Happy 50th birthday to our sister-pub, Rider Magazine

Throughout 2024, Rider Magazine has celebrated its 50−year history by including retrospective content written by former editors, staffers and contributors.

“Since its first issue in the summer of 1974 until this last issue of 2024, hundreds of people have put in countless hours to fill Rider’s pages with interesting, entertaining and informative content about motorcycles, the people who ride them and the places they take us,” writes its current Editor-in-Chief Greg Drevenstedt.

Rider’s readers are some of the most passionate, dedicated enthusiasts who have continued to support the magazine with their hard-earned money. And that is very rare in this current age where print publications are in decline along with the advertising dollars. But Rider has somehow managed to hang on for a half-century, and we offer kudos to the team, past and present, for “keeping it real” and listening to its audience.

The crew who had the vision and tenacity to launch Rider – Denis Rouse, Bob Mendel, Bill Estes, Ron Rubenstein, Alice Robison and others – got it right, as letters printed in its second issue attest.

“Rider Volume 1, Number 1 is a fabulously fascinating edition for motorcyclists of this country and the rest of the world. You’ve set an extraordinary standard, and all who care will be most grateful,” said Malcolm S. Forbes, Forbes Magazine.

The readers have also supported Rider’s advertisers, the companies who make the motorcycles, accessories, apparel and other products riders need. Advertising revenue is essential to any publication. It pays staff salaries, fees for freelancers and photographers, rent, overhead and other expenses, and for most of Rider’s history, it subsidized the cost of printing and mailing magazines to readers.

Suzuki, MV Agusta, Yamaha, Barnett and BMW Motorcycle Owners of America have supported Rider’s mission since the first issue and continue to do so. Others, like Vetter, Bates and Electro Helmets came and went as the industry and aftermarket evolved. Many companies have supported Rider because they want to reach diehard motorcyclists. And that is part of the glue that makes the magazine continue to push ahead while others have folded.

Greg writes about his tenure in his latest column. “Even though I was desperate, divorced and lacked industry experience, Mark Tuttle [former editor] took a chance on hiring me. And he gave me the benefit of the doubt when I made mistakes (mostly crashes) during my first few months. I worked hard to earn Mark’s trust and that of readers, advertisers and industry reps. Working at Rider gave me renewed purpose and turned my life around. Thank you, Mark, for showing me the ropes, for leading with integrity and fairness, and for being a good friend. Thanks also to Denis Rouse, Bob Mendel, Bill Estes and Tash Matsuoka for paving the way. And thank you to the Rider team: Kevin Duke, Allison Parker, Chad Cochran, Eric Trow, Kevin Wing, Quinn Redeker, Scott ‘Bones’ Williams, Tim Kessel, and our other contributors for helping us maintain high our standards. I also want to thank everyone else at our company for providing the support we need to keep on keepin’ on.”

Here are some of the highlights from Rider’s first 50 years:

1974: Founded by Denis Rouse and with Bob Mendel as editor, Rider publishes two issues as motorcycle sales and the touring aftermarket start booming. It focuses on touring, caters to recreational or commuting riders and avoids racing and overly technical material. Motorcycle tests emphasize everyday functionality rather than outright performance. In the same year, Honda unveils the GL1000 Gold Wing, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) is established, Vanson Leathers opens for business, Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is published, and a national 55−mph speed limit goes into effect.

1976: Rider publishes six issues. The April issue includes a special section on motorcycle camping, an interview with Craig Vetter, and Rider’s first Honda Gold Wing ad. Inside the cover of the June issue is a Salem cigarettes ad featuring a then-unknown model named Tom Selleck, who went on to become a Ferrari-driving superstud in TV’s Magnum, P.I. December’s cover features a space-age illustration for a special section called “The Motorcycle of the Future.” Lockhart Industries starts running ads for its $12.95 Apple Warmer neck wrap.

1991: Two sad events – Soichiro Honda’s death and the final issue of Cycle magazine – are contrasted by Honda building its 500,000th bike at its Marysville, Ohio, plant, and BMW its one millionth. To boost newsstand sales, our covers get splashier. The Kickstarts section is launched in April. A May story heralds the coming of catalytic converters for motorcycles. The AMA launches the Un-Rider campaign to encourage riders to dress for the crash, not the ride. Rouse writes his final column and the Honda CB750 Nighthawk wins MOTY.

1993: In January, Tuttle reports on his trip to Malaysia with buddy Rich Cox. April includes a mostly positive test of the Yamaha GTS1000 with its alternative front end (it wins MOTY). May features an interview with Jay Leno. It’s a big year for Harley: its 90th reunion party in Milwaukee draws 68,000; we hear rumors of the VR1000 superbike; H-D becomes a minority investor in Buell; and we become part of the Rider Group with the launch of our V-Twin-focused sibling publication, American Rider.

2012: After being part of the Trailer Life/ Good Sam RV empire since 1974, Rider gets acquired by EPG Media. Our managing editor and art director positions move to Minnesota, breaking up our cozy family. We report on tours in the Balkans, Ecuador, and Newfoundland, plus more here in the U.S. Tuttle tests a Ural and BMW’s maxi-scooters. Trow hits a nerve with “Tales from the Dark Side,” his report on the dangers of putting car tires on a motorcycle. Drevenstedt gets engaged to his wife, Carrie, atop Stelvio Pass during an Edelweiss Alps tour.

2021: Drevenstedt returns and has big shoes to fill as the new EIC. Art director Chad Cochran gives Rider a cleaner look, Clem says farewell, and Peter Jones writes The Moto Life column. Kevin Wing’s photography continues to take center stage. Kevin Duke becomes EIC of sibling publication Thunder Press, and joins the Rider editorial team. Trow writes about his father-and-son ride in “Parker Discovers America.” Testing Harley’s Pan America 1250, BMW’s R 18 Transcontinental, and Yamaha’s Tracer 9 GT+ (the MOTY).

So, happy 50th birthday to Powersports Business’ sister-publication. And here’s to the next 50 years. “What a long, strange trip it’s been… ”