British Dealer News

23rd July 2016

Motorcycle Trader | BDN | Bike industry news

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British Dealer News, aka BDN, is the UK's top motorcycle trade magazine. But wait! We have to declare an interest here in that we regularly write for British Dealer News. Nevertheless, we're calling it as we see it, or read it, and BDN is the best bike trade mag on the block, and quite possibly the best on the planet.

BDN was founded 15 years ago by Colin Mayo and Roger Willis. Willis had, perhaps most famously, been the take-no-prisoners editor of Bike way back in the 1980s. He's also written for any number of publishers from EMAP to Conde Nast to Forward Publishing to Dennis Publishing. Currently, he lives and works on the Isle of Man.

Colin Mayo is also time-served in motorcycle journalism and was the former editor of Motor Cycle Dealer.

British Dealer News was originally published by Mayo Willis Magazines, but it's now entirely in the control of Mayo Media Ltd which is based in Bideford, Devon.

At its inception, BDN's editorial was handled by Willis (in the IOM), whilst Colin Mayo and sons Mark and Andy handled the advertising and admin from Devon. The arrangement worked well, and today there's hardly a motorcycle trader in the country that doesn't know of BDN and receive a free copy in the mail 12 times per annum. BDN has an online presence too, but you have to be in the trade to get site access.

In terms of content, the magazine focuses on anything and everything that affects the UK motorcycle industry including sales, new bikes, parts, tech developments, motorcycle training, legislation, bike auctions, and economics. It keeps a close eye on who's in the ascendancy, who's shifted where, and who's been unfortunate enough to fall off the perch. The current editor is Paul Smith.

Motorcycle Trader magazine

So who else is publishing a UK motorcycle trade magazine? Well that would be Motorcycle Trader which is the handiwork of Redcat Marketing based in Newhaven, East Sussex. The firm knocks out 10 print issues each year and has an online presence too.

In terms of content, presentation, authority and general impact, it's way behind BDN. And it shows. But if you ask the editorial team, you'll be told that it's the better publication. Nevertheless, if you're in the motorcycle business, you need to stay abreast of the times and subscribe to one or both mags. Neither firm will charge you a penny.

www.britishdealernews.co.uk
www.motorcycletrader.net

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