe online the xbhp mag being a huge fan of the forums...
but one look at the cover i changed my mind...
not to sound offensive but it looked to me like a european magazine with all superbike stuff and new zealand roadtrip etc...
i mean where is the "DESI" touch which is actually relevant to me?
please guys do provide some Indian bikes info in your mags....
till then bikeindia subscription stays.....

Value your feedback. But for the records (not that BI is our competitor or anywhere near us, they are just a tabloid in a magazine form to me): most of the superbikes articles that you see in there are take from the Bi UK counterpart - easiest thing any mag could do. Also if you want to see mileage comparisions, superbikes being taken around the city for some quick shots, 125cc comparos, scooty comparos and 18 pages of bike selector every issue with 10 pages on news that you will find on xBhp a month earlier - please stay with them.

However if you want real deal hardcore motorcycling, stuff like us taking the GSXR into the himalayas etc, or want to be motivated to go ahead and do some real motorcycling please read the xBhp mag.

That is what I think (without wearing the garb of an editor).

And if i put the garb of the editor then i would simply say that we dont want to be come another magazine which is just out there for the sake of it - without passion.

And yes we should include more Indian bikes (which we have anyways in this issue of the magazine - bullets, apache ), but we will only do that if there is a real reason. We are not going to put a 125 cc on the cover just because of 'commercial' reasons.

And i hope this is not what you mean when you said this:

i mean where is the "DESI" touch which is actually relevant to me?
please guys do provide some Indian bikes info in your mags....

DESIt does not mean crappy reviews to fill up the pages and repeating the same info again and again...

If you have done any worthwhile trip on your bike, please submit it to us with photos and we will feature it! Indian bikes or big bikes dont matter to us, its what done with them thats important!

As far as you sticking to BI subscription, I suggest you extend their subscription for 3 more years please because we are not going to change our philosophy.

This is the best magazine in India (and one of the best magazines in the world on motorcycling lifestyle and experience).

And yes I personally am proud (and a wee bit arrogant) of what we have achieved (and our plans) for the future. Ride safe and long my friend!

And one mor ething, I want to make motorcyclists of this nation dream of going around the world, not sticking to their land (Desiness) for eternity. Time to evolve I say, we dont want to be the last race on earth to be discovering the world on two wheels (mind you we have done India twice ourselves) when thousands of 'westerners' are taking up cross continental expeditions on their bikes across the world. Dont be limited by someone else's dogma, you know you want to ride good big bikes and visit all over...

(And btw NZ is no where near Europe, nor is Malaysia ...)

[dushyant123]

i myself like your quest of bringing the motorcycle lifestyle in India....
but look at the highlights of December issue

Highlights of the mag:
A super cool cover!
Sub Zero Superbiking with the Suzuki GSXR 1000 to 14,000 ft!
The Grand New Zealand Roadtrip
The Malaysian Ride Complete Coverage
Hyosung GT650R and ST7 reviewed!
And much much more!

now i dont wanna replace them with articles like
"bajaj pulsar 135LS on tracks" or "battle for the fastest Indian" and such....
but i'd like to see atleast something like "a Tbird getting Leh'd" or "R15 Himalaya ride" and such.....
sorry if you found me irritating but like you i also am immensely passionate about motorcycling (heck i even dream of bikes every now and then )....
and i respect you for that....
we are just two different guys with different views....
P.S. and i know where New Zealand and Malaysia lie...

[Sunny]

i myself like your quest of bringing the motorcycle lifestyle in India....
but look at the highlights of December issue

now i dont wanna replace them with articles like
"bajaj pulsar 135LS on tracks" or "battle for the fastest Indian" and such....

but isnt this what BI does?
but i'd like to see atleast something like "a Tbird getting Leh'd" or "R15 Himalaya ride" and such.....
sorry if you found me irritating but like you i also am immensely passionate about motorcycling (heck i even dream of bikes every now and then )....
and i respect you for that....
we are just two different guys with different views....
P.S. and i know where New Zealand and Malaysia lie...

I am glad that you are taking this with the right perspective. Looks like you missed out on the first issue which had exactly what you wanted.

Also this issue has ample dose of stuff done in India and stuff done by Indians in India and abroad.

[dushyant123]

yes they actually are articles from BI which i've mentioned and were pathetic...
i only subscribed to them coz i am gonna buy a bike in near future and wanted to know specs and stuff....
btw i am subscribing to xbhp today....
best of luck for future issues!

[aargee]

i only subscribed to them coz i am gonna buy a bike in near future and wanted to know specs and stuff....

Dushyant, if you wanted spec, you've the manufacturer's website online & you can get them; Post a question in xBhp & you get unbiased opinions. Last but not the least xBhp.com : What Bike is far better for your requirement.

btw i am subscribing to xbhp today....

Trust me, you'll regret that you bought it late Heck!!! its around 2 months now & still there're some pages left out to read in xBhp magazine. It being used left & right by Wifey & my 3 yr son more than I do;

[dushyant123]

dang it!
isnt there any way i could lay hands on the first issue?

[Sunny]

It might be still on stands , please locate yours here: Find your xBhp magazine

[adarsh1398]

guys..i have been reading all sorts of automotive mags since i was in 15yrs old (i.e. almost 9 years since then), i have been reading all sorts of comparos, from 100cc shoot outs to yamaha royal star vs indian chief...all of them were fantasies for me...1 yr back when i joined xBhp,since then, i have never ever bought any XYZ "bike" magazine (oh yes,i said "bike" because they are not into the passion of biking,just the corporate sector of automotive industry,and even if we see trip logs in them although good,mostly they are the views of a bunch of people working for the company). after xBhp magazine was launched, i found it to be way different than others because its about passion n not just industry. come on, how many can think of taking a SBK to himalayas (as OldFox sir did)???and now the Gixxer?? (it reminds me of a photo somewhere on internet with a gixxer crossing a river and a tag line "ADVENTURE is taking inappropriate equipment to out-of-the-way places" <no offence>).

well thats about the "bike" vs "biking"...

for the first issue i would like to add that i am yet to complete reading it...and in my opinion,as anish71 said,it did seem somewhat monotonous.especially the ride to himalayas. well i was thinking since we have so many trip logs here the himalayan section could be distributed over several issues,and other areas could be included simultaneously.

adding one more thing @ Sunny sir: Why doesnt the magazine provide a channel with the help of Planet DSG,Cramster etc to get proper original riding gears? Actually I have felt people,though looking for riding gears either dont find a place in their towns/cities(like chennai) or even if they do, most of the times they are cheated by the shopkeepers who give them cheap imitations.

[harisubss]

Loved the magazine

@all the people behind the magazine - I loved the magazine, every bit of it.

What more, wifey loved it too! She is hooked on to the trip logs.

Top notch paper quality. Nice articles. Nice weighty feeling and a lot to read!

Suggestions - dont know how far these are possible though
1. Poster - can be from the member's own photos with due credit to the photographer of course.
2. Grammer check on the articles. I am sure a preliminary check would have been done. But, there were quite some errors. Since this magazine represents the enthusiast biking community in India, it would be nice to maintain a good standard. But then, the author might resent his/her article being editing for the grammer though.
3. I would like to see Riding gear reviews(and prices+where to get them). Gadgets like Bluetooth intercom/GPS for bikers (again, where to get them and their prices).

Cheers, and thanks for the effort. All the best for the further issues.