I’ve just seen the June Australian magazine circulation figures. About a quarter of the magazines checked by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) have seen increases, the other three quarters have lost sales.

Not to drag this out for too long, Australian Road Rider’s circulation has grown by 4.54% to 21,971. We are the only motorcycle (in fact, the only motoring-type) magazine to have increased sales. Australian Motorcycle News, the closest comparable magazine on the market, lost 6.69% with sales dropping to 21,001.

That means we’re the best-selling pure motorcycle magazine in Australia once again. And we have you to thank for that. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Be assured that we feel suitably humble that you should take us to this position, and that we will do our best to keep providing you with the content, the look and the attitude that you obviously want.

I’m not counting the trader-type publications, which contain mostly classified advertising. As it happens, both of them outsell us but both of them also lost sales in June. Motorcycle Trader is down 2.93% to 26,945, while Just Bikes has lost 3.65% to finish at 33,692. I’m also not counting dirt bike magazines, although only one of them (ADB) is audited anyway, and it lost 2.64%. Two Wheels is not audited and I’m not going to speculate on its sales although there is no doubt in my mind that they are well below ours.

Australia’s two big motoring magazines have copped a hiding with Wheels down 17.93% to 55,868 and Motor down 20.16% to finish at 35,160. Mind you, Diabetic Living is up 18.58%, and Sporting Shooter is up 9.05%. It still only sells 13,963 copies.

The biggest growth for a mass circulation magazine was seen by Famous, which went to 80,593 sales for a growth of 20%. Yeah, yeah, I know – I don’t care either…

Anyway, thanks again for taking us ahead.

Peter “The Bear” Thoeming